Tales of Viwa Island and more….

Welcome back!

So, the Greenstein / Chernacks arrived recently from SF for a 2 week adventure…..and boy did we give them an adventure…….as well as a super hero welcome!

Our dearest Bubu Eseta’s cousin is the Chief / Ratu of the village on Viwa Island and invited us out to the village for a visit.  Here are the cousins on an overcast and cool start to their Fiji adventure.

Lucy and Salote…

Will and Eseta…..who just might have the biggest laugh in the S. Pacific.

Daddy in back….

We parked on the mud flats at lowish tide and hiked up and over a small mountain to the village on a path surrounded by avocado and orange trees….both in season and delicious.

All aboard!

First stop was to meet the chief and give him the gift of kava.  I later found out I was much too casual in my meeting with the chief…..in my defense, he came out and introduced himself by his first name which was disarming…and I guess, I get overly casual when disarmed.  Wouldn’t mind a do-over on that one.

A little Viwa history for y’all.  John Hunt, often described as the Apostle of Fiji (at least on Christianity.com) was a Methodist Missionary who was the first to translate the Bible into numerous Fijian dialects back in the 1840’s….and did it all from his sanctuary on Viwa Island.  Additionally, he brought the first printing press to Fiji (which is still located in the village) to print out the newly translated New Testament which according to Christianity.com helped turn Fiji from cannibalism to Christianity.    My god.

Anyways, he is certainly revered and is buried behind the John Hunt Memorial Church.

After a brief tour of his village, we stopped and looked out over the island to see John Hunt’s house off in the distance.   Sitting on the porch, the Chief reminded us that cannibalism made life as a missionary in the 1800’s rather difficult which prompted me to ask how John Hunt met his demise at such an early age of 36.  The Chief chuckled and said, oh no….it was diarrhea.  The timing was pretty spot on so again feeling disarmed, I laughed thinking we had a moment….man, I cannot buy a break.

Evan on a stroll through the village.  Size is so relative isn’t it?

Kids and coconuts…

Cousins and coconuts….not weird at all.

We assumed we arrived at low tide…..which occurred a few hours later when we tried to leave.  That is decidedly not a smile on David’s face…and that boat is not light (I was on the other end trying to lift it out of the mud while David and Evan pushed)…..and for the record, it eventually worked.

Next stop was a quick overnight visit to Leluevia…..as I mentioned in a previous post, each time we visit Leleuvia, our kids become more and more adventurous in the water….this time was no different.

Lucy and Alice on their chariot…..

Looking for sea snakes and sea spiders at low tide…

Wait for me!!!!!!!!!!

For the record, calling it a hunt for sea spiders was not such a great idea as we found a few and ended up having to carry Lucy back to dry land.  Ever patient cousin Dave possibly explaining that they aren’t exactly sea spiders.

Which prompted a dance off from the movie Sing….or Moana….

As I mentioned the kids become more and more adventurous every time their toes hit the water.

Here is Will in the open water…..with mommy patrolling close by.

Lucy and Daddy headed out to check out the fishes….

…..in a story we tell at night (or should), this is where she turns into a mermaid.

Totally magical.

Will turns 3.  Having blown out a embarrassingly parent focused 1^st Birthday party for Will followed up with a M&M fueled trampoline fest for #2, we decided to dial back #3 and have a more intimate 3^rd birthday at home with his cousins and his best buddy in the whole wide world, Jacky Booty.

Here is the birthday boy in his sulu….which stayed on for all of this picture.

BFF Jacky Booty and William

Happy long life to you sweet boy!

Later that week, Waldorf had a birthday for Manu, Anwen and William.  In typical Waldorfian fashion, Shirlyn made it magical with candles and flower arrangements and crowns while Lora launched into a story about guardian angels playing with a crystal ball that rolled away.  Note to parents, if you talk in never ending and completely non-sensical circular tangents about angels and crystal balls, you can actually hypnotized up to 30 kids.  Still in disbelief how Lora’s tales single handedly managed to keep 30 kids focused and quiet in front of mountains of brownies and birthday cake.  Next she will teach them all to fly….

I know it might feel like blog overload, but we have been busy so next blog will have stories from our visit to the Highlands and the island of Toberua!  Stay tuned…..

As always, gobs of love from Fiji!

Abby, William, Lucy and Clancey