"He is a good man, I think. Maybe not so good as Prime Minister. He is hard on the villagers. Many people are crying because of him."
Hussein sits upright as he drives, gearing down as we begin to climb into the mountains. We pass small villages with taro bundles lining the roadway. People in tiny stands sell bananas and other fruits.
"Things were good after the coup in 2006," he continues. "Bainimarama gets rid of the corruption. This is good. But after a while, he takes away free hospital visits and the price for food begins to rise. Everything is coming from China instead of New Zealand which costs more to ship. Now everything is double price. The people are crying."
He also tells us that since the economy fell apart in the US, no one is buying property in Fiji. "Business is very slack," he says. "No one is buying." We begin to understand more why Hussein is so enterprising and why he wears many hats to make money.
Jenn asks if there will be an election soon. "The PM say he maybe going to have elections, maybe not," says Hussein. "He likes being the prime minister."
Then how will you get rid of him, we ask?
"Maybe someone gets a gun. They shoot him. Then we have a new leader," says Hussein. He is very matter of fact about this prospect.
About twenty minutes outside of Savusavu, a clicking noise that concerns Hussein begins coming from the car. "Something with the wheel bearings, I think." The clicking stops and Hussein relaxes, but a few minutes later, it begins again. He pulls over to look. "I don't want to break down on the road to Labasa. It will be hard to get parts to fix the car in Labasa. Not so in Savusavu. I can call my son to come and pick us up if we break down."
We drive on. The clicking starts again. We make it to the Waisali Rainforest Reserve, hoping we can hike to the waterfall, but it is closed. Hussein is uneasy about his clicking wheel so we decide to turn back.
Undaunted, Hussein suggests a mini tour of the other side of the island, closer to his home. If the car does break down, it will be easier to get rescued. He first takes us to see a house at Nasawa. Owned by Susan and Jeff from New Mexico, they have a property right on the beach. Hussein drives up and asks them if we can walk on the beach and the next thing we know we're getting the grand tour around the property by Sue. It is stunning, a real Fijian paradise - sandy beach, fish ponds, a beautiful garden. The guest house is the epitome of "relaxing Fijian vacation." Check out more at www.tropic-splendor-Fiji.com
Among other artistic endeavors, Sue collects sand from all around the world and trades it with other collectors. We talk her into showing us her collection (it doesn't take much talking) and it is truly fascinating, much more so than I imagined from the sound of it. Opening up one of her cases is like looking at a spice rack. She proudly shows us her colored sands from Hawaii, Fiji, Egypt, New Mexico, the Antarctic etc.
Sue likes to talk and after a tour of their main house, we extract ourselves reluctantly because we need to hit the market before it closes. Hussein rushes us back into town where we stock up on needed supplies (everything is closed on Sunday) and then drives us home to drop things off and a quick change before we head out to the other side of the island.
"But first we stop at my house for tea and so I can pray", says Hussein. And sure enough he takes us to his home in the hills above the Savusavu airport where we meet Zakia once more and her children. We also meet Hussein's son, his son's wife and their kids. Hussein's wife is down the road visiting their other daughter (a third daughter lives across the water in Suva). It is a small home - cluttered but clean, very simple, very basic. The children are playing dress up games and eye us shyly. We sit out on the veranda and drink the very sweet Chai tea we are offered and afterwards, a cold and sweet lemon drink.
Hussein barks at his son a bit about the car, then washes his feet in the one sink and goes into his small real estate office marked with a paper sign, shuts the blinds and begins to pray.
We sit outside and talk with Zakia and her cousin Pops who has just come home from driving around the island, picking up the dried sea cucumbers the villagers sell to him which he delivers to a Chinese importer. "Very good money, sea cucumbers," he says. He goes out to his truck and brings back a selection to show us. "The Japanese love them."
"Do you eat them," I ask, looking at what resemble dried turds.
"Disgusting," He makes a face and Zakia laughs. "But, very good money."
We learn more about how the villagers free dive for the sea cucumbers and how they comb the rain forest searching for the rare sandalwood tree which could make them very rich if uncovered.
Zakia begins to chop up the fruit/nut thingies Hussein picked while waiting for us back at Sue and Jeff's.
Hussein comes out from his office and back to the car we go, driving along the Hibiscus highway, through Little America (where all the Americans have houses and big, swishy resorts) to the very end and a resort called Lomalangi where Hussein knows the owner. The drive in is along a muddy, water logged road which both Jenn and I are convinced will suck the car down. But Hussein is not worried. "This little car is better than my 4x4'" he says. "I'm the only taxi that will come down here. Everyone afraid of getting stuck, but not me."
We don't get stuck and arrive at another lush resort with an inviting sign.
Hussein sweet talks us into the main house to see the view of the bay from the deck which is expansive and show-stopping. The owner is a lady named Collin from Seattle, a former VP at a bank before throwing in the towel and moving to Fiji to set up her resort. We have a look around and try to keep her new dog from clawing us. See more at: http://www.lomalagi.com/
Ironically, Collin has a friend from London and Sarnia which freaks us all out a little.
On the way home, Hussein drops us at a expansive beach for a quick swim. It is just us and a few local villagers who have waked out to the edge of the reef to fish.
Then he takes us back to the cottage.
"Monday we go to Labasa," he says. "Tomorrow I fix the car and then we go."
We go looking for fruit bats in the nearby grapefruit trees and instead find our first Fijian sunset.
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