The final walk to Tom’s farm, as he calls it, was quite long because it’s in the Draubuta village.

First we passed the house of another cousin who was just cooking a meal in the kitchen outside on the terrace. Very common in warmer area like in Fiji. Her husband was working on coconuts milk. A not that simple procedure. Short greetings and we continued our walk.

When we passed the school of Draubuta village, to which Tom’s farm belongs, a group of boys and girls played rugby, the favorite game in Fiji. Tom called them and gave them candies. It’s Tom’s way to make children happy.

We kept walking and soon left the main road for a gravel road before turning into a dirt road leading to Tom’s farm.

A soon as we reach his farm the children came running towards him. It was obvious that they love him. Especially Una, who lived with him and her mum for a while on a boat. I Una later again on the boat, and one can see’s a boat girl.

All kids became candies an they liked then as a special treat.

There are three generations living in the house and Tom takes care of them. A great human attitude.

The farm is house in the middle of a rich nature with vegetables and