Renewing our Marriage Vows at Matangi

 

Bula Vinaka to all of you!

Whew... where to start. It's been a whirlwind of gtg's and meetings since we returned home early Friday. I'm wondering what to do first. ; )

Matangi Island, Fiji was what I can only describe as I imagine the "garden of eden" would have been like. Beautiful lush island. This trip was a dream come true for me... I've been planning in my mind for about the past 7 years, only to finalize last year.

On the way home, I told Bob, "how are we possibly going to describe this"?

Words just can't describe how rich the whole experience was.

We left on Sat, Oct 4, arriving in Fiji early Monday morning. Sunday skipped into oblivion as we passed the international date line.

Our vow ceremony was held on our 25th wedding anniversary, Wed, October 8. I was thankful that we scheduled it in the first part of our time there. It gave us good opportunity to get to know much of the staff early on, as well as many of the guests that attended.

It was a beautiful ceremony. A Fijian choir comprised of Matangi staff sang a few hymns in the Fiji language, as we walked along a braided palm with hibiscus lined aisle down to the beach.

The activities director at Matangi, Tomu, a pastor at a village church in the neighboring island of Quamea performed the vow renewal. He was well prepared and we loved what he had to say about this time in our lives, and how we have overcome through our firm committment.

Bob & I shared personal vows and words for each other, and then Bob surprised me with a poem that he had written, titled "Island Girl". I was shocked... he has never written anything like that before! He later confessed that he had some help... lol.

They did a champagne toast afterward, and then a reception on the pool deck with a fresh coconut & pineapple cake for us and the other 20 or so guests at Matangi. Afterward we had a private dinner on the boathouse deck. A dear elderly friend of ours sent us down with a bottle of 1990 Vintage Dom Perignon to celebrate, so to top it all we enjoyed a special bubbly! ; )

The people of Fiji are it's greatest asset. Simple, full of joy, embracing, humble, respectful... they were delightful. We visited the nearby village on Quamea, enjoyed the school children and their zest for life, and shared in a kava ceremony with the women's club... the village chief was in bed sick, or he normally would have hosted the kava ceremony.

For those of you that don't know, kava is a plant root that is ground up and mixed with water. It is an all age-old soothing herbal drink with medicinal effects used to calm nerves, ease tension, stress, anxiety. It relaxes the body, relieves migranes, fatigue, depression, cramps, and brings on a happy tranquil state, all while leaving the mind alert. It's a traditional drink used in Fijian, Samoan and Tongan societies, where it is drank in ceremonies meant to honor visitors. In a simple ceremony, it is a great experience to share with these lovely people.

Tomu, invited us to attend midday service at his church on Sunday. Bob & I are the only guests ever to have been invited into this small village settlement to attend their traditional church. He asked Bob to speak to the men, and me to speak to the women. Obviously the language barrier played a part, but it was a great experience. Later Tomu shared that it was very good for all of them, and afterward his people expressed that what we had shared with them was very benficial. Whew... it was a bit initimidating, but a wonderful, precious time.

The resort was simple elegance. We were pampered beyond our expectations. Very well designed. The accomodations, our bure, was beachfront. Outdoor shower. Plenty of space. Very romantic. The meals were outstanding.

Every evening during dinner the staff "band" would play fun and lively island tunes... one of the honeymooning couples there taped a few of the songs, so maybe I'll persuade them to post on youtube! One of our favs was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", as we could all sing along. Bob & I enjoyed sitting with them before going to our table for dinner. The kava was always flowing with the band... only choice was, "high tide... or low tide?" (big sip, or little sip) lol. We enjoyed many celebrations with Flora, the owner of the resort and her family, including Flora & Noel's 47th wedding anniversary!

The island was very lush... we hiked the entire island... ridge trails as well as the coastal trails. Horseshoe Bay, listed in "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" is designated for one couple at a time by the resort. They drop you by boat... no other way to get there... all to yourselves. They pack an abundant picnic and you stay as long as you like. We did this our last full day. The snorkelling is abundant... reef everywhere. Heaven on earth. We had a blast... more on this later.

Upon arriving and leaving the island, as many staff as possible head to the beach with their guitars and ukelele's to serenade and welcome or send off. We were amazed at how many tears were shed, not only us, but the staff and owners were moved in bidding farewell. We each received a lei, and when the boat did it's final "drive by" we all threw our leis into the sea... legend says that if the lei comes back to the island, so it will be that you will return as well. I like to think that our leis made it back. Time will tell... ; )

The whole experience was rich and full of blessing. Words can't adequately describe it. I'm leaving out a ton, like our adventure to the island of Taveuni, to visit the Bouma Nat'l Heritage Park for some hiking and Tavoro Waterfalls... and so many other things. I'll pull it together and a write a review as soon as I can catch up.

Bula Vinaka! Love to all!

Bob & Lisa