Fiij : Lautoka and kava roots

After spending 4 days zigzagging between the reefs to reach
the southern part of Fiji’s Viti Levu, we arrived in Vuda Point, a marina
close to Lautoka. We went there to welcome Olivier, Jennifer, Alexandre
and Claire, coming from New York to spend 2 weeks on Noeluna. We were supposed
to sail together to Vanuatu, along with the World Arc fleet. But after a long
debate with Matthieu, we made the decision to stay in Fiji and enjoy a relaxing
time with our friends instead. We first had to go to the market in Lautoka, to get our
provisioning of fruits and vegetables of course, but also to buy kava roots ;
everytime you anchor in front of a village, you need to go on shore to meet the
Chief and ask for permission to stay. Traditionally you bring him a kava root
as an offering for the ceremony of Sevu-sevu. We had the wonderful opportunity
to drink some kava while shopping at the market ; it’s a whitish liquid,
served in a small coconut bowl, with a very bitter taste. Olivier accepted the
drink offered by one of the market sellers with a lot of enthusiasm, and he
nicely drank the full bowl . Jennifer and I managed to drink a much
smaller quantity. After a few minutes my mouth was a kind of numb, and I was
feeling very relaxed… Jennifer seemed to feel the same. Olivier,
just couldn’t talk to express his feelings… I guess it was a very
special experience… So here we are, going from wild anchorage to cool marinas,
via Fijian villages. We had our first sevu sevu in a beautiful village set on a
large bay at the bottom of a small mountain, all surrounded by the sea. Most of
Fiji’s landscapes are made of several slices of small mountains. It
is really spectacular. We went onshore with the dinghy, and asked the first
person we saw on the beach, permission to stay in front of the village. The
lady, who happened to be the kindergarden teacher, welcomed us very kindly and
in a very official way. She brought us to the Chief, while a man played drums
to acknowledge our presence. The Chief invited us to sit in his house with a
dozen of people, including the cutest kids and babies. After a nice talk, we
were invited to attend a traditional event in the village the day after. We spent the other days peacefully, drinking lot of Duty
free Champagne first, then Australian and New Zealand Champagne, always
provided by the Champagne and Chocolate Master, Olivier ; I have to say that
Alexandre and Claire have very well followed in their father’s steps as
far as gourmet food tasting is concerned… What else would you pray for ?
Paradise beaches, snorkeling, games and laughs ? Here we are, we got them all ! The L. family flew back to the States from Nandi on the 10th
of July. Thank you girls for your flexibility and cooperation, that’s not
easy to share the water when you are 8 on board, and you did it so nicely.
Thank you guys for your enthusiasm for everything, always. We all hope to
see you all, soon in Singapore. Ciao, and Welcome to Bertrand ! Marie-Anne |