Laenger als geplant...

Email vom 10. Dezember 2004

...version this time will be in English...

Today is my last day on Fiji. On the one hand, I feel sad to leave because it is such a beautiful place, but on the other hand, I am looking foreward to meet my friends in New Zealand.
And to do some laundry, dry all my stuff

Fiji was a new experience for me. The first time that I felt like a real stranger. Just because of the color of my skin I could be recognized as a foreigner.
The culture seems to me as a weird mixture of English, Indian and Pacific influences. I could see many things, that reminded me of Hawaii. Plants and birds for example, but also traditional things like the use of flowers, crafts etc.

But still, Fiji is very different. The most part of the people are very poor. Therefore all prices are very low compared to Europe and America.
A huge part of the Fijians still live on self-suply. In these small villages along the highway (wich for long parts is still a dirt-road)and in the highlands, they grow their own vegetables, have one or two cows, some pigs, chicken and goats. No electricity if they dont have a generator and the water comes out of a well. But they don't seem
unhappy to me. As the climate is normaly never cold, the houses don't need insulation, the windows are mostly holes, that allow the cooling breeze to go through.
Everywhere the influence of the church is very big. Nearly every village has its own church. And it is thanks to the missioners, that people over here are very prude. Women always wear skirts that at least cover you knees and you shouldn't show your shoulders. But men often wear their sulus too! A sulu is a piece of cloth (you might know it as a sarong) that is wrapped around your hips like you would do it with a towel. There are other ways to tie the sulu so that is doesn't fall off thst easy
To see the men wearing long-sleeve shirts with tie and sulu is a very pretty sight!

I went on a tour around the main island (Viti Levu), which takes at least 4 days. During that trip, one visits beaches, villages, does some hikes and much more. Like this, I experineced a real Kava-ceremonie.
Kava is the root of a plant of the pepper-family that is dryed and grounded and then soaked in water. The drink itself tastes a bit bitter and it makes your tonge and lips feel numb. I have to say, that I liked this stuff After several bowls, even your head gets numb, I was told. I never had so much to experience this...

We also visited an orphanage. About this part of the trip, I felt very sceptical. But even though the girls are raised with as much love as possible, you could see how much they all enjoyed, just getting some time from someone else. A lot of us had digital cameras with them and these girs had so much fun taking pictures of everything and everybody
and looking at them at once. But still, I had to fight my tears while this visit.

I spend some additional days on Nananu-i-Ra, a small island northeast of the mainland. A wonderful place to relax, snorkel, sunbathe (uh, as there was nobody on the beach, I could thake of my swimsuit for the first time... some parts of me still look like a lobster ! I didn't go an a dive, I just didn't have enough time for that.

Ok, I think, I better stop now. Otherwise I won't have anything left to tell after my return

The next time, you will hear from me, I'll already be in NZ.

Take care everybody!