Hey All!! It has been difficult to post because so much has happened (and the wifi is not so great), so I will try and catch you up from the last week. One of the most profound aspects of this trip so far has been the village stay in Votua Lalai. This village, by our standards, is very poor, but they welcomed us into their home, cooked us a huge feast, served us endless bowls of kava, and gave us their beds to sleep in. I spent most of the night playing with the kids and singing songs with the musicians. It was unforgettable. Since then, we have transitioned to Nadi (pronounced Nandi) and had the chance to visit an orphanage called Treasure Home. We brought toys and school supplies for them and had the opportunity to sing and play games. The women who worked at the orphanage were so happy we came to spend time with the children. All in all, a great week. XO! JT

Kava ceremony in Votua Lalai with members of the village.

A woman from the village took over serving the kava, which tends to be less common.

This is our beautiful feast which we ate with our hands (makes me want to throw away all of my flatware)!

The chief came by to greet us and chat for a while. Although I didn't get a photo with him, I did get a photo of his pretty, blue home!

This photo was taken at Treasure Home. All of these children are considered orphans and are living here full time. They were so sweet and loved playing with us.

We visited a kava market in Nadi. This is a photo of what kava root looks like before it's ground into powder.

This is the Hindi temple in Nadi. Very ornate and beautiful.

Below are a few photos some of my colleagues took from previous excursions:

Driftwood teepee.You can write me at: Jessi Teich, 1 Driftwood Lane, Somewhere on the beach in the Fiji Islands... ;) — Driftwood teepee.
You can write me at: Jessi Teich, 1 Driftwood Lane, Somewhere on the beach in the Fiji Islands... ;)

This lovely caffeinated concoction is called a niuccacino! 2 shots of espresso with local coconut milk and coconut cream all poured into an authentic coconut shell. "Niu" (pronounced new) is the Fijian word for coconut, hence "niu"caccino. :) — This lovely caffeinated concoction is called a niuccacino! 2 shots of espresso with local coconut milk and coconut cream all poured into an authentic coconut shell. "Niu" (pronounced new) is the Fijian word for coconut, hence "niu"caccino. :)