In 1789, Captain Bligh and his remaining loyal crew members sailed past the islands of Fiji following the infamous mutiny aboard the HMS Bounty. Numbering more than 300, the islands are known for their pristine coral reefs. Our stop today was the island of Beqa, located just off the southern coast of Viti Levu. We had the option to dive or snorkel the surrounding coral reefs, go on walks in the jungle, or paddle sea kayaks along mangrove-lined channels. Mike chose to a walk from one village to another and here is a photo he took of the view along the way.
I, being made of sterner stuff, chose to tough it out on the beach and read my book, with the occasional walk in the water when I felt a sudden burst of energy overtake me. That may have happened twice. I was serenaded by the local Sawau men, who like almost all Fijians, love to play guitar and sing. They sat around in a big circle, drinking the local drink of choice called Kava. You take a cup from a large Kava bowl and then knock it back in one gulp. It is a mild stimulant and tastes like dirt! For most visitors, one cup was enough. The locals drank gallons of the stuff.
Oops, that’s actually a picture of Mike after a couple of drinks of rum punch.
The highlight of our visit was to see some of the men do fire walking, a tradition they are known for throughout the Fijian islands. If any resort in Fiji hosts a fire walking night, the men who do it will come from Beqa. Large stones were heated through by putting burning logs over them. Once they were hot enough, the men spread them out with wooden poles and then took turns standing and walking over the stones. I attribute their willingness to do this to the Kava they drank! Mike did not do any fire walking.
Then it was time to go back to the ship for our final evening aboard. The local people serenaded us off their island to get ready for the Captain’s cocktail party and farewell dinner. We watched the sun set from the stern of the ship and I saw my first green flash ever, just before the top of the sun sank beneath the waves. Chris Ranier, the Nat Geo photographer on this leg, called out “You’re not a virgin anymore!” Then he said the green flash wasn’t as good as it sometimes is because of a thin layer of cloud that muted the effect, so I guess I may not be a virgin anymore but the earth didn’t move for me either.
