Thursday we took a tour to the interior. Up in the mountains is a vast cave system. We got to explore a tiny part of it.
Our guides were Nadia and Jack, two local boyz (who also work nights performing cabaret routines
) They grew up in the region where the caves are located so their local knowledge was fantastic. I learned more about the "real" Fiji during this trip than at any other time.
After yet another Kava ceremony, we trekked through field down to the Sigatoka River, where our bamboo raft was waiting for us. We were towed over by horse. After more bush walking we arrived at the cave entrance.
It was all a bit squeezy squeezy getting through, but once inside it was of cathedral dimensions. The highlight was the Cannibal Oven. A natural limestone formation that was last used only a couple of hundred years ago for, you guessed it, cooking up house guests. You can still see scorch marks within the "oven".
I took lots of photos, but my focus was out, pity.
The trip back to the bus, again we boarded the bamboo rafts. This time to just float down the Sigatoka. Passing a local teacher and her pupils, fishing and swimming. (2nd last day of term, why not)
I jumped off and just hung on to the back of the raft and was pulled along. . The water was just the right temp, after all that walking it was luxury .
ps. that's not me in the river hanging on to the raft. that's our human outboard.