Day 3 - Tuesday December 11, 2001 - 10:40am Local Time

The Fijian dollar is like this: one Fijian dollar equals slightly less than 50¢ U.S., which means that it equals about 75¢ Canadian. That being the case, the Ratu Nemani Island Bar (known locally as the “250 Bar” due to its long-standing policy of selling all beverages, alcoholic and otherwise, for only $2.50 each) is still the best bargain on the island at about $1.85 Canadian - damn cheap.

Fijian beer is quite good too - can’t say the same for the rum.

The music that’s played at this bar (primarily for the American tourists I assume, though none appear to be here) leans toward Janet Jackson and Backstreet Boys… I’m having none of that. No offence to Janet but, come on, this is Fiji. I came here to get away from the typical Westernized milieu. Yeah, I know - Fiji’s in the West, but you know what I mean.

So, I ask the bartender, who can’t be much older than 17 or 18, to change the station. “What do you listen to?” I ask. “Play that.” On comes Punjabi music.

Pretty soon we’re crankin’ ‘er up and head bobbin’ to the music that seems so full of passion and life. Making money off the few tourists and travellers that are here (I’m the latter - I’ll explain the difference later) doesn’t put half the smile on this kid’s face as his music. I can understand that. I never smiled much while listening to the Backstreet Boys either.

Later

If you live in a place like this, where do you go for a holiday? What tops this? Do you go to an office building in Chicago and file important documents for two weeks?!

Still Later

It’s easy to forget that Fiji was once, not too long ago, a British crown colony. Consequently, their government runs on the parliamentary system (when it’s not being overthrown!) and all flags and official crests retain the Union Jack in some manner. Because of this Christmas is still a traditional celebration here. Indeed, it’s embraced as a festival of family (the cornerstone of Fijian life I’m slowly discovering). Gee, sounds just like Christmas back home! OK, enough irony.
Fiji Flag

Later Still

How much are you willing to spend to travel to a place where only the blue of the sky interrupts the aquamarine of the water…?

Not Too Much Later

It’s early in my travels, but I’m becoming keenly aware that there are 10 women for every man on this island. And since I’m the only man….

Same Day - 2:19pm

From the opening dialogue of Bernardo Bertolucci’s film (based on Paul Bowles excellent novel), The Sheltering Sky:

John Malkovich: “We’re not tourists, we’re travellers.”

Debra Winger: “What’s the difference?”

John Malkovich: “Tourists are people who think of going home the moment they arrive. Whereas a traveller may not come back at all.”

Same Day - 8:24pm

Goddamn frogs! (The reptiles, not the French!)

Walking back to my bure at dusk after a busy day doing fuck all, I encounter frogs - hundreds of them. And these guys don’t so much hop as run. First frogs I’ve ever seen whose front legs seem as useful as their back ones. Could account for the ‘2-for-1’ frogs legs special on the restaurant menu. Bwa ha ha!

Malolo Lailai Island, home to Musket Cove, is rife with little bits of wildlife. Everything from the frogs to rabbits - small bunnies actually. Having only been born a few months ago they won’t reach maturity until spring. And yes, they’re raised for their meat. And there are cats, including a beautiful rare Abyssinian, all legs and tail and at least 12 inches tall - the Greyhound of felines. Plus, various breeds of dogs and chickens.

Back during the Second World War there were only a few Chinese on this island. They were hired to tend to the vegetable gardens. Apparently the entire 800-acre island was used for raising vegetables for the surrounding island population. With over 330 islands in the Fijian chain, that’s a lot of appetites.

I ordered dinner tonight from the three-course price fixe menu - I won’t do that again. A lot of what passes for a meal here is totally westernized (there’s that word again!) Dinner was basically cafe-style, which is to say flavourless with over-cooked seafood and under-cooked veggies. Oh well, at least there was fish. Tomorrow is the “Pig Roast”. It’ll be difficult to mess that up - looking forward to it.

Time for sleep. Day 4 beckons….