A friendly local at the airport hooked us up with a week-long stay on one of the small Fiji islands. The difference of this place over the other islands was that the entire island and the 20 person "resort" was all run and owned by the local tribes.

We had the time of our life here.  

Getting ready to give Kava root offering to the tribal chief as Sevu Sevu 

Local island middle school 

The tribal life centers around the community. Every child is part of the large communal family; men and women alike are very loving and attentive to the youngsters. This idyllic setting made us yearn for the "good ol' days" of tight knit family structures... 

A traditional dance performance 

How could we not rejoice!?! We had the entire west side of the island to ourselves. Just the two of us, for an entire day.

A funny anecdote: this red bikini was purchased in Ushuaia. Lenka realized in Buenos Aires that she forgot to pack her swimming suit. And it wasn't until Ushuaia that we actually managed to buy one. Isn't it ironic? 

Fiji has great snorkeling and scuba diving. The coral reefs are easily accessible and the water is perfectly clear. And toasty warm. 

Coconuts are one of the local fruits the villagers grow on the island. It is usually the teenagers who are nimble enough to climb up to get them 

The top of the coconut is used as a scooping spoon 

Transportation to the main island 

Our sabbatical journey came to an end the moment the boat pulled away from the island...