Bula! Our last day on this voyage across Melanesia was spent on the island of Beqa in Fiji. Here, we spent an amazing afternoon getting a taste of the warmth and fun of the people of Fiji. We packed an incredible lot into a short time, and everyone left with great thoughts of Fiji and the hope of returning soon.
After going ashore and being warmly welcomed, we divided into different groups. Some of us went snorkeling at the great local reef that is a marine protected area. Others went SCUBA diving on the reef here in Beqa lagoon. Many of us walked up to a vista point for a view over the lagoon. I went with a group that visited two different villages with a gorgeous walk between them.
We took a boat a short distance, and went for a walk in our first village. We visited the Methodist church where our guides sang a beautiful hymn. This was only a warm-up for what awaited. As we passed the school, I was asked if we wanted to visit. Sure! The kids sang for us numerous songs and performed some hilarious dances. It was an authentic and warm reception that left us all aglow. From here, we walked up and over to another village where we once again had great visits with the local people. Soon, it was time to regroup and enjoy a bit of kava!
Kava is an essential part of Fiji, and luckily a group was sitting around drinking kava and singing songs. Many of us visited the kava bowl to enjoy the ritual and the warm hospitality. Soon, it was time for a meke, or traditional dance. Here, a group sang and played the lali drum while a group of women performed dances that told many different traditional stories. This was wrapped up by one man who performed a cow dance, including mooing!
We spent our final part of the day watching what the people of Beqa are famous for: firewalking! After cooking rocks in a fire for many hours, a group of men who have the “power” to do so walked and stood on incredibly hot rocks. For them, it is a very special thing, and for us it was wonderful to watch. Luckily, none of us tried it, and we happily left it to them.
As we gathered on the back deck for our farewell party, a setting sun resulted in a green flash, sealing the day as perfect!
