We are scheduled to arrive in Fiji on Sunday, which is a very religious day and most tourist attractions are not open. Oh, well! Fiji also is known as the Cannibal Islands because any unannounced visitors in the past were probably eaten. Famous early visitors were British Captains Jame Cook and William Bligh. The weather is hot, hot, hot, with lots of rainfall, and we are arriving in the rainy season. We are told that the head is very sacred, and we should not touch anyone's head. The clothes are the sarong for women and the sulu, a skirt with a pocket for men. Big hair is a status symbol for men. Fire walking is big on the Island of Bega for men who were not to touch women or coconuts for two weeks before the demonstration or they would get burnt, wearing a hat in a village is a no-no because only the chief can wear a hat, and eating the flesh of the conquered enemy was the ultimate revenge.
Unfortunately, for us and the people of Suva, the entire Pacific Rim is under a tsunami warning--ours is from the earthquake in Japan although today's earthquake in Chile is predicted to make quite a stir in the future. We are on tsunami watch until 10 a.m., and the government has had to chase quite a few people off the streets because this is the first-ever sighting of a tsunami in Fiji because the outer islands act as a barrier. We were to arrive at 8 a.m. but the ship could not enter the port until the warning was rescinded. It was about 10:10 a.m., when our ship was given clearance to dock at Fiji.
Because our original tour was canceled (snorkeling in Fiji), we booked a tour at the last minute to tour the city of Suva and visit the Fiji Museum. We were privileged to be in an air-conditioned bus with our tour guide Ryan, who attended a private school where he was encouraged to play rugby and who wore a sulu, a skirt similar to a Scottish kilt. He informed us that he is wearing something under it but he will not show us. We see the industrial area of the city, the company that brews Fiji Beer, Beera and Premium Gold under the Foster's label, the Suva Prison where once hanging was allowed but now prisoners can receive only a life sentence, the women's prison with a high fence to keep men out and the public cemetery where everyone is buried except the Indians who are cremated. We also pass the Mormon Church with its pure gold angel on top.
Fiji has a simple weather pattern--dry and wet. It takes about 15 hours to drive around the island that has a population of 160,000 people. The unemployment rate is 40 percent due to global economy, political unrest and the closing of many businesses. There are no unemployment benefits. The average family is from six to ten people, and the mortality rate is 70 percent. Most of the cars are second-hand Japanese vehicles, and owning a car is a status symbol. Rugby is the national sport because it beats football because there are no helmets, armor or wimps.
In Fiji, for the Fijians, girls are valued more than boys so they are educated while the boys are sent to the fields. For the Indians, boys have a higher value and are sent to school. Education is not compulsory but it is very expensive.
Most of the tourism in Fiji is from Australia and New Zealand but Japanese and Americans started coming to the islands in recent years. We saw the WWII American Air Force Base that is now home to the University of the South Pacific run by 12 countries, the Parliament House with no air conditioning and its high roof made of pine shingles, the Revenue and Customs building that is one of the newest structures in Suva where all the money goes to the tax man, and the guard at the White House who does not smile while he is on duty for two hours. We also are told that in Fiji, it is not what's for lunch but who's for lunch!
We pass Thurston Gardens, where at the end of the trail is the Fiji Museum. At the museum, we see outriggers with huge oars, remains of the keel of the HMS Bounty and bridal outfits made from Tapa cloth from the mulberry tree. Tattoos, face painting ad hair dressing were very important in the past because they reflect social status. Rev. Thomas Baker, a missionary on the island, was eaten by the Fijians, and we see the cannibal forks that the natives used to eat him because they would never use their hands. The remnants of his boot may have been the basis for the saying, "this meat is as tough as leather." We pass Albert Park, named for Queen Victoria's husband, where the Miss Hibiscus contest is held annually; the Grand Pacific Hotel, which is not so grand any more since it was occupied during WWII by the U.S. Air Force and is now looking for a buyer; and the McDonalds that is known in Fiji as the American Embassy.
At the end of tour, we are left off in the shopping district to spend money at Tappoo, Prouds and Jack's of Fiji, the three department stores that are open on Sunday for the tourists. Our souvenirs are the brain picking implements and Fijian shirts for Ken.
The natives are known as the happiest people in the world, and they all waved and greeted us. Bula!
Am loving your Blog. We adore Fiji and the Fijians, they are the happiest people on this earth with always a smile. We first went to Fiji when our children were only 3 and 5 and we have been back a number of times since the 70's. It is sad to see that the Economic climate has hit Fiji so hard but we are hoping to add some Aussie dollars to their economy later on this year.
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Suva has a population of 160,000. Fiji has almost a million people.
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