Our Final Days in Fiji!
July 9, 2024
Bula again, and for the last time, from a place we can now call home! We have officially started our SCUBA section and everyone is pumped!! We had an early morning transfer from Fiji Beachouse to Club Oceanus. Every day here is amazing, but this one was extra special because it was the 4th of July! We were sad to leave Beachouse, but excited to go back to Club O! Once we got there, we split into two groups for the pool section of SCUBA training. We had a few hours to rest and catch some sun before Meriwether, Coleman, Oliver, Olivia Cate, Colin, and Catherine jumped in the pool. While they learned the ropes and finally got to put their online training to the test, the rest of the group hung out in the ENOs, laid in the sun, and played soccer. Our new favorite game is death-soccer-sacky, and we have all gotten pretty good at juggling the ball. The SCUBA group finished up as we finished up our game and everyone reunited to laugh about the day they had so far. Then, William and I decided it was time for a surprise. We got everyone together then gave them a piece of paper containing a clue. We hid 11 clues around Club O as a 4th of July surprise! They used each clue to find the next. One of which included some blue and red hair spray we got at a local store. They sprayed their hair and bodies and got into the USA spirit. Then, they came and sang us the national anthem. SOMEONE had a flag design sprayed onto their back, and we all put our hands over our hearts and sang to it. They had two more clues after singing us the national anthem, then they finally stumbled upon the final clue: we were getting ice cream!!! Before going to get ice cream we had a group photo shoot, where Harper and Liam were both stunted in the air. Additionally, during our photo shoot, Olivia Cate already had the most spirit with a red, white, and blue tank top she brought on the trip. Then, she went above and beyond and whipped out some colorful beads for everyone to wear!! Everyone was super thankful and we were in full spirit as we headed to the local gas station. We ate our ice cream outside of the gas station and watched the goats play around before walking back to Club O. We had a few hours to spare before dinner, so we played around with the soccer ball some more then hung out in the hammocks. Finley launched the soccer ball and we all had to investigate the water bank, but we eventually recovered it. He is always showing off his soccer skills, and we are always impressed. We had some great conversations as the sun set on an amazing day. Eventually, we were hungry again, and we walked next door to The Establishment. This was a favorite with our last group, so we knew this group would enjoy the meal! We sat at a long table where nearly every single person ordered a double burger. Colin challenged himself to be the first person in The Establishment history to finish the double burger in 5 bites. After some massive bites, and refereeing from his peers, he was successful!! It was quite a feat. We walked back to Club O for moonup, where we opened it by collectively singing Party in the USA, then had an early night after a long day.
The next day, we woke up ready and eager for another day of diving! The second group (Finley, Harper, Madeline, Pierce, and Liam) was super excited to start their certification after hearing all about it from the first group. They were great listeners and finished their pool lesson in about an hour while the rest of us hung out in the ENO hammocks. Everyone was reunited again for lunch and it hit the spot after a long morning in the sun. We had about an hour to rest after eating, then it was time to get on the boat and test out the skills they learned in the pool in the ocean! They were confident in their abilities and ready to take on the real thing. We took the boat out to Yanuca island, where we went two days ago for snorkeling! This was a familiar spot and everyone was excited to go back to the crystal-clear blue water. We also were joined by some Australians! It is so fun to talk to people from the other side of the world. The kids all began their first real dive and executed it with no problems. We were so proud! They had a break before their second practice dive where we got to enjoy coconut cookies and water. They eagerly jumped in the water for the second dive. Afterwards, they had successfully learned all of the skills they needed to be certified, and all that was left was the certification practice dive!! We know that this will be a breeze for them. We got back onto the boat for a peaceful ride back to Club O where it had started to drizzle. We quickly got back and got undercover to hide away from the rain. Everyone showered off then we headed to Vakias: a local Fijian, Chinese, and Indian restaurant. It is definitely a hole-in-the-wall spot, but those kinds are always the best! Everyone ordered their delicious meals and a soda. It was truly a treat after a long day of diving. Then, we went to get ice cream! It seems like such a simple treat, but sometimes that’s just what you need to end a perfect day! Everyone got a little treat from the gas station then we went back to Club O for an amazing moonup. This moonup was probably one of our favorites because everyone left it feeling the love. Two prompts were: what kind of fruit is the person to your left, and give a compliment to the person to your right. Everyone really dug deep and we could tell how close the group had gotten. This is truly a special group, and it’s going to be tough to say goodbye! We headed to sleep as it began to rain some more. The rain danced on the tin roof of our cabin and it was the perfect white noise to doze off to.
