Bula!

Where do I begin... It's been a very interesting few days and I wish that could upload photos. (BTW this computer and keyboard are functioning at the best they can so forgive the mistakes).

Last time I was about to head into the town of Nadi (pr: Nahn-dee, where the extra N came from I don't know.) As soon as we got out of the taxi me and two other fellows were bombarded with shop owners saying "Bula, come into my shop." Many of them wanting to shake your hand and know your name. I was Neal for the day, it just came to me. When you do enter their shop and if you tell them you are from America, they all said, "You from America? I give special deal for you." which means I'll jack up my price 100% but come down 50% and you'll still think it's a deal. the town of Nadi was my first experience with a second, close to third world, town/city. there is a main drag and it might be about 6 blocks long. I was kind of scared, a little nervouse, and totally intrigued by what was going on around me. I wanted to got back, but today is sunday and most everything is closed. At the end of the maind street is a marketplace where villages, and some other islands have a small shop to sell their wares. Here, at least, the money goes to local artists instead of the crap shops on the drag.

FYI the Fijhi dollar is .65% of our dollar, or 1 American = 1.45 Fiji. Not too bad. Alos consider that there is about 60 to 70% unemployment here and they are getting very low wages. For example the receptionist at this "resort hostel" get paid $2.20 an hour and I just bought a Fiji bitter beer for $4 and internet access at $4 an hour.

At the end of this main street was a fabulous Hindu temple. So pretty and so many colors. A small donation of $3.50 and you get a personal tour guide and a blessing from a priest.

It's hot and muggy here. the average temp is around 32 degrees celcious about 90 F. The one word that will describe my trip to Fiji SWEAT!

I've said it many times to other travelers, that the beautiful country and warm ocean waters (about 28 c.) are great, but it's the fiji people who really have made my trip here so worth it. they are jolly and fun loving and are contantly joking with each other. Plus, they remember tyou name. You tell them your name once and *snap* they know it. I'm still having a hard time remembering my middle name. So I've been trying very hard to remember their names and it's not easy because you meet a few Fijians and their names will go like this : Nice (nee-say), Ishialey (eesh-ee-aye'-lay) , Una (oo'-nah), Mike, flex, and Jim. But friendly and fun people. But they are not into drinking alcohol, they are into drinking Kava.

Kava is THE drink in Fiji. It means the world to these people. It is not olny ritualistic, but they drink it every day around a kava mixing bowl, a matt to sit on and bowls to drink out of. Kava is makde out of the root from the kava plant. The older the plant the more potent the kava. It is pounded and mixed with 3ater to produce tan/dirty water liquid. when drunk, and you must drink the entire contents of the cup in one go. You can take your time to drink it, but it is very insulting to not drink it completely. It tastes like ever so slightly sweet earth. So people canot stand the taste at all. but I found it to be okay and tolerable. It produces a mild numbing effect on your lips, toungue, gums, and body. slightly similar to marijuana but not nearly and mind numbing. The more kava you drink the more relanxed and body numbness you feel. The natives will drink 10, 20, or more cups in an evening. But be careful, because if you drink too much you will want to do nothing the next day and will not ber able to "perform" that night.

Kava is drunk mostly by men and they sit around telling stories, drink some kava, talk some more, have a cigarette, drink some kava all night long. Very communal and great to be a part of the group. Good people to be with.

Anohter interesting thing too. the Fijian men shake hands differently from Americans. they Put hands together as if they are going to hake but only lightly clasp hands and then slide their hands back to themselves and then curl their fingers to again slide through, whereas we would clinch and hold the fingers, as many african americans do, but they do not hold the shake. when they do what we know as a handshake it is rather slight clasp. Not "fishy" just a ptting together of the hands and there is not real shake, just a light clasp.

One more thing before my time expires, I was taling to this bloke from Quebec and he was saying how odd it was that people can ask you where were you on the morning of April 18th? I we can honestly say, "That morning did not exist for me." Because of our plain trip across the international dateline.

On to Australia tomorrow.