Follow the Journey

Fiji has been really; really fun and I think I speak for the rest of us when I say this trip will be an unforgettable experience. Recently the group and I have been staying in a Fijian village to build concrete pathways. Constructing these pathways is really hard work especially when all of the labor has to be done by hand. The process begins with mixing together gravel and dry cement mix in a large pile. Next water must be added and this can be done in a variety of different ways, in the village we either create a bath like structure with the gravel cement mix and fill it up with water or make a cone like pile and stick a hose into the top. Next the water, cement mix and gravel must be mixed by a group encircling the pile and quickly mixing all of these things together with shovels until it becomes a pile of grey, wet concrete.
The weather here is so much different than back home in the United States. This time of year is the beginning of the rainy season so twenty to thirty minute periods of hard pouring flash rain happened regularly throughout the day. Also the heat is very intense and it is really important to drink a lot of water so you do not become dehydrated. The village we are staying in is very beautiful rolling mountains can be seen from every direction and bright neon colored plants are abundant. A nearby river is great for cooling off after a hard day’s work and playing with the children in the river had to be one of my favorite times this week.
The nightlife here is really interesting, the villagers all gather in the conference hall in their “Sulus” which are traditional skirts worn by both men and women. A large bowl of light brown liquid called Cava is the customary drink of the village and it is made by mixing together powdered cava root and water. Cavas effects can vary from not feeling much at all to having a numb mouth for a few minutes. If they have the resources the villagers will drink Cava until sunrise and they say its effects are much greater if it is drunk in this manner.
Until next time!