Bula Bula

April 01, 2017

Bula Bula (pronounced bulam bula): "Hello," "Good day" "Good bye" in Fijian

Back to reality...

I left you at the end of my spring break, but I think I'm going to remain lost. I guess I'm never going to find where this wanderlust ends. I've been tripping and trekking and following the white rabbit down dirt roads and into black water. I saw creatures I've never imagined and fell in love with faces I hope to see again and islands spirits I never wish to meet again. You don't walk out of this trip the same. Here is a brief overview on how the rest of this journey went....

Carnarvon Gorge

We say hi to the curious wallabies on our way to class, and don't look down when crossing blackwater. Why.... because this is what is lining the rocks above water...

I'm not crying, are you?

Our final hike in the outback led us to breathtaking ascents...

On our way back to civilization we stopped for homestays... I was lucky enough to be put in a semi-racist home of an elderly couple who trained renown race horses. (The racial unrest is entirely between Aboriginal people, half racial, and white people for historical reasons). Fortunately the food was good and farm animals were sweet!

On our way to Brisbane we stopped by to have a cup of jo...

Get it, cause they're joeys? Hahahahahah

And we watched some koalas get high off eucalyptus

And see my LITERAL spirit animal, the Cassowary.

If this baddie doesn't kill you with her glare, she can slice you in half with her razer sharp talon claws. #mood

Then we were off to a dreamland...

Lady Elliot Island

Accessible by plane, an island just large enough to fit the landing strip. This island is located in a pocket of the Great Barrier Reef, so we were snorkelling every morning, seeing cow tail rays, manta rays, Green and Box turtles, invisible jellyfish, dolphins, and sharks! One night we were doing work when an employee ushered us out to the beach to watch a mama turtle slip back into the ocean and dozens of baby turtles scramble into the ocean. We learned that they find the water via moonlight, so once they see phone flashlights (or city lights) they think its the moon and sadly are steered the wrong way. We were also able to see the HUGE effects of climate change when floating over giant patches of bleach coral.

Naviti, Fiji

My favorite part of the trip. We headed to Nadi, then ferried to an island that was the home of the Soso Village. Below is our stay at the Botaira Resort.

Summoned by drums to eat , dancing and singing all day, and the largest garden spiders I've ever seen, it was something out of a dream. Yes, we worked on analyzing their waste disposal process, but when we weren't holding their baby chicks, we were jumping back into the ocean bathwater.

To know about the time I encountered the island's guardian spirit, the Vu, give me a holler :)

Soso Village

We hiked up and over the mountain on the island to reach the village. Most of the employees at the resort were residents of this village. In Fijian culture, everyone must respect modesty, always wearing their sulu to cover their thighs, especially women. There are no drugs or alcohol on this island, but people relax with a large shared bowl of kava. A root grinded and added to water. Its a natural sedative, with notes of dirt and gritty aftertaste.

Fijian life is beautiful. Upon arrival to our host homes, we found that tenants live where they want. The village mentality where everyone serves a purpose in the community. We, two small girls, were urged to eat a Thanksgiving-size lunch, which we could not (Fijians love cassava, a starchy and filling dish). After eating families suggested that we nap. After we woke, they prepared us tea and pancakes, then suggested another nap. Can I stay forever?

With no predators on an island of relatives, children run free with the chickens and two goats, no sense of fear and surrounded by family. I joined the women, learning how to weave baskets from palms, stargazed on the clearest sky of my life as children jumped over fire, and joined dance parties.