Fiji log 6 -- 31 May 2015
Only a few days left here before we head back to New Mexico. Yesterday was rainy, but not enough to discourage activity. I shot the squall line coming across our bay.
Then, the clouds made the sunset much prettier.
On the way up to supper, Fran startled a toad that was resting on the walk way. The disgruntled amphibian hopped away just as I shot the flash picture.
I had to crop pretty much to remove Fran's foot from the photo.
The band was having a kava ceremony between numbers. There is a definite way to drink kava. It involves clapping a number of times and using both hands. Above all, the drinker is respectful of the giver.
The band  |
| Terry gets kava'd |
The band is great. They play every night and at some lunch times. Tiko, the base guitarist led Fran and me on our walkabout yesterday. They are working to earn enough money to make a CD. They promised to send me a copy when they do. They have written several songs, each distinctive island music and easy listening. I hope that they have the same success as did Israel Kamakaweo'ole.
Kava is made from the roots of the kava plant. In an earlier blog, I showed photos of making it. When the plant is ground fine, the powder is placed in a cloth bag. Water is added and when the color is right, the ceremony begins. It didn't seem to have much taste, but a few ounces drunk last night numbed my tongue.
This morning, we relaxed as the divers headed out for another day.
I did my relaxing in a hammock on the beach and shot the two above. Happily, I did not manage to fall out of the hammock as I was taking pictures.
Disregarded the manager's advice and walked west along the beach. After about 50 yards, there was a mangrove patch that ran as far as I could see. When I went inland, I found a bulldozed road and followed it for about twenty minutes to another cove where a couple of boats were tied up. Met four guys on their way out to the end of the jetty for hand line fishing.
Walking, I saw a couple of
shore birds.
We are trying to decide if this
is a heron or an egret. Most votes are for heron.
 |
| Grey version hunting on the beach. |
I found this little path to nowhere near the marina. I think the stumps are old cocoanut trunks that were planted like we see them. They are common to the area and often seem to mark property divisions.
There is an overcast this afternoon, with a brisk wind. The combination makes taking fish pictures difficult.
We haven't identified most of these.
Since I can't annoy the fish or natives, let me correct some of the things from previous blogs. It's mostly spelling. Fijian is pronounced a little differently from what English speakers expect.
Vowels:
a as in water
e as in pet
i as in mean
o is long like shore
u is also long as in true
The consonants have some different sounds as well.
c sounds like a soft 'th' like the
b if it has a consonant preceding it is 'mb'
d if there is a consonant before sounds like 'nd'
g is pronounced more like the 'ng' in ring
j is closer to 'ch'
q is pronounced 'ng' like linger
r is rolled the way it is done in Scottish or Spanish
That means that when I wrote 'yandro' for good morning, the correct spelling is 'yadro'.
Bula is used by everyone for a greeting. According to my Fijian dictionary, it means 'to get well or to live'.
Tonight, the group is making a night dive. This is the group of divers. Non-divers like me are not included. They left just before sunset
To take advantage of the remaining light to navigate to the dive site. Most of them have dived at night, but our newest diver is excited by the prospect of his first dark dive. Tomorrow, he will be taken on a deep dive (30 meters). Tomorrow is also our last full day at Wananavu. Everyone really liked the place and especially the people.
That's it for tonight.
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