Day 3 and 4 at Kioa Island

Yesterday, we had a very nice walk around the village, guided by Agelu and his 7 year old cousin, Kaisami. We had tea at one house with a couple who had recently moved back here from the big city of Nadi (Gok and Keli). We visited a basket maker and a lady who was brewing Kava. We also attended a dance ceremony put on for some tourists from a dive resort across the water. All in all - a fun sociable day. And as a bonus, I came away with some baskets, a tapa cloth, and a few shells purchased at a craft show that followed the dancing.

  

Agelu and Kaisami in a dugout canoe made by Agelu's grandfather.

Local kids fooling around in a fisherman's canoe.

Toddlers at the beach.

Roasting coca beans

A cocoa bean pod

Making kava or grog as the locals call it.

Rani, Evotia, and granddaughter. Rani bought two of Evotia's lovely baskets

Little piggy goes to market

View of Ladybug from one of the concrete walkways that run through the village.

When I admired a lei worn at the dance ceremony, the lady gave me her lovely garland 

Today we had another visit from Agelu who cam with his little cousing John. I had made fudge so we had tea together before we went ashore to visit again with Gok and Keli. Chris and I both had a chance to take Agelu's canoe for a paddle. I had difficulty keeping it going straight, but Chris found it similar to paddling a Canadian canoe.

When we went ashore, I brought some yogurt starter for Keli and Chris some freshly made fudge, which we gave out to some of the people we knew as we walked through the village. One woman, whose child was suffering from pink eye told us that her child was much better after she took my advice (picked up from Pat on 'The Rose') that she should squirt breast milk in the eye to cure the infection. It was amazing to see that in one day the baby's eyes were significantly improved. Breast milk has anti-bacterial properties.

We had a lovely visit with Gok and Keli and later rowed Gok out to Ladybug for a visit (Keli had to attend a woman's committee meeting to organize some sort of large event scheduled for August). Gok liked our boat but after we told him about the dangers of travelling by sea, he told us we should sell Ladybug and move to Fiji. He invited us to stay with him when we come here.

Chris paddles Agelu's canoe

Rani takes a turn. Note the lovely calm conditions.

Keli and Gok pose beside their outdoor kitchen

Gok was making rotis on a tava over an open fire when we arrived. It turns out that he is the only Indian on this island. They had also made a breadfruit curry for us and we had a delicious lunch on their deck by the outdoor kitchen.

Sepola and grand-daughter. Sepola is Keli's cousin. She lives down by the beach where she makes toddy from the coconut palm.

Collecting 'toddy' from the new shoots of a coconut palm. The sap is then boiled down to make a sweet syrup and can also be fermented to make a powerful alcoholic drink.