Our accommodation while in Nandi is in Namaka a short taxi
ride from the airport. We have a two-bedroom
apartment. Decision, decision, which
bedroom? It’s quite comfortable but pretty
basic. Fans in the bedrooms and a lounge
and most appreciated.
Breakfast served on the verandah consisted of fresh fruit
and curry (three types of curry – pumpkin was delicious, okra not so much). You might have guessed that we are staying
with a Fijian Indian family.
We took a bus to Nandi town about 30 minutes south of Namaka
(a suburb). As soon as we arrived, we
were approached by a young Fijian who told us his name was Pa! He explained that there were no Fijians at the
market that we were about to enter and that he could take us to a genuine Fijian
Market.
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| Breakfast at Sofia's |
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| Nandi Market |
He did help us to buy some Kava
from the market on the way through (a required gift for us to take to the
village chief tomorrow). On the way, he was telling us of the problems the
Fijian’s have competing with Indians and in more recent times the Chinese. He
took us upstairs in a building not too far away (explaining that floods had
reached nearly the top of the stairs only a few years previously - a
combination of ocean water, rain and poor drainage) to a market set up by one
of the hill villages. We were the ‘first
customers’ of the day so we would get a discount (?) but not until Ma welcomed
us with a Karva ceremony. We ended up buying a few bits and pieces
including a wooden family totem into which Ma carved our names plus the names
of the children and grandchildren. We
were strongly encouraged and turtles for the girl grandchildren and shark teeth
for the boys to bring good luck. from Wallis’s for our grandchildren for good
luck - we resisted.
Next Ma took us off to a clothing shop (a friend of a friend) where we bought sulus. Jill’s was basically a sarong with straps but Alex’s was like a pair of long black shorts without a crutch. Pretty boring (black) but it did have pockets.
By now we had sufficiently supported the Fijian economy and were ‘melting’ so it was off to the nice cool and restful Nandi Farmers’ Club for lunch and a drink before heading back to Namaka on the bus.
By now we had sufficiently supported the Fijian economy and were ‘melting’ so it was off to the nice cool and restful Nandi Farmers’ Club for lunch and a drink before heading back to Namaka on the bus.
Dinner tonight was an unremarkable but OK curry at a fast
food place near Sofia’s.
