Waterfalls and Birds

Yesterday, Friday morning, I didn't quite know what to make of the day. I woke up nice and early at 6am knowing it was another field study day. This time, it involved service and a Kava ceremony/lunch. We got in the minivan and drove out to a neighborhood tucked in between several mountains, down in the green valley. We found out that this was a neighborhood sitting right on the poverty line (for most households, as about 80% of Fiji actually lives). Our job for the morning was to plant some flowers by the community center, and pick up rubbish along the side of the driveway into the community center. I thought, hey, my family is into gardening, so maybe it would be cool to do some planting. I found that unlike in the states where you have to buy plants, dig a hole, and hope for the best with your plantings, in Fiji they cut part of a plant off and literally shove it into the ground. I didn't understand at first, but then I realized how moist the soil is in Fiji, so plants will just root on their own.

We got done with our projects within an hour, so we were asked to go on a walking tour with some of the community members up to the waterfall in the mountain. This was a long hike up to the top, then back down into another valley. We then walked through a path in the rainforest, got into the river and hiked some more, and there it was. The waterfall was almost 20 feet tall, and emptied into a large, blue basin. The natural pool was surrounded by high, steep cliffs mounted at the top with vine-covered palm trees and moss. It was amazing! Then, the locals encouraged us to climb up the waterfall, so 3 of us took the challenge. The rocks were slippery, but we all made it up. Our journey continued up the river further, and after climbing and tripping over even larger rocks and boulders in the river, we saw another waterfall, this time three times the size of the previous. The surrounding landscape was even more amazing, and was probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen. The two local guys who were with us climbed to the top and dove in, though there was no way I was about to try that. After some time of splashing around, we decided to go back. Then, we had to get back down that first waterfall, so against all rules for our program we decided to jump. Brian went first, and was all good. Allison was next, but unfortunately landed wrong and hurt her ear. I went next, and it was all good.

So, that's my adventure story for the day. I also went clubbing with my instructors last night in a lecture called "intro to clubbing in Fiji." Cool, eh?