Cast Away in Fiji

Cast Away in Fiji

Embark on the next adventure to the dreamy islands of Fiji. Enjoy its pristine beaches, blue clear waters, oceanfront villa

s, and traditional kava ceremonies. What makes Fiji special are the friendly Fijian people and their unique culture.

Basic Information

Fiji is a country in the South Pacific. It is an archipelago of 332 islands. 90% of its territory is water. 110 islands are inhabited. Fiji’s territory has only 10% of the land. The two largest islands are Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, where 87% of the nation’s population live. The indigenous Fijians are called iTaukei.

Cast Away

Take a Trip to Modriki Island, called Monuriki Island. The Americans filmed there the movie with Tom Hanks “Cast Away”. It takes a forty-five minute speedboat trip from Plantation Island. Modriki Island is one of the most beautiful places. The beach is amazing and swimming in the ocean is very relaxing. You can also see the raft that they used to film „Cast Away”. Not much of it is left but it is nice to see it, especially if you liked the movie.

How to cook traditional Fijian food

Traditional Fijian food is cooked underground in ovens called lovos. They cook large amounts of food for large gatherings. The oven is made of earth, coals, and hot stones. The Fijians slow-cook pork, chicken, lamb, or fish with sweet potatoes and tapioca in lovos, especially for Christmas or weddings. The smoky flavor of the food is from banana leaves wrapped around food.

Kava Ceremony

When visiting a Fijian village, you should never wear a hat because it is offensive. Only the chief of the village can wear one. You should remove your glasses and dress modestly. Remember to bring a gift for the chief.

Kava is a national drink in Fiji. Kava ceremony is a way to connect to local culture. It fosters a sense of unity, relaxation, and spiritual connection. Kava is a mildly sedative drink made from the crushed root of the Yaqona (pronounced yagona) plant mixed with water and served in a large communal bowl.

When you are offered kava, you clap once and shout “bula” which means hello in Fijian. You should drink the kava in one gulp. Then you clap three times and end saying “mada”. This is a sign of respect in the Kava ceremony.

Vocabulary

embark – go on board a ship, aircraft (rozpocząć)

pristine – virgin (dziewicze)

inhabited – a person, group, or animal live in a place (zamieszkane)

speedboat- a motorboat designed for high speed (łódź motorowa, ślizgacz)

raft – a flat buoyant structure of timber or other materials fastened together, used as a boat or floating platform (tratwa)

gathering- a meeting, especially social or festive (zebranie, zbiorowisko)

wrapped – cover or enclose in paper or soft material (owinięte)

offensive – causing somepone to feel deeply hurt, upset or angry (obraźliwe)

crushed – deformed, pulverized (zgnieciony, zmiażdżony)