Over 6,000 miles away from my Big Sky home, with ivory sand
grains squished between my toes and relentless waves crashing around me, I
found a cure. My honeymoon adventure to Fiji unplugged me from the chaos of
daily life, allowed me to breathe for the first time in a long time and helped
me relish in the blessings of marriage.
After an 11-hour flight over the South Pacific, a jerky bus
ride to the coast of Nadi and an hour long boat ride, my new husband and I
finally squinted sight of our destination—gorgeous Matamanoa Island. A group of
native Fijians greeted us on the beach with smiles, singing and strands of
white seashells to loop around our necks. With our pant legs rolled up, we sank
our first step into the clear aqua water and began the trip of a lifetime.
When we arrived at the “Bure” we would be staying in for the
next week, we smiled noticing a little wooden sign dangling from a hook on the
front door. It had our names carved into it. It was just the first of many details
that made us feel truly welcomed and at home in Fiji. Upon first walking
inside, my eyes darted ahead to our glass back door and a vibrant blue glow
emanating from the other side of it. You know those postcards and travel
magazines with photos of places with ridiculously clear blue water? I always
halfway figured they were fake because the colors and beauty were too
magnificent to comprehend. But there, just a few feet out the back door of our
bure was an ocean portrait just like the post cards……only this was the real
deal!
I’m pretty sure my first hour on the island was spent
running barefoot back and forth along the beach as the waves rolled in while
Andy took pictures of me. I couldn’t get over the satiny feel of the sand under
my feet and felt blessed beyond belief that I was able to be in such a gorgeous
place.
For some people, a honeymoon or major vacation is a time to relax and
lay by the pool/ocean reading a book. But Andy and I are far too adventurous of
souls to ever sit still when there are so many new things to see and to do. We
didn’t waste any time diving (sometimes literally) into everything Fiji had to
offer.
Prior to coming to Fiji, I had never swam in the ocean. And
after a childhood filled with watching Jaws movies and Shark Week, I was leery
to ever set more than a toe into it. But then on our second day there, before I
even realized what I was agreeing to, I was suiting up for a scuba diving
lesson in the pool. After a detailed instruction and several small panic
attacks, I was swimming and steadily breathing underwater……just like a mermaid!
After several days of careful consideration, I even conceded to trying an open
water lesson. I figured if I could ride dirt bikes, hill climb on sleds and
play hockey back home, how could I not bring that same fearlessness with me on
my honeymoon? It was one of the most terrifying but exhilarating experiences of
my life. I even got to wave hello to a
“Nemo” fish. And bless Emma, our instructor, for holding my hand the entire
time to help calm my nerves!
Our water adventures didn’t stop there!
We kayaked around the entire island and I had my first experience
navigating about ocean waves. When Andy saw me drop below a large wave one
time, he was certain I was going overboard. Thankfully, the wave didn’t break
on top of me and I managed to hold my course and come up over the top of it
with a smile still on my face.
Andy honed his seamanship skills when we took to sailing on
a hobie cat. The winds didn’t want to cooperate with us much but we still loved
the feeling of steering our own course with nothing but a sail, small rudder
and a single rope.
Like many of the guests on the island, we frequently
snorkeled off of the beach. I remember snorkeling as a child in Spring Meadow
Lake, but in Fiji, the water is so clear you have to keep reminding yourself
you’re under water at all. On a guided snorkel tour we even caught glimpses of
sea turtles and small sand sharks below us.
One afternoon we got even more up close and personal with
the local wildlife when we went hunting for hermit crabs on the beach. What
looked like mere seashells at first underneath leaves and rocks turned out to
be mini Sebastians! And later that
evening, after an intense and heated auction, we watched as all of the crabs
we’d hunted competed in an international crab race. “Berlusconi,” the crab Andy
and I purchased for a mere $18 in Fiji bills, ended up taking 2nd
place!
One of our first nights in Fiji we embarked on what was
supposed to be a sunset cruise. While the sun never did make an appearance due
to cloudy skies, Andy and I spent our time instead conversing with two Fijians
steering the small aluminum boat we were on. They explained that while they
knew the guests would be unhappy about the clouds, they always welcomed rain on
the island where their village resided. They needed the rain to collect in
buckets outside their homes because it provided their major source of fresh
water. As they spoke, I looked up at the sky and prayed for rain so that they
might have fresh water to drink.
