As a first day of travel, things were pretty rough. We stopped over in Western Samoa. It was dark and rainy so I had no idea what Western Samoa was like. As far as I know, Western Samoa is pretty much exactly like American Samoa. I pretty much know nothing about either.
Fiji was humid. Did I say that? It’s humid. Really humid. It wasn’t say, St. Louis in August humid, but was the kind of humid where you just want to well, jump in a shower or go to the beach or whatever. But I didn’t get much of a sense of that today.
I went to get money from the ANZB. It didn’t work. I went to the hotel. Found out the internet was horribly expensive and then went back to the airport to get a SIM card. I wanted to check if everything was OK with my ATM card. Oh and guess what, no ATM machine at the hotel. I go back to the airport after I call my bank to find out that charges were made- and no money was issued. YES. No receipt. I go and fill out paperwork. “Can I get a copy.”
“No but you can call this number.”
Fantastic. Yes.
Another call with the bank. Try another machine. Same thing. Why? Because I “withdrew” my limit.
By this time, I'm in Nadi town having taken a cab there. I wander into a Youth Art Center. It’s a place where young men sell their carvings. A guy comes up to me, a Fijian from the north. “Hey you from Hawaii? Where from? PAKALOLO!”
We start talking. “You know kawa?”
Of course I say I do. I have time to kill.
He decides I need to start my journey in Fiji on a better note. A proper kawa ceremony. We sit down in the middle of the store. He grabs some kava and makes it up. I have to clap three times, say “bula” and do other things.
Two cupfuls later, we’re fast friends. Well, not that i truly trust Moses. After waiting the proscribed time, I try the ATM again. Fail. I look around and Moses decides to have me test my card. Works. No problem. WTF.
I look at all the stuff, ask about some stories, get a brief cultural immersion. The octopus is the god of the south, the shark the god of the north, and the turtle is the mother goddess, etc. etc. Good stuff.
I feel better about not having money although I ask my brother to send me some through Western Union. Moses takes me to a place to eat. I eat my first “authentic” Fijian dish which is OK. There is a strange pit in my stomach though. Hunger. The bite of kava. Wondering when the credit card is going to go because I called Bank of America and got the run around.
No worries though. I'm going island style.
BULA!
