Namaste!

Northwest breeze blows across the Sigatoka River into the open door of an Internet cafe here in Sigatoka's quiet downtown. Little after 9 am Monday morning. Arrived in Nadi Wednesday night and stayed at Club Fiji, cheap but clean and situated on a lovely strip of lagoon. Sigatoka is roughly 60 kms but worlds apart from Nadi's dirty sidewalks and constant air of chaos, and its river (Fiji's longest) winds through a lush, fertile valley that's sustained generations of indigenous and Fijo-Indian families. Arrived at Nana & Nani's farm Thursday afternoon and have experienced the unfamiliar and frequently amazing every, say, half hour or so. Like the odd mystique of a new car's smell, everything new is savoured. Even hard work.

I could list dozens of highlights (and I WISH I could post a soon-daar photo or ten) but for now will mention a few:

• Walking barefoot through soil smooth as chocolate pudding while planting tomato plant seedlings with Ajay and 'Charlie' (Ajay's workhorse)
  
• Learning, playing and winning at snooker with Ajay at Sigatoka club (I'd call it beginner's luck -- shooting pool is child's play compared to snooker)
  
• Picking pawpaw with Sindhu mama, Akash and Siddharth
  
• Transporting Ramesh mama's entire soccer team back from a tournament along a road best described as 'extremely treacherous' -- that would be 10 large men in my rented 4x4 truck
  
• Looking up and seeing a star-filled (and Milky Way-rich) sky every night
  
• Eating farm-fresh food prepared by Nani and Keshni mami
  
• Driving Nana to Sigatoka market, where he and his family have operated the largest stall for dozens of years
  

As a shopkeeper described it, Nana is 'famous' for being a great man in the Sigatoka valley. It's a privilege for me to be welcome in his home.

Vinaka levu.