Bula! It's a word that travelers in Fiji quickly become familiar with as they move through this South Pacific paradise, which is located more than 1,100 miles north of New Zealand. "Hello" in the Fijian language, "Bula!" is not just a greeting made by those bound by good manners, but a real expression of interest in you as a person.
A Real Welcome to Fiji
I soon discover this fact at a local fruit and vegetable market in the small town of Sigatoka when a vendor named Ana introduces me to her daughter and mother and then asks me to take photographs of each member of her family. While in some countries this might be a ploy to sell more produce to tourists or even an opportunity to ask for money by posing for photos, in Fiji it's the refreshing type of everyday warmth I encountered throughout my all-too-brief visit.
"Bula!" said Ana. "Welcome to Fiji."
Welcoming far-flung travelers is a habit in Fiji. Indigenous Fijians were joined millennia ago by Polynesians and then Melanesians who canoed over to the group of islands. The 1870s in Fiji saw the arrival of laborers from the Bengal region of India who came to the country to work in the sugar cane fields.
A compelling mix of peoples, the majority of Indo-Fijians is Hindu. They are followed by members of the Methodist Church whose missionaries traveled to Fiji from England in the 1880s to convert the indigenous people to Christianity. Other religions practiced by the people of Fiji include Catholicism and Islam.
Yet two traditions that date back to the very earliest inhabitants of Fiji remain at the core of island life: kava and firewalking.
A Friendly Toast
Kava (also known as yaqona, pronounced yang-go-na) is a woody tasting non-alcoholic beverage that makes tongues and lips go numb.
My kava tasting occurred at Nakabuta "pottery village" located at the end of a dirt road in the Sigatoka Valley on Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. What at first sounds like a theme park version of Fiji is in fact an authentic village. Here, for generations, the women have gone about mastering the art of creating striking hand-made pottery using clay harvested from the banks of the nearby Sigatoka River, firing it in open flames, and then finishing the works with a glaze made from the sap of Australian eucalyptus trees.
Another key part of a visit to the village is a taste of the kava drink, which is lovingly prepared by one of the village women. Made from the dried root of pepper plants, the powdery substance is placed in a pouch, mixed with water in a large wooden bowl, and then served to guests in wooden cups.
"Bula!" I shouted, as custom dictates, before raising the cup to my lips and downing the elixir which has the appearance of muddy water.
Hours later I found out that kava evidently is not for me, experiencing an unwelcome souvenir from the experience—a pimply red rash on my arms—in addition to the expected numb-mouth effect.
Firewalk
More to my liking was the Fijian firewalking, which is staged weekly at the Shangri-La Resort for the benefit of its guests. Fijians (mostly men) from the Island of Beqa, located off the south coast of Viti Levu, are said to be the only natives of Fiji with the ability to walk over white-hot stones. The stones are heated all day in a pile of burning coconut husks and can reach a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, a state that would normally leave the skin on the bottoms of human feet charred.
This mysterious power to withstand skin-blistering heat can be traced back to the legend of a Beqa warrior named Tui-na-viqalita.Tui-na-viqalita was bestowed with the gift of firewalking after sparing the life of an eel that he caught while fishing. The legend goes that the eel was in fact a spirit-god and, to this day, the descendants of Tui-na-viqalita have the power to step on stones that would hobble mere mortals.
While watching the group of men prepare for the ritual, I clearly saw that this is no casual romp as they focus all of their attention on the stones beneath their feet. They take approximately six to ten seconds to complete this impressive hot walk.
Fiji, once named the "Cannibal Isles" because of the long-ago nasty habit a few chiefs had of eating visitors, is now a magnet for sun-loving tourists from around the world. Tourism is the country's number one industry; however, it has slowed down in the past months only because of a perception of political instability.
Politics and Play
"It's hurt us," one resort owner told me.
The fact is Fiji did have a bloodless coup on Dec. 5, 2006, which resulted in the military, under the command of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, taking over the country. Both the United States and Australia currently have travel advisories regarding travel to Fiji. Such warnings have been openly criticized by Bainimarama who has committed to holding a free election in April 2009 and is on record as saying he "will accept the outcome of the elections."
Many Fijians suspect that the travel warnings have to do more with some Western countries feeling the need to put pressure on their tiny nation (made up of more than 300 islands) to adopt a democratic form of government sooner rather than later.
When I traveled through Fiji in recent weeks, there was no terror in the streets, just more of what has always existed: beautiful beaches, incredibly friendly people, and a seascape that has seduced everyone from famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau (whose son now runs a resort on the island of Vanua Levu) to actor Tom Hanks who starred in the movie "Castaway" filmed on the tiny island of Monuriki in 2000.
Still largely controlled by the chiefs who rule the villages of Fiji, politics is the last thing on the minds of the many tourists, including Americans and Australians that I met during my stay.
Cultural Harmony
"We came here from Minnesota," said Rob, one half of a honeymooning couple who spent a week in Fiji scuba diving, snorkeling, and getting to know each other in their private, thatched-roof bure (pronounced buray) or hut.
As I strolled along a beach lit by a full moon, I reflected on this land of a thousand "bulas." Often associated with a carefree approach to life, Fiji for me has come to take on an entirely different meaning. I now have a much deeper appreciation for the complex culture of this island nation that functions in relative harmony despite the dramatically different cultures that live side by side.
Before my visit, Fiji had only existed in my imagination, but now it's a glorious spot on the globe where I know I will be always welcomed with a hearty "Bula!"
Wes Lafortune is the editor of Worldtrekker.ca
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