Today we explored the lovely island of Beqa, which is part of Fiji. The day started with a visit to a small village by the coast and an optional hike to a neighboring village. The hike took us up a hill and provided beautiful views of the ocean and the bays below. Along the way, we looked for birds, visited a kava farm, and learned a bit about local plants. We even visited the village school, which had a small library and playground for the kids.
After we finished the hike, we had a delicious lunch on board National Geographic Orion then we took Zodiacs ashore at a new location. When we pulled up on the beach, we were greeted by a chorus of singers from one of the villages. The music was beautiful, and we all enjoyed listening to the group sing and play their instruments. We shared a bowl of kava with our greeting party and then were treated to a special ritual – firewalking! Men from the village showed us their traditional practice of walking over extremely hot rocks that have been heated by a strong fire. It was impressive! It was our last full day on this trip, and we certainly made the most of it.