“Meow, meow, meow, meow” is what we woke up to, as William had connected both of his speakers to the phone to wake the kids up with one of their favorite songs: Watermelon Meow Meow. It was super windy and rainy outside, which was perfect for our slow morning. We got to sleep in, which everyone needed, then we had a late, elongated breakfast. We had a chill morning of playing cards and talking in the ENOs, then ate lunch. We were about to get ready for SCUBA, but the rain had picked up and we unfortunately had to move the certification dive to the next morning. While we thought this was going to be upsetting for the kids, we were completely wrong. They were excited to have a day to hang out with each other, then spend the sunny day on the water. The rest of the day consisted of gas station runs, cards, bracelet making, and hanging out in the hammocks. We thought the day would pass by slowly with nothing to do, but we were surprised when dinner time eventually rolled around and it was time to go eat. We gave the LODs some options, and they decided that we should go back to The Establishment. So, we went back. By now, everyone had their order down and knew how to share their orders in order to maximize their dinners. We went back for a moonup on our favorite dock.
We had to wake up early the next morning, but everyone woke up with ease because today was the day they got to finish their certifications!! We fueled up before heading out for the morning. The boat was super rocky and conditions weren’t great, but once we jumped in the water all was well again. We went to a smaller island next to Yanuca. It was so small it could even be considered a sandbar, but it made for some great diving! We got some great pictures on the GoPros, and the kids can’t wait to share with y’all! We got two dives in before heading back to Club O for lunch. This was super exciting, because now everyone was officially SCUBA certified!!!! Yayyyyy!!! We had the option to go back out for the afternoon, but everyone wanted to chill at Club O and soak up some sun. We laid in the grass and listened to music for about an hour before the wind started to pick up and we all moved inside. We played some Dutch Cup, which has become a group favorite card game. The girls made some more bracelets and anklets. Everyone is looking super blinged out right now. We surprised the kids and walked to the arts village to get some souvenirs and snacks! On the way there, we made them line up from shortest to tallest and then close their eyes and follow each other blindly to the sidewalk. Then, we had them race each other to William and me. Nothing is boring around here. Everyone got some great souvenirs to bring home, and we went to the Skinny Bean (a local cafe) to get a little treat. Pretty much everyone got a drink of sorts:milkshake, juice, smoothie, soda. We walked back then made the kids play a round of leap frog to keep things interesting. We got back to Club O and listened to music and chilled. The boys and the girls got into a heated debate about Taylor Swift versus rap music on the speaker, but it was somehow settled with a food fight! In an interesting turn of events! There was some ice cream thrown at each other, but all was resolved peacefully as they jumped into the pool together. I don’t think anyone survived the hour without crying laughing. There were literally tears streaming down our faces. They were making us laugh so hard. We then made sure that any ice cream left around Club O was cleaned up, and showered off before heading back to The Skinny Bean for a pizza dinner. A lot of shops in the art village closed after COVID, but there is still a huge pond filled with lily pads. It’s super pretty, and while we waited for our pizza to be ready, we sat by the water. It was rainy outside, but that sure didn’t rain on our parade! We got our pizza and the kids could barely keep their hands off of the food before we got to Club O. We chowed down then went to the gas station for a sweet treat. One thing about this group is that no matter what, we are going to have a sweet treat. We ate our sweet treats and talked about people from home, then Pierce and Catherine rounded up the group for moonup. They started with an inspiring quote: Be You-tiful, then finished with everyone singing the song they described the person to the left of them as. It was an entertaining moonup, as they led it pretending to be podcast hosts. Once they finished episode 14, we escaped the rain and played a few rounds of Dutch Cup and listened to Folklore before hitting the hay.