Another night early on in Fiji, Andy and I were introduced
to Sio, Seko and the legendary drink—Kava. Sio and Seko were pretty much the
activities directors per say on the island. They did a little bit of
everything—from shuffling luggage, playing music, weaving baskets from palms,
instructing how to make fish curry, hosting game and activities each night
after dinner and most importantly….they made the Kava.
Kava is a root found on South Pacific islands and has been
used as medicine and in ceremonies for centuries. The root is dug up, dried for
several months and ground up into a powdery substance. The powder is then
placed in a mesh bag (similar to a tea bag) and allowed to steep in cold water
in a wooden bowl. The resulting substance is a light tan color that looks like
muddy water. The Kava is then drank out of a small coconut bowl. The taste is
absolutely pungent and leaves your tongue numb and tingly. Since it is considered
rude to turn down Kava, let’s just say we both drank of our share of it during
our stay. For reasons unbeknownst to us, Seko and Sio started calling Andy
“Chief” and me “Mrs. Chief” after that first night of Kava drinking. Every
night after participating in the nightly games, Sio mixed up another bowl of
Kava and waved us over.
It wasn’t until our second to last night on the island that
we found out what all of the “chief” business was about. Every week they select
a guest to serve as chief during a special Kava ceremony. And this time, Andy
was the chosen one! When the Kava ceremony finally arrived, Andy was dressed to
the nines in a full chief costume and given a special chair. He was hand
delivered the first bowl of Kava for the evening and then, one by one, the rest
of us followed suit in drinking a cup after bowing to the Chief first. Naturally,
everyone was highly amused by “Mrs. Chief” having to bow to him.
One of the most anticipated activities for me in Fiji was visiting
the island where the movie “Cast Away” was filmed. On one of our final days in
Fiji, we finally boarded a boat and made our way over to the neighboring island
of Monuriki where Tom Hanks made his epic film. We walked on the beach right
where he washed up in the movie. We hiked to one of the island’s tallest points
and looked out at the vast ocean surrounding us. We were shown how Tom “should
have” opened a coconut and were each given a coconut to drink from. We took a
photo with “Wilson” himself and we finished with a quick snorkel off the beach.
It was an amazing afternoon.
I was finally starting to feel at home in Fiji when our
final night arrived. Our last dinner in the restaurant was bittersweet. Seko
read off the names of the departing “friends” and all of the staff sang a
goodbye song. Seko and Sio came around and serenaded us with a Fijan love song.
After dinner, Sio led us all in a “Mr. Matamanoa” contest where all of the guys
had to pose for a female judge in hope of catching her eye. Apparently Chief
Andy was on quite the roll because he managed to take home the title of Mr.
Matamanoa at the end of the night.
When our final day in Fiji arrived, I found myself overcome
with sadness at the thought of returning home. But it wasn’t leaving behind the
tropical paradise or having to return to work that made me sad. It was having
to say goodbye to all of the incredible people we’d met. There was Jen &
Jamie from Scotland who were also on their honeymoon. They regaled us each
night with hilarious stories that, even though told through with Scottish
accents, made me realize that no matter where in the world you herald from, we
are all very much the same.
There was Aimee and Mike from Ontario, Canada that we had
spent time with practically every day. Whether it was playing Farkle, drinking
Kava, clapping along to Seko and Sio’s musical act each night, or making fun of
all the Italians on the island, we became fast friends indeed. We even flew
back to Los Angeles on the same flight but finally parted ways in the airport.
And then, of course, there were all of the wonderful natives
of Fiji who took care of us each day. Since many of the staff work upwards of
24 consecutive days before having a break, we saw most of them every single day
we were on the island. I think I will probably miss Sio and Seko the most. They
are truly the heart of Matamanoa Island and make everyone feel like an old
friend by the end of their stay.
Our week in Fiji was one I will never forget. And while I
have hundreds of photos to remind myself of all of its beauty and the fun times
to be had there, I hope to return there again someday. But for now I will
settle with saying Vinaka (thank you) Fiji for giving Andy and I such a
fabulous honeymoon. It was the perfect place to begin our life together.
