Can you believe it’s already been so long since your time in Fiji?
Dream away again with the sound of the ocean just sitting at your bure. Put your feet in the sand and than look at that amazing blue water right in front of you. It feels like yesterday when we were snorkeling in the lagoon. Looking at all those pretty colors and the curious little fish!
Oh and how about having all those tasty baked muffins and cakes for tea time at Oarsman’s Bay. After a day of hard work coming home to all of the goodies. Wether it was a lovo night or a early morning. We loved our fiji food!
You are probably back home now, getting ready for school or starting your next adventure! We would like you to remember that you always have a second home in Fiji. You are part of the family here. Family of Nacula, Oarsman’s Bay, Nadi Bay and Vinaka Fiji. Home is the place where memories are created and love is present. We will always be waiting for you to come back here. To come back home. Isa Lei
Although you have been here for only 14 days, you did truly make a difference. The impact will last longer than you think. Weeks after you left the children from Nacula village, they were still singing the coral song and are not stepping on coral, as you taught them 😉 Thanks to the Local Managed Marine Area and the surveys you did in Nacula, the data wil help to protect the coral reef and will help to rebuild the population of marine life. Fish houses will find their tenants. Coral you have planted will help the reef to grow. Roots of mangroves will reach deeper than you think, serve as shelter and nursery and will help to protect the coastline. Trash holes you’ve made will be used in the village to better manage their waste. We simply hope all the knowledge you have gained will be put to work and can help you in planning your own projects in your communities. Having you on our project was bliss! Your team building and commitment were noticed and much appreciated by not only us, but the locals too!
Oh and the fun we had! Kayaking the gorgeous waters, group games on the beach! The amazing race! Oh my, scraping those coconuts, weaving the baskets, playing volleyball and finally getting that tan on. I recall our maffia games with amazing storylines. Thank you all for your amazing input. Can you remember how many times we dove into the unknown and at the end it just felt easy to be outside of our comfort zone. We learned how to live on Fiji time and be flexible. Like that time at the mud pools when stepping into the pool and having no idea what the bottom would feel like. We shared some great laughs there!
Or like that last day at the village dancing with the Nacula people saying our farewells and tasting the kava!
It was all such fun because we got to share it with you guys- the 2018 GLA Fiji Marine Conservation Group! Thanks for making these special moments in an unforgettable place with us!
Some special moments from our trip:
-Watching those amazing sunsets!
-Learning about the waste plastic bottles create and making trash bins.
-Digging deep to better waste management. We saw some serious muscle work!
-Getting to see the amazing Garden of the Sleeping Giant and therapeutic mud pools
-Hiking up to the top of the Nacula mountains while chanting “I am Moana!”
-Learning about Marine species, coral, mangroves, and waste management from Gabby and Moses
-Amazing Race on the private Blue Lagoon Island (Thank You Elle!)
-Watching all the fish and coral as we snorkeled in so many different places
-Celebrating with the village with traditional kava and lovo ceremonies
-Dancing the night away under the stars
-Wearing our colorful sulus in style
-Presenting your hard work to the village and performing the wonderful Coral Song
-Chanting during the boat rides wanting to go faster and faster!
-Spotting wildlife all around us with a definite shout out to the bioluminescense on the beach
Bula Vinaka and Sota Tale!
Martyna and the GLA & Vinaka Fiji team
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