We woke up and looked outside to see another rainy day has been brought upon us. While we were preparing for a final morning dive, we got the unfortunate news that we had to cancel our dive due to an intense incoming storm. So, we pivoted our plans and William and I decided to surprise the kids with a fun activity! We told them to get ready because we were going to a museum, but in reality, we were headed to KULA Adventure Park! After a long car ride of trying to guess where we were going (for some reason the museum wasn’t super convincing), we finally arrived at our destination. We walked around the forest and looked at all of the Fijian animals! We saw a mongoose, land crab, peacock, lots of parakeets, lizards, toads, and a snake! After a few hours looking at all of the animals and wandering around the park, we made it back to the exit just in time to feed the turtles! We fed the turtles, and Coleman got some great pictures with them. We also saw a bunch of guinea pigs and even got the opportunity to hold them!! Meriwether had a special bond with one of them, and we named it Rafael. I was surprised she didn’t end up sneaking him home in her pocket. The fun wasn’t over before we got to test our bravery and hold George, the snake. He slithered around on our hands and everyone was a little freaked out. We then held the iguana, looked through the gift shop, then got back into the van for our car ride home. We got back to Club O and everyone took a quick shower so we could hurry to The Establishment for dinner. We were all super hungry after our exciting day at the adventure park, and couldn’t wait to eat at our favorite restaurant. It was a delicious meal, and now that it was our third time going, everyone had gotten their orders down to a tee. We headed back for moonup, sadly our last one at Club O, then went to bed early for an exciting day tomorrow!
The next morning, we rose before the sun, but it wasn’t difficult because we were all excited for our day on the catamaran! We have been looking forward to this day throughout the whole trip, so everyone was super pumped!! We had an interesting van ride there filled with lots of laughs. We changed into our swimsuits at the airport hotel then went to Port Denaru, where the boat was picking us up. We got on and everyone went straight to the bean bags and netting on the front to relax. We have reached a happy compromise with the music and switched between pop hits and rap. Everyone was satisfied and happy!! We reached our anchor point, Mala Mala island, and we had the option to swim around and snorkel. This was an offer we couldn’t say no to!! Meriwether got her snorkel and fins on and jumped right in, eager to swim around the reef! After snorkeling, we had a delicious lunch of pasta salad, chicken, banana bread, watermelon and pineapple. We were living in luxury! After a few more hours of swimming, we got back into the boat for a fun boat ride back to the port. Oliver was repping the country and showing off his new Fijian shirt! He looked like a local. We got back to the port then went to shower & chill before heading back to the port for banquet dinner! I got to sit next to Madeline and I don’t think I stopped laughing throughout the whole meal. It was so delicious and we got to finish up the night with ice cream. We went back to the hotel for one last moonup, where we opened it by passing the hug around the circle, then closed it with a big group hug. We love this group so much!! We went to bed excited for one more short day together and soak up these last few moments!
Vinaka vakalevu,
Caitlyn + William
Update from Fiji!
July 3, 2024
Checking back in! We are having an amazing time here in Fiji and we cannot wait to update y’all with all of the happenings :D!!
After finishing off the cultural immersion portion of our trip, we got to spend a day white water rafting on the Upper Navua River! Everyone was super stoked for this activity. We got up and got into the open aired van for a beautiful drive down to the river. We took a pit stop to wait for another group rafting with the same company and William took this opportunity to show the kids his funny song playlist. Eventually, the Duck Song came on and Pierce showed off by singing every single word. We were all impressed, but also laughing. We got back in, had some delicious banana bread, then finally made it to the drop off spot. We split up into three different groups and everyone made sure to get a group photo with their group, wanting to be the best one. We had a quick hike through the jungle where I told the kids a riddle they could think about on the raft. Although I would love to share, I don’t want to ruin the fun! You will have to have your kids tell you when they get home. Finley told me that he thought about it the whole time we were rafting, and it was such an Aha! moment once he knew the answer. Once we finally made it to the river, we had a quick safety briefing and paddling lesson. Soon enough, it was finally time to hop in the rafts and start paddling! We started by going through a narrow canyon, where we saw a rock called the Christmas rock, because it fell on Christmas Day. As we padded down the river, everyone got less and less dry as we splashed each other in our boats. Meriwether started the real war when she jumped over to another boat. However, it wasn’t long before she was tossed out of our raft. We stopped for a quick lunch break where we had delicious sandwiches and Pringles. Everyone was already hungry from working hard on the rapids, so this was just what we needed to fuel up for the rest of the day! After we got back into the rafts, we had the opportunity to jump off a small cliff. Coleman was the first to conquer it, and quickly swam around to get one more jump in before we left. As we continued to raft, we could always hear Catherine’s raft having a little sing along party, obviously led by her. They really killed it with their cover of Let it go! And just like that, we came to the end of the river. The day was so fun it seemed to fly by. We got back into the open aired van, listened to some 2000’s hits, and had some cookies and sodas while we headed back to Club O. Once we got to Club O, we got our bags and had a surprise for the kids… we were staying somewhere new tonight! So we loaded up in the van and headed to our new home for the next three nights: Fiji Beachouse. This is usually the kids favorite spot we stay at here in Fiji, so we knew they would be excited about it. Once we arrived, we ordered some dinner and showered off our day. Almost everyone got the spicy meatballs or lasagna for dinner-both delicious options! As we were eating dinner, the biggest moth ever landed on Colin. He bravely did not freak out, and later told us he felt it chewing on his shirt. This event had everyone laughing and it was a great start to our time at Beachouse! Afterwards, we got to have an amazing moonup under the stars before going to sleep.
