May 24, 2014

Aloha beloved friends!
We just got back from our trip to the south pacific.
If u have a few minutes to read, we'd love to share our experience with you...

Why we went...
For years we've dreamed of living amongst a native tribe, to experience a true sustainable way of life. We try our best to live "green" here in Hawaii. We plant and eat from our garden, climb coconut trees everyday and live a simple life. But deep in our gut, we knew there was a deeper level of natural existence, a "native intelligence" which we were hungry for. Through a series of random coincidences and conversations, a remote island kept being mentioned. It was said that there our dream existed. A place where people lived in harmony with the land, where coconuts outnumbered people a hundred to one. With little planning or packing we headed out, our thirsty souls longing to be filled.

Village Life
Fiji has around 300 islands, the remote ones are the most pristine & unspoiled, but before u can catch a boat or plane to most, you have to spend a few days on Vita Levu, the main island. We spent our first night at a great little bungalow, where the owner showed us an amazing secret surf spot. Though it was awesome, we left after one day. We hadn't come to stay in a cute hostel and be catered to, we came to live amongst the native people.

A surfer we met the first morning recommended we go to the local village and introduce ourselves to "Api" (the chiefs brother). "Just make sure to bring a gift" he advised. We had brought a bag of kava from Hawaii, for just this purpose and were familiar with the basic custom of offering drinking it.

Walking into a strange 3rd world village, filled with machete wielding strangers would probably be too intimidating for most. But our desire to reconnect with native people who live in harmony with the land was so strong, we didn't let it detour us. We asked the first woman we met if Api was home. After a few minutes of searching, Api appeared. Words can't describe the hospitality this man offered us. We instantly felt comfortable, after a meal and a few bowls of kava with Api, he announced… "you will live here, you will be my children".

Palsami's (our favorite fijian food) being prepared &cooked
Recipe - 10 or so Kalo leaves wrapped around coconut milk, onion & garlic.
Cooked in a coconut bowl, on a lovo (underground oven)

We awoke the next morning on the floor of the grass and bamboo hut with no furniture. Traditional Fijians sleep, eat, socialize and even prepare meals on the floor, sitting cross legged for hours on end. Living in this humble position is clearly a healthy practice. Every man and woman in the village stood tall, straight & proud, regardless of age. Despite years of yoga we had to shift our legs constantly to stay comfortable, while men in their 60's and seventies sat peaceful and amused watching us.

In addition to being physically impressive, the Fijian people are, hands down, the most friendly, hospitable people we have ever met. Everyone was inviting us into their homes and offering food. "You can stay here as long as u want, no money" "Eat more" and "We are so glad u are staying in the village" was said at every home.

The people are proud of their close knit community. Doors were always open, food, favors & tools are shared. Trust, love, smiles and hospitality were freely exchanged. Most of the people have little or no money, but they do have huge genuine smiles on their faces. Hand shakes lasted several minutes and often we found ourselves holding elders hands for sometime while telling our story.

"We've come to Fiji to learn about your native foods. In Hawaii we have many of the same plants as you. But people no longer eat coconuts or taro with every meal anymore… they eat from the boats"

This is the sad truth. Despite being able to grow everything imaginable, Hawaii imports 95% of its food. It's said that at any given time Maui has only a 5 day food supply. It's that unnerving fact which prompted our trip.

Sad Truth
The elders understood what we were saying. In their time Fiji had changed very much. Global food corporations have invaded their shores and mainland Fijians are in the middle of a massive health crisis. Obesity rates are at 60% and life expectancy has been dropping every year (it currently is 55 and dropping)

We heard much talk about corrupted government officials taking bribes from big multinational food companies. Despite an abundance of healthy, locally grown native foods, the people are being marketed and becoming hooked on junk and processed food from over seas. At one home a "ministry of health" recommended food chart included (to our shock) packaged meats, white rice, noodles, clarified butter, heavy cream, soy oil and margarine.

In an effort to never offend our hosts, we ate more GMO food those first 4 days then we had in a long, long time. Luckily our flight to the remote island of our dreams left the following day. We would definitely miss Api and the hospitality, but were eager to go deeper.

