Embracing Randomness

Right now I'm reading a book called Vagabonding: The Art of Long Term World Travel by Rolf Potts. One of the author's recurring admonitions is to view "mishaps" as an opportunity for discovery....a way of finding out where the unexpected will lead. Embrace randomness.

Several days ago my friend Deb and I arrived in Fji, and after dropping off our bags at the hotel, we went into town to find some flip flops (who else besides me would take off for the South Pacific and forget to pack flip flops?!) and after making my purchase I asked the shopkeeper to recommend a pub which catered to locals. I

fully expected to be disappointed by some l

ocal version of The Hard Rock Cafe, but as

we strolled into "Club Nadi" I was delighted to discover that we were the only kaivalagis there.

Deb was the only woman in the joint, but she's nothing if not a good sport, so we decided to stay. We struck up a conversation with a couple of guys at a nearby table, and several adult beverages later, one of them accompanied us to a nearby Indian restaurant so we wouldn't get lost.

On a subsequent visit to our now favorite pub, we were introduced to the chief of one of the outlying villages, as well as his daughter and son-in-law.

The chief was very jovial and invited me to come stay at his home whenever I wanted. I was excited by the prospect of seeing what life was like in a Fijian

village , so I eagerly accepted his invitation and arranged to meet him later that week after Deb returned to the States.

On the day of my departure, my internal compass told me to stop by the pub one last time before heading to the airport.

As luck would have it, the guy who took us to the Indian restaurant was there and told me that the "chief" was not who he claimed to be, but in fact a con-man who lured unsuspecting tourists to the other side of the island, got them to pay for a bunch of "groceries" before boarding a ferry which, according to my guide book, could take anywhere from two hours to four days, and then ditched them once they arrived.

Since I had already paid for the plane ticket, I decided to board the flight to Suva anyway. In the spirit of Vagabonding, one of my mantras is "embrace randomness".

During the 30 minute flight, I surveyed the list of places to stay in my guide book, and randomly chose a guest house with the auspicious name "Nanette's Accommodation".

I showed up on the doorstep at 8 o'clock at night without a reservation and the girl at the front desk told me

there were no vacancies. She reiterated this 5 or 6 times while pointing to the reservation book...until a random guy loitering around the parking lot insisted that there was space available.

I was eventually led upstairs to a spacious room, which, in sharp contrast to previous accommodations on this trip, had towels that were dry and didn't smell like mildew, pillowcases without fresh blood stains and a private hot shower instead of communal room with no door and a single faucet trickling cold, rust-colored water onto a slimy floor that can only be described as a biology experiment gone wrong. I had hit the jackpot.

I was delighted to learn that the room was only $50.00/night and

includes breakfast. It also includes a pack of dogs that barks round the clock, a

gaggle of college students from across the street that hoots and hollers 'til the wee hours and a

rooster that starts cockle-doodle-doing about 4 in the morning. If I can find that damn bird we're gonna have chicken pot pie for dinner.

The only other person at breakfast the next morning was a British guy named Howard. We struck up a conversation about what had brought each of us to Fiji. He's here doing marine conservation for South Pacific Projects, a non-profit organization he founded to protect the eco-system on the reefs

As soon as I told him I was a photographer, he asked if I'd be willing to consider photo-documenting his project in exchange for a couple of weeks of free room and board on a private island, diving in crystal blue water on pristine reefs teeming with exotic fish and coral in one of the most beautiful and inaccessible locations on the planet, oh...and a possible side trip to meet the King of Fiji's grandson. Our father who art in heaven, Howard be thy name.

After breakfast, I took a stroll through town. My first stop was a church with an enormous sanctuary, empty except for 4 or 5 people. I took a seat for a few minutes to collect my thoughts and plan my route, and before I knew it I had drifted off....until I awoke to the sound of a hymn that I recognized from childhood being sung in Fijian in perfect harmony by three women sitting nearby. A fitting benediction...my decision to come to Suva was working out just fine.

Another stop on my self-guided tour was the Fiji Museum which featured an exhibit detailing the story of a missionary who was invited for dinner by some locals back in the 1800's. Apparently he failed to understand that he WAS dinner. All that was left were the bottoms of his shoes, which were on display in the glass case. Apparently he must have said something about "saving souls".

Here at the guest house are two girls who work the front desk, make our breakfast, clean our rooms and provide an overall atmosphere of cheerfulness and hospitality. Turns out they're cousins, and I overheard them talking about going home to their village for the weekend.

Undaunted in my quest to find a real Fijian chief and experience life in a village, I brashly invited myself home with them. They seem as excited as I do. Apparently the last kaivalagis seen entering their village were a couple of Peace Corps workers about 20 years ago.

Maybe I'll ask if I should bring something for dinner.