The next day, we got to sleep in, which was such a treat. We spent the morning walking around Beachouse, checking out the cafe, and chilling in the hammocks. All of the kids set up their enos and made a little eno village which became their newest hangout spot. It was a chill morning, which everyone needed, before we headed out to surf for the rest of the afternoon. The tide is high at 2pm, so that is when we head out to surf. It was a little windy, but the sun was out and that was all we needed. Bruce, our instructor, gave us boards and shoes, then taught us how to pop up on the board. We practiced our pop ups for about 5 minutes before heading out to the wave break. Everyone tested the waters and tried to catch some waves. Harper and Liam were immediate pros! Harper rode every single wave she caught as far as possible, and Liam was catching the biggest waves and popping right up. It was super impressive! Eventually, everyone tired out and headed back to Beachouse. Afterwards, the boys had a bellyflop contest in the pool. They were unfortunately no match for William who was the ultimate champion. We showered off then ordered dinner and watched the sunset. A lot of the kids brought cameras, so they had a little photo shoot with the view! Beachouse is in a perfect little cove for watching the sunset, and they are all so beautiful! We had dinner then moonup then went to bed. Another great day in the books!
The next day began earlier as we had another fun surprise! Instead of having a chill morning like yesterday, we were spending the day at a nearby island: Yanuca Island! It was a little rainy when we woke up, so we were hopeful that the island had some better weather. After about an hour boat ride in some rocky waters, we finally made it to the island. Before getting off the boat, the guides took us to a nearby reef for snorkeling. The water was so blue and clear, we couldn’t wait to jump in! The reef was full of colorful fish and coral. It was the perfect sneak peek of the underwater world here in Fiji-we can’t wait to see what’s under the water when we scuba dive! We made it back to the island where the local villagers made lunch for us. We had an incredible spread of hot dogs, chicken wings, potatoes, and vegetables! Once we couldn’t eat any more, we played some death-hacky-soccer. This is where the soccer ball has to be juggled 3 times, then after the third time someone catches the ball and tries to throw it at another person to get them out. We had so much fun we ended up playing for the rest of the morning before we had to leave. Madeline was a threat the whole game, and because of this we had to get her out. We sadly got back onto the boat to head back to Beachouse. Yanuca island was such a great getaway for the morning, we didn’t want to leave. The boat took us back and we took a brief stop so the guides could go fishing. It was super random, but we all took the time to soak up some sun and warm up. We were on our way again, and we listened to Post Malone the whole ride back. Once we got back to the main island, we had about half an hour to chill before going surfing. A lot of the kids bought some snacks to fuel up for the rest of the day. We headed back out onto the water to catch some waves on our final day of surfing. I was super impressed by Oliver and Olivia Cate, who proved themselves to be pros at surfing. I loved their determination. We went back in for another amazing dinner and a hilarious moonup where the fun question was: what would you banish from the world? Some fun answers included: mosquitos, dirty clothes, wet hair, and more! What would you want to banish? We had an early night knowing that tomorrow we get to start our scuba section!
Thanks for reading, here are some more messages from the kids!
🙂 😀 – Caitlyn + William
Catherine- hi mom and dad thank u so so much for sending me to Fiji I love it so much here and I’m having the best time ever!! See u soon
Colin- Hi mom and Dad thank you for giving me the experience I am having. Fiji is so much fun and I am enjoying every second! See you soon.
Olivia Cate- hey mom and dad thank you so much for sending me to Fiji I am having the best time!! please don’t make me ever leave! see yall soon!!
Madeline- Hey mom and dad, thank you for sending me to Fiji! I am having the greatest time and could stay here forever. Love yall!
Meriwether- Hi mom and dad! Thank you for sending me to Fiji! I am having the best time and never want to leave! Miss and love yall!!
