Collecting Coconuts in Qamea, Fiji

Collecting Coconuts in Qamea, Fiji by Tim Ghazzawi:

The village of Togo is located on the northern inlet of Qamea, a small island 15 miles due east of Taveuni. Approach its shores at just the right angle and see a rugby field bookended by two large goal posts. There are no painted lines. The grass is uncurated. There are slight inclines and dips to the field, and the patches of rock and sand make for gameplay that is uneven and exciting.

On one side, the field is bordered by a deep line of intimidating palm trees double the height of the goal posts. From a distance, they look like pencil-thin giants, swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the Pacific. I was told that it’s from the tops of these giants that the best coconuts could be harvested.

Jerome was a 7th grader when I watched him climb the tree. He was school deputy, charismatic, kind, and smart. He had a decent rugby drop kick. According to his peers, he was also the best tree-climber.

In the hopes that some of his skills might rub off on me, I watched Jerome intently as he climbed one of the giants. His thin frame wrapped around the trunk in a vice-like grip. His arms encircled it like an extra ring. His legs in squat position, feet clamped to the sides. He climbed quickly. Not like a rock-climber, hand and foot over the other. Instead, he shimmied upward, without any space or separation between his body and the tree.

Jerome’s climb reminded me of a flag being raised. I watched him from the base. With every shimmy he grew smaller and as he approached the palms Jerome was so high up that I could not recognize it was him. The trees around him bent and leaned. He careened with them but never seemed to waver or wobble. A boy in the wind. The moment was quiet and timeless. I wondered what he saw from up there. Or if he closed his eyes and listened. If he thought about falling. Or staying up there forever.

Then a coconut fell. Plummeted to the ground like a ship’s anchor. A miniature bomb that crunched upon impact as its hard outer husk hit the floor. I collected it like treasure.

“Jerome, get down!” Someone had seen him from the rugby field. So he did, shimmying the same way he had traveled upward, only in reverse and quicker, even sliding down the tree near the bottom.

I asked him if he was all right and he smiled. It was a dumb question. He was fine. Just as casually as he had climbed, Jerome picked up the machete we had carried into the forest together and hacked away at the coconut he had just picked, cracking its skin. Upon breaking into the coconut’s core, he handed it to me and signaled to drink. The sweet water was still protected on the inside. And I was fine, too.

THE FACTS

I traveled to Fiji (and started collecting coconuts in Qamea) as an expedition leader with Putney Student Travel (and co-leader Julia!) in 2018. International flights fly into Nadi International Airport (NAN) on the main island of Viti Levu. From there, travelers and tourists make their way by boat or plane to the next island(s) of their choice.

NUTS & BOLTS:

Fiji: Community Service Trip

Putney Student Travel

345 Hickory Ridge Road

Putney, Vermont 05346

802-387-5000

LODGING:

A majority of my experience in Fiji was spent living with host families in the village of Togo on the island of Qamea.

On Taveuni, known as the “Garden Island” for how lush it is, check out Maravu Lodge and Garden Island Resort.

On the island of Viti Levu, Nadi Bay offers beach-side hotels 15 minutes away from the international airport.

BEST MEAL:

Nothing’s better than a home-cooked meal and I had plenty of those while living with my host families on Qamea. Cassava and kava were offered plentifully.

Here’s a brief blurb about Fijian food on its national tourism website.

Consider participating in a kava drinking ceremoney while you are in Fiji. The tradition can be both lively and relaxing, despite the drink not being to everyone’s taste.

TRAVEL TIPS:

The Yasawa Islands are popular, more affordable, and yet still stunning destinations for Fijian tourists. Most people travel there by way of the Yasawa Flyer, a ticket for which you can easily reserve from your hotel on the mainland or at the actual port the morning you want to travel, which is what I did.

The different islands in the Yasawas to me seem similar in terms of geography (beautiful beaches with good snorkeling and scuba sites) but varying in accommodations. Some are more hostel/party-type, others more low-key, others more romantic, others luxury-based. I personally stayed at Mantaray Island Resort because it offers a bit of all those things.

If you enjoyed reading about my collecting coconuts in Qamea, Fiji, you might also check out the following stories related to other nature adventures: