When visiting the remote islands of Fiji, it is customary to pay respects to the village chief with an offering of kava root and to receive his blessing to enjoy his island. This ceremonial process is called sevusevu. Once blessed, you are welcome to explore the island, swim the reefs and even fish.
We made our first sevusevu at the village of Yalobi on Waya Island. Upon anchoring we dressed appropriately - no trousers or shorts for women and their shoulders must be covered, long trousers for men, no hats or sunglasses when you are talking to people or in their homes - and went ashore. We were greeted on the beach by a local man and directed to the chief's house. All along the way, everyone shouted "Bula" to us and we felt very welcome. The chief, named Tom, invited us into his house and to be seated on the mat on the floor. We presented three bundles of kava which he gratefully accepted and made a blessing in Fijian of which the only word we understood was "vinaka" which means "thank you". Tom asked about us and we learned about the village. Yalobi has roughly 300 residents and shares the island with three other villages. Adjacent to Yalobi is a primary boarding school which houses 130 kids, ages 6-12. There is a resident nurse who travels to the neighboring villages when she has fuel for the boat. After sevusevu with Tom, we explored the village and met the local nurse, bought a box of milk at the only store and wandered paths through thatch huts and concrete houses. After two days of pouring rain, the colorful laundry, bedding, cushions and rugs that were hung out to dry added a festive mood to the place.