Pierce- Hey mom and dad, thanks for sending me here it is really fun. Having a good time and I am surviving well with no phone. Love and miss you guys.
Finley – Hi mom and Dad, thank you for sending me to Fiji. I am having a great time here and am making lots of new friends. I’m missing you tonnes and can’t wait to see you soon. Love you.
Oliver- hey mom and dad, thank you for sending me to Fiji , I’m having the best time and don’t want the trip to end. Love you.
Coleman- hey mom and dad, thank you so much for sending me to Fiji, I having loads of fun and meeting lots of new friends. Miss yall lots but never want to leave. Love you
Liam – hey mom and dad thank you so much for sending me to Fiji I’ve had a lot of fun in the past few days but am excited to see you in a couple of days!
Harper- Hi mom and dad thank you so so much for sending me here I am having so much fun and making lots of friends. Can’t wait to see you guys love u!!
Bula Bula Bula!!! So excited to finally be checking in from Fiji!
July 2, 2024
We started our trip off early and got the kids from the airport at 6 am. Despite the rough night of sleep on the plane, everyone arrived with huge smiles on their faces! We immediately knew this session was going to be a good one. We then headed over to the Fiji Gateway Hotel for a quick breakfast where we got to learn everyone’s names and where they are from. After breakfast, we loaded up into the van for our transfer to Club Oceanus for the night. The car ride was long, but everyone was thankful for the time to take a nap and gaze out the window at the beautiful views! Once we arrived, we ordered lunch and then started passing around the volleyball and soccer ball. Soon enough, lunch was ready. We chowed down and then headed over to the beach for the rest of the afternoon. The kids swam around in the water and then came up to the beach to chill out and continue to get to know each other. As the sun went down, it began to get chilly, so we went back to Club O to shower off and head to dinner. We went to a local café that also has a full dinner menu! Pretty much everyone got pizza for dinner, as it was advertised as the best pizza in Fiji! We had to see what that was all about. After eating, we decided that they might be telling the truth. It was delicious!! After we ate, we saw the restaurant’s cat wandering around. It walked right up to Madeline, who was just talking about how she is a cat person. It didn’t take long for her to decide that we need to figure out a way to bring the cat back to Club O. We wished we could take him, but we had to leave him with his family. They said goodbye, and we walked back to Club O for our first moonup!! William and I taught them about what moonup is and how we structure it on our Fiji trip. We then selected LODs (leaders of the day) for the next day, who will help us out with leadership responsibilities (including leading moonup)! Everyone was insanely jet-lagged, so we hit the hay early.
We got to sleep in the next morning, and we surely needed it! We woke up to the rain dancing on the tin roof, and it was the perfect start to our slow morning. We ate breakfast and then everyone used the time we had to continue to explore Club O. The kids found an abandoned boat and checked it out. It was super creepy, but cool! Eventually, everyone went back to the cabin to hang out, but it wasn’t long before the van arrived to take us to the village!! We were all pumped to go explore the heart of Fiji. We got in the van, and they took us to lunch in the middle of this bustling market. As we walked to lunch, Olivia Cate spotted some souvenirs that she had to have! This gave her future inspiration for our shopping day; she is going to come home with some gems!! We made it to lunch, and pretty much everyone got the fried rice. And we were happy with our decision because it was delicious. After our plates were clear and our bellies were full, we went to a small supermarket for some snacks to bring to the village. We then got back in the van and drove to the pickup spot where we dropped off our duffel bags and got to get in an open-air truck! The van can’t handle the dirt roads in the village, so we got to be towed in the truck. We already felt like locals. As we rode up to the Draiba village, we passed through other villages. Everyone in Fiji is super friendly, and they all screamed “BULA!!” to us as we passed with huge smiles on their faces. We stopped to go to the bathroom and then finally made it to Draiba! We got out of the truck, and our guides, Una and Simele, handed us our sulus! We all picked out our colors and then tied them onto our waists. Boy, were we looking stylish! We got some pictures before going into the kava ceremony. The boys sat in the front row, as in Fijian history, the men were known for being on the front lines of the war and protecting the women. We all sat crisscross applesauce and watched them make the kava and begin their ceremony. It truly is special to watch. The kava ceremony is performed every time a village has new visitors, and the visitors must be accepted in order to stay. Once you are accepted, you will always be welcome in the village! They accepted us into the village and told us that if we ever came back to Fiji, the Draiba village would welcome us back with open arms. We then got back into the truck and drove up to our campsite for the next two days! There is a girls’ room, a boys’ room, and a dining room. And, the campsite sits high up on a mountain, so the view is insane!! We got situated and then headed over to the dining room for our first local Fijian dinner. Ema, the chef, made us an amazing spread! We had chicken chop suey, pineapple, guava, rice, curry, cucumbers, and more. It was so good. We then finished our night off with our first moonup led by the kids! Coleman and Meriwether were our first LODs, and they set an incredible precedent for the rest of the trip! They had everyone in the group laughing after their elongated nug jug story. We finished up moonup and then went to our respective cabins for the night. On our way, we couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the stars were! There is little to no light pollution along the Sigatoka River, so the stars shine insanely bright! We tried taking pictures of them, but some things you just have to admire and can’t be caught on camera! Eventually, the clouds moved in and covered them up, so we headed to bed, excited to see what tomorrow would bring!