Closer to Paradise
Flying into this island, which will remain unnamed, we were the most excited we've been in years. Millions, yes millions of coconut trees shot out of the canopy around the entire island. We felt at home & at peace even before the wheels touched down on the (surprisingly smooth) grass runway.

Only one flight a week reaches this island. This plane carried us & just 2 people. The weekly flight is a big deal on the island, it brings mail and packages from the mainland. We were stoked to see a car at the airport (theres less than ten on the whole island) most people walk or go by horse) and were able to hitch a ride to the village, which would have been a six hour walk.

As we drove along the bumpy beachfront road (the only road around the island) villagers stopped whatever they were doing to flash full smiles & wave. Everyone shouted BULA! Which we'd learned meant - hello, aloha and apparently "isnt this the BEST DAY EVER!" The consistent, genuine smiles on their faces will never leave our heart. Every single person smiled warmly at us. In the village we were immediately welcomed and offered multiple places to stay & within minutes of hot plates of food were being served.

Fijian custom is to treat guests with the utmost hospitality. Food and conversation went hand in hand & we wasted no time telling our story, our desire to learn about native foods. We were psyched when they responded "Tomorrow we shall go to the farm!"

The "Farms"
Over the next two weeks we experienced the food independence we had dreamed of. Everyone in the community farms, everyone. Men, Women & children. They don't "farm" in the sense that probably comes to your mind. There are no tractors, barns, fertilizers, tillers, greenhouses or irrigation lines used. Those practices are about control.

A Fijian farm more closely resembles the wild jungle. To the untrained eye, you wouldn't even know u are at a "farm". The ground is not even close to level anywhere, with many small creeks running throughout the rich landscape. Each family has 30 - 40 acres of this type of land. Some are a further hike then others, but they are all accessible. No fences, no roads just well trotted jungle paths. It seemed very chaotic and primitive to us at first, but once we saw the massive amounts of food produced, with very little effort & human input we were in awe.

Because natural streams have never been dammed or diverted the water table has remained very high, with natural springs flowing everywhere. Thus no need for irrigation. "Weeds" are rarely cut, so the ecosystem acquires more & more biomass each year, the soil just gets richer and richer, hence no need for fertilizers.

Within 30 minutes we collected enough food for our entire host family for the upcoming week. Cassava, taro, coconuts, sugarcane and papayas were loaded into sacks and carried back down the mountain. My sack was so huge I had to stop multiple times to rest on the way down. True abundance.

Lessons Learned
Because each family has a native right to this land (it has been passed down from generation to generation) no rent is due for the farmland. No mortgages, no taxes, no interest payments. It's the same story for housing in the village. If u are born (or marry into) a clan you are given land rights.

The land belongs to THE PEOPLE, not the banks, not the government.

Without the stress of rent due, food bills or water meters, the people were free to spend their time enjoying life as it was meant to be. Smiling, laughing and visiting with friends made up the bulk of the day. Family is the most cherished material thing and the idea of family extends beyond immediate. It was tricky to distinguish who was directly related, "brother-cousin" was a common term and we were often referred to as "brother" or "son".

Family, the Clan & the Land, trump individuality here. Ego was nonexistent.
The comfort we felt with these people was indescribable.
The open doors, the hospitality, the trust, the love.

Try to imagine your city or town with no fences, no crime, no cars. Envision knowing all your neighbors names within miles. Picture groups of children roaming freely from house to house, eating, playing and smiling under watchful loving eyes of the entire community.

When the stress of money is removed, human beings are, by nature, the kindest happiest creatures on the planet. We are loving and generous beyond our wildest dreams. We had come to learn about food, but learning this about ourselves ended up being the real treasure of our trip.

Acclimating back to the hustle of the western world has been surprisingly easy. We find ourselves laughing deeply. Things that used to stress us out seem more like a joke or game now. We will continue to live as simply as possible, to grow our own food and to cherish family and friends, because at the end of the day, we know, that is the only path that can bring us freedom and the deepest sense of happiness :)

Mahalos for reading - the Beeline Hawaii Team
Please don't be shy to write us back, we'd love to hear your comments

Beeline Team rider Aaron Cormicanjust sent us this awesome video.

Check it out and checkout his team page for on this great rider