Fauabu

I just got back from a little vacation. A little holiday on the island of Malatia. More specifically the village of Fauabu. I stayed with my friend Florrie's sister, Everlyn, and her family. Now, this wasn't the type of vacation that I imagine would first come to mind when you hear the words "holiday" and "island" in the same sentence.

Instead of an air conditioned tour bus with cushy seats; I had a hot, dusty, bumpy ride in the back of a truck as I got a tour of the Malatian bush and viewed it's highest bridge.

Instead of a jolly tour guide with really lame jokes; I had a group of nurses who explained the sites and got to see what they do best; care for their people. (Everlyn's husband, Aloysious, is a nurse at Fuabu clinic. This clinic cares for many other villages in the area, too great of an area and to great a number of people compared to the resources they have available to them.)

Instead of visiting local museums; I felt like a walking museum as people stopped and stared (and often pointed) at the sight of me.

Instead of soft, pink, free-range-but-not-too-free-so-that-they-are-too-tough-chicken; I got to eat "village chicken." (The best way to describe "village chicken" is to tell you the cooking directions someone recently shared with me; "You throw a stone in the pot and cook the chicken until the stone is soft, then you throw out the chicken and eat the stone.")

Instead of a five star restaurant with a large menu;  I ate at a place that would be best be described as "sketchy" if located in my part of the world and a place where the only thing available was fried kumara and fish. (my favourite!!)

Instead of any type of selection of food; I was limited to essentially kumara, rice and fish… and village chicken of course. (Although I can't complain too much, Florrie is a pretty good cook! And one day we even had freshly caught Mud Crab which was a nice little treat too.)

Instead of a large king sized bed with soft white sheets; I slept on what I am pretty sure was an old hospital mattress. (I didn't want to think about that too much though.)

Instead of lazing in the hot sun on a beach; I walked down the road in the hot sun to see the local school and "stori" with students, teachers, the principle, the headmaster, the head girl and even the head of education who happened to be there at the time. (I felt kind of like a big deal for a moment there…)(And I still did get to walk along the beach a bit too- just no suntanning...but I did get some tanning in as we walked, so don't worry too much.)

Instead of a clean, sparkling bathroom with fluffy white towels and a porcelain throne; I had rusting, slimy corrugated metal and concrete with a toilet lacking a decent seat so that one had no choice but to squat on top. (which was probably a good idea anyways…plus its what the locals all do, just being cultural!).

Instead of unimpressed teenagers; I was in a place where I impressed my hosts by simply sitting  wherever (steps, ground, wood plank etc.) as opposed to having to sit on a chair. (the only legit chair they had in the home)

Instead of a resort filled with annoying tourists; I was in a home filled with adorable children. (and annoying kokorokos!!)

It was a pretty good holiday. 

The first photo I love mainly because the look on Stella's face is priceless, clearly describes a typical reaction to whatever I am doing.

The second photo is of Everlyn's family(minus one child, Winnie, who was not in the mood for a photo and also minus her niece, Esme, who was too shy for a photo) 
Me, Everlyn, Alina, Stella, Aloysious, Alfonce, Alorrine, and Florrie.