Tribewanted: Vorovoro

This I wrote well still in Labasa right before we left to head back to the States:

Here I am sitting in this internet cafe in Labasa Fiji passing time until our plane comes to take us closer to home. Home? So many people have said that Vorovoro becomes like a second home to them. I now understand this. When Walter first signed up to become part of Tribewanted I honestly thought he was crazy. I didn’t understand why he would do it, really I couldn’t understand it. Then he went to the island for his week and I expected it to end there but lucky for me it didn’t. Instead he came home and didn’t stop talking about Vorovoro and Tribewanted for months. Then he decided to sign me and his mom up and give us the gift of a lifetime – a trip to Vorovoro. One hell of a graduation/Christmas/birthday gift huh?! I went into this whole thing with an open mind and no idea that it could be opened even more. When we landed in Fiji from LA, even at the Airport my eyes were popping out of my head. Once we made it to Labasa (the plane ride was amazing, never been in such a small plane before!) I knew there was something special about Fiji!

Well now I’m laying on the couch at home (Chicago, IL) and debating what to get for dinner because it’s to cold to even think about going outside. If I was still on Vorovoro I probably would have already enjoyed one of Va’s delicious creations. Ahhh… Vorovoro!

I seriously could not have asked nor dreamt of anything better than what I experienced while there. Because I went into this with such an open mind I wasn’t even sure what to think at first. Lately with all the talk about people only expressing their positive experiences on the island I tried to think if there was anything negative that I remembered. It’s funny because the only things I ever complained about while on the island are things that I complain about back home (and I live a pretty easy life back home).

While on this island I met some of the most interesting and exciting people! Not just the locals but also the other TW members. I built so many awesome friendships and also had the opportunity to learn how the English and British say words such as vitamin or hygienic. Kathy and Paul were usually my victims of this torture! LOL oh good times! Lots of laughs! Then there were the friendships build with the locals. I completely understand why Kimbo enjoys Api’s company so much! Api’s boat rides held so many jokes and whale sightings. Api and I now have this on going game of who can get who to look when we point at absolutely nothing! And that smile, well really all of the Fijian’s smiles! I can’t help but break a smile just thinking about it! The fire also led to many friendships being built. One night in particular we sat around and ate dinner at the fire. I got to sit in the hammock with Mesa and drill him with questions, mostly questions about himself but also about the island. That same night Walter and I sat with Sossy for quite a few hours and got to get his view and ideas about TW. He’s such an emotional guy and it was amazing for me to see/hear his views and reactions to different topics.

There were so many things that I have lasting pictures of stuck in my brain. One night the sky was so clear that I wasn’t sure if the sky was black with gold starts or if it was gold with black spots! It was amazing! Unfortunately that was the night that I found one of the things I complained about, the damn Mozzies and Sand flies, LOL and they’re not even that big of a deal. (The other thing was the smell of the Compost toilets but as most told me it’s just my sensitive sense of smell because it’s really not that bad, I have been in bathrooms with full plumbing that have smelled worse! But still if that’s all I could find to complain about, which are all the same things I could complain about back home, I think I can fairly say that Vorovoro really is Paradise, or as I said to Walt as we left on our boat back home “Vorovoro has become my Paradise tucked among the palm trees”).

Oh so many memories! Waking up to the breakfast bell only to walk out of my bure and see Mesa and Sossy sitting in the sustainability hut reading! Those two will be some of the smartest people alive in another year if they keep it up! Then walking into a kitchen to Va’s amazing “Bula Niki! How was your sleep?” and all the other girls with their individual “Bula” or “Bula Sia” (I wish I was greeted like that every time I wake up!) Our morning porridge (which for some reason just has never tasted that good back home) and tales of what went on the night before or who was going to do what. Then off to do our daily whatever… LOL! Some days I’d help Paul feed the Piggies and Chickens others I’d find Pupu and help with whatever he was doing. Oh morning tea, lunch, evening tea and dinner! I don’t even eat that well back home! Delicious!

We snorkeled quite a bit, going on a few trips with Mariah and others with Kathy and the rest of the gang. We saw sea snakes and lots and lots of fishes, jellies and all different types of coral. On our reef trip we saw a few huge purple star fish. All of our snorkeling pics can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyflood/sets/72157603725269937/

So I went without any expectations and came back with the most amazing experience ever. I now hold many people and a very wonderful place very dear to my heart and will forever remember my trip to Vorovoro! (Hopefully I will get the joy of experiencing Vorovoro again either later this year or in 2009! Gotta start saving!)

Vinaka na Memories!!!

A few sites to help learn some Fijian Language:
http://www.fijishop.com/store/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Fijishop&Product_Code=0602006&Category_Code=0600

http://www.geocities.com/fijidictionary/eng_fijian_dict.html