The roosters were a great natural alarm clock, waking us up right before breakfast! We were all laughing about how we see roosters wake people up in the movies, but it has never happened to any of us before! We went into the dining tent to meet everyone for breakfast. Ema showed us an amazing spread of crepes and Fijian donuts that we were excited to try! We sat in a circle and ate our breakfast while Simele told us about our plan for the day. After breakfast, we started our day off with a little hike to go get firewood. We took this back down to the campsite to have for dinner later. Then we walked back up to a shady spot on the hill where we learned how to weave leaves together to make a fan! The girls were naturals, as it was super similar to braiding hair, and the boys were a little more confused. Eventually, we all got it! We then learned the technique they would use later that night to wrap the chicken up for it to be cooked in the leaves. Catherine showed off her new skills and quickly wrapped up a croc (the chicken placeholder) just like a local! After everyone had aced their braiding skills, we went back to the dining cabin for a quick lunch. We had a delicious curry, and no one could get enough. In Fiji, it is common for the people to rest after meals. So this is just what we did. We all went back to our cabins and laid down for a little bit while we listened to music. The girls made friendship bracelets to pass the time, and the boys took a quick nap. The time flew by, and it was eventually time to get up and start to help with dinner. We threw the firewood we got earlier into the fire and put stones on top. Eventually, the wood would burn away, and the rocks would be hot. This is how the Fijians make an “underground oven.” It is truly innovative! We played a little rugby with the locals, and they showed us a fun new move! Colin was first to try it, and he was thrown into the air by Mellie and Simele and caught the rugby ball midair! We were all impressed. We walked down to the river to play some more rugby and get in the water. Liam was the last to stop playing, and we think he has found his new calling. We swam around, and everyone found big rocks to stand on. The sun was setting, and dinner would be ready soon, so we walked back up to our campsite. When we got back, we saw that we had some new friends at the site! Some Australian schoolboys had joined and would be staying in the room next to us. We were excited to get to talk to them and hear about life down under. We got ready for dinner and then got together to sit and hang out. We then went to dinner, where we shared the dining cabin with the Australians. We all introduced ourselves and played a game of telephone. After dinner, we had another great moonup and then headed to bed.
We had an early wake-up because we were going kayaking today! We quickly ate breakfast, which included a delicious spread of steamed cake, which everyone loved. We said bye to all of our new friends, then loaded up into the truck to head to the drop-in point. Everyone got their partners for the day and eagerly got in the river. I was partners with Finley for the day, and he kept me entertained with hilarious stories about his life in Oxford and at camp in previous summers. Pierce showed his determination and was a beast in the water. I don’t think I saw him put his paddle down once. We eventually made it up to our lunch spot at the edge of a village on a river. They served us fruits, rice, eggs, fish, and chicken. Oliver took the lead and ate the fish, where some of the other students were apprehensive to try it. It was tasty! They always tell us to eat more, and I think we finally ate like Fijians – they didn’t even have to tell us to eat more! We finished up and said goodbye to the local villagers before getting back on the river to kayak to our final destination: Tuvu village. This was a different village than William and I went to last time, so it was all of our first time experiencing it! We finally arrived and swam for a little bit in the river before heading up to see our home for the night! It was so beautiful and colorful; we were so excited to stay here! They showed us around the village, and we were introduced to the community through a kava ceremony. We then headed over to play rugby with the local kids. They gave us a run for our money, and we all quickly tired out while they continued to play. We went back to our respective rooms to chill out before dinner was ready. I taught the girls how to play Dutch cup, my favorite card game. We played cards, made more friendship bracelets, and chatted. Soon enough, dinner was ready, and we met back up with the boys. We showed them our new friend, Dutch, the local kitty. We sat down for another feast where everyone was able to try new food outside of their comfort zone! We finished up, and then everyone came to the girls’ cabin for moonup. We opened with a quick game of duck, duck, goose and closed with everyone saying goodbye in a different language.
Our time in the Tuvu village was short-lived but appreciated. We ate one last meal with them, and then they performed their goodbye ceremony for us. They put baby powder on our cheeks because it is specially used for babies, which they value very highly. We said bye to all of our new friends, then brought our kayaks back down to the river to kayak out to the cave! We were paddling along the river when we saw something out of place—a bright red truck! Our truck had surprised us and picked us up early from the river. Everyone was sore from the day before, so this was such a nice treat! The truck took us the rest of the way to the cave. They passed out headlamps for everyone, and we ventured into the darkness. The Naihehe Cave is the largest cave system in Fiji, and it used to be inhabited by cannibals! We saw the “cannibal oven” where they would cook their prey. We were all a little creeped out. Once we reached the end of the cave, we all turned our headlamps off to see how dark it could get. Then we screamed “BULA!!” at the top of our lungs to hear the echo. It was really, really cool. We exited the cave and walked over to a picnic table where we would be having lunch. The guides cooked us a delicious barbecue lunch, and we got to have sodas! We chowed down and then got in the truck to leave our cultural immersion portion of the trip. We were sad to leave all of the smiling faces we met and took in the views as we drove out. We finally got back with all of our belongings and then headed back to Club O. We had a little surprise along the way and got to stop for ice cream! Everyone got some snacks they had been missing while we were in the village, and then we headed on our way to Club O! We dropped our stuff off and then went to the beach to relax for the rest of the day. Harper showed off her skills and held up the prettiest handstand for the longest time! She won the handstand contest easily. We went back to Club O for dinner and moonup. We were excited to stay here for the night, and everyone noted how grateful they were for little things like fans after staying in the village. We hung out for a little while before hitting the hay, eager to go white water rafting tomorrow!
Thanks for reading, and here are some shoutouts from the kids!!
🙂 – Caitlyn and William
Madeline – Hey Hey Mom and Dad, I love my leaders and my group! Please never make me come home. Thanks for sending me here, love yall tons!❤️ P.S. Mom please bring my summer reading book to Australia.
Meriwether – Hi! I’m having the best time here! I miss y’all and can’t wait to see you guys soon! Love ya! ❤️ Tell the dogs I said hi!
Harper – hiii!!!! I’m having so so much fun here and I love my group so much. thank you soo much for sending me here ❤️ love you guys so much!!! PS please keep my pets alive and if u could add some money to my green light that would be great 😘😘
Olivia Cate – heyyy mom and dad!! Fiji has been SO FUN!! I love my leaders and this group soooo much! Thanks so much for sending me here it has been amazing!! I miss yall and can’t wait to see yall in Montana!! love yall❤️❤️ P.S. tell Murphy and Sugar I say hey
Catherine – hiii guys!! I am lovinggg Fiji it’s so aesthetic and soo much fun! I miss u guys so much and will see u soon!! love youuu ❤️
Colin – Hi, I am having a blast in Fiji and am making great memories. I can’t wait to get back home and see you.
Finley – Hi, Fiji has been a great time so far and I’ve made lots of memories with my new friends. I can’t wait to see you soon and am missing you tonnes. Love you.
Liam – Hey mom and dad I’m having a great time in Fiji and I’ve made a lot of friends in our group. Our leaders are super cool and I can’t wait to see you guys in a week!
Coleman – hey mom and dad, having a blast in Fiji and meeting a lot of great people. Our leaders are super chill and I’m learning lots. Love you.
Oliver – hey mom and dad, I’m having a lot of fun in Fiji, our leaders are goated and my group is also good. The village was really fun and we got to play rugby with the villagers. Love you
Pierce – Hey, having fun in Fiji with the new friends. Our leaders are also great, and the village was fun.
Safe Arrival in Fiji!
June 25, 2024
Hello Fiji Families!
We heard from our leaders this afternoon that the group arrived safely in Nadi, Fiji! We are so excited for the group to get out there, and can’t wait to hear all about their exciting adventures over the next couple of weeks!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
