Meet the locals!

Aggie works out of the thatched hut very close to our back door. She is there to check out kayaks,
catamarans, and the safety gear to go with them. She also has tours to offer to the resort guests.  That is her official job.  However, to us, she is that warm, friendly neighbor who always has time to chat, tell us interesting history of the island, share her pride in being a Fijian, and even bring us a fresh Mango from her yard.

At home, she is a wife, and mother of a six year old son.  She has a vegetable garden that provides food for them throughout the year.  Banana, mango, and paupau trees, help make a healthy diet.  She lives in a village with her extended family. The Fijians own their land, and she told us that they can buy a two bedroom house for $5000., not fancy, but a place where she feels loved and completely satisfied.  Akanisi, her real name, is a beautiful person!

This evening we decided dinner could wait.  A group of six Fijian men, equipped with various stringed instruments, come out to the pool each evening to serenade anyone swimming close to the edge, sitting by the pool, or out on their decks.  When the sun is about to set, the much decorated torch bearer comes running out to light all the tiki torches.  DON'T BE IN HIS PATH!  He jumped across the pool in the narrower parts and that flame kept right on burning!