Fiji Life: Arts And Crafts Fiji Style

Bula! Back for day three of the Fiji experience. I really could be back there still with no problem. Ya know how some vacations you are really glad to be home and you need "a vacation from your vacation"? I know for me, Vegas is always like that. Not this vacation...I could truly have spent a month there.

Enlarge pictures to create more awe!

Monday June 13th

Inside and outside of our little beachfront bure. The number became an immediate and repetitive quoting of the Beatles - Number 9, Number 9, Number 9. Since every meal and every purchased beer or drink require the recitation of ones room number you can see how this got old by the end of the week. Nevertheless, it was a glorious home for 8 days a week, our Number 9.

This morning was a carbon copy of the relaxing morning of yesterday. The weather was perfect. the plan today was afternoon deep sea fishing for about 8 of us when the divers returned and lunch had been had. Oddly it appears that the Queen's birthday came upon the island as a surprise! Who knew? Since Britain really no longer had any reign over the Fijians (even though Queen Liz is still on their money) apparently everyone just now remembered the Queen's birthday and therefore the fishing was postponed until tomorrow. Curiously, there was no celebration that I saw to honor the event. There was however a impromptu hike to the waterfalls. Since the scheduled hike was two days later, Brandi and I decided to wait and partake in the native coconut demonstration this afternoon.

Shortly after lunch one of the guys found a site on his iPad (seems like everyone has these now) that we could "watch" the Mavericks Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Watch is a little broadly applied here as what we did was huddle around the iPad and watch the score change while scrolling updates below it told the action. Not the optimum way to watch your team win its first ever title but hey...we're fans! Of course the Mavs won and I felt really good for Dirk and the team. High fives and a round of beers (Fiji Gold, yeah!) for everyone.

The young man who gave the coconut demonstration lived in a village that was a two-hour walk from the resort. His only day off each week was Saturday. Fortunately he got a boat ride home each Friday night so it was only about a 30 minute trip. He was a cool dude and after today I dubbed him Coconut Man (mostly because I did not know his real name). He is actually on one of the post cards at the small gift shop and I got him to sign it for me the last day we were there (to be included in a later post).

The coconut demonstration was a cultural education in how they use all parts of the coconut tree. This day centered on use of the palm fronds and the coconuts themselves. As he spoke his hands were weaving a basket used to carry food from the jungle back to the village. I believe he could have done this in his sleep. It was really fascinating to watch. Take a look...

Notice the punji stick to the right...used later for husking the coconuts

Then we moved on to the actual coconuts themselves. First the drinking of the milk...

My wifes tries it...

And rates the taste!

Fresh green coconut meat looks and feels much like raw fish...slippery and slimy, but tasty!

Then he husked the mature coconuts...using the previously mentioned punji stick that he had sharpened with his machete! One wrong move and you could slice your arm wide open!

The mature coconuts have the firm white meat inside. He expertly shaved slices for everyone to try. The meat is surprisingly hard but tasted like the coconut you know and love.

This rope is made from the fibers of the coconut husk. It is very strong. This is a chief's symbol and is never touched by anyone else in the village. Obviously this one has been made for demo purposes. There are four cowrie shells on the chief's rope...they represent the main men of the village, the Chief, the Priest, the Warrior, and the Fisherman. This is the mayor and city council if you will.

At the kava ceremony two nights hence the Coconut Man will have selected one of the group to be the chief for the ritual. Whoever he chooses at dinner tomorrow night will have this rope and shells for the ceremonial kava night. I'm feeling chiefly so I do my best to be impressive to him the next two days! You will find out I was not so much.

CM then demonstrates his skill (after much encouragement from us drunken sailors) at climbing the palm tree and snatching a coconut. Man he went up that thing like walking on a sidewalk! Most of the men have very strong thighs and calves from doing this since youth. Notice the tree on the right. Those notches are where the climber hacks foot and hand holds with his machete the first time the tree is climbed. 

And now I introduce you to our travel Monkey. He goes with my wife and I on all vacations and has a blast! We try to get him a shirt for each site but in Fiji we had a hard time finding one to fit. My wife bought a small shirt she is going to tailor for him. Here he is just hangin out in a tree notch trying to pick up chicks!

And what better way to pick up chicks than hittin' the Bula Bar! This is how you get a free Pina Colada (with actual alcohol in it).

After another spectacular sunset and tons of pictures of it as it changed over the course of 45 minutes, we settle in to a dinner of fresh mahi-mahi and call it a night around 9PM.

Vinaka til we meet again...