Navotu Village

In Fiji, life is slow-paced; no one is in a hurry. My family and I have been in Fiji for a few days, inching our way around. A cool experience was traveling on the Lomaiviti Princess, the biggest ship in Fiji. It had eight stories, including a café, a convenience store, a small kids area and a TV lounge. The crew lived on the boat so there is a story made for cabins and living area. Because it was a 9-hour overnight voyage many passengers rent cabins with beds and a bathroom facility, but we managed with some of our own blankets. The captain let us go to the control room and engine room; it was good fun discovering many buttons and panels, it’s hard to believe

that some people understand all of it.

            After waking up, an announcement sounded and my family got off the ship. We waited for our hosts to pick us up, and eventually a boat came for us. The village we stayed in was a small one of 170 called Navotu; it was on the water so there was an abundance of fish to go around.

            Being at this village was a great experience. The people were very friendly and always wanted to help. One day we walked along the beach, another day we snorkeled. Sometimes I would play with the locals and play rugby or wrestle. All the meals were eaten together in the main area where the men and women would hang out most of the day. The variety of food from the village was interesting; it consisted of mostly fish, cow and root vegetables. We stayed there for a week and it was hard to say goodbye to so many new friends.