Follow a group of students on our Exploration Australia & Fiji program as they venture downriver to learn about village life in the Fijian jungle.
The ancients knew that both water and fire had the power to shape the human experience. Today, we caught just a small glimpse of that story… one of water, of fire.
The Navua River cuts through the Fijian jungle, providing life to villages and delivering travelers like us to life-altering touches of a very different human experience: a village of 50 people, energy through solar power, a boat as a school bus, simple homes of tin and wood. Today, our passionate local guides drove us upriver by boat, introduced us to Fijian village culture, floated us, fed us, and sang to us. Our passionate students took it all in—the river, the people, the food. They asked thoughtful questions, made thoughtful observations, and later reflected on a day very well-spent within the power of water.
The evening continued the celebration of Fiji… but now with the focus of fire. A buffet of island delights followed by dances of fluidity and strength. Fiji night at Uprising Resort included fish ceviche (“kokonda” in Fiji), taro leaves in coconut and wild fern, cassava, taro root, chicken, and pork, all cooked in their buried earthen oven (known as “lovo”). The feast concluded with Fijian folk dances combining the water-like fluidity of movement with the strength and heat of fire. The students accepted the experience to its fullest, joining the dances and in some cases, holding the fire.
So there is good reason to believe that the memories of today will be like those held by the ancients… of water and of fire.
– Niki and Scott
To learn more about our Exploration Australia & Fiji program, click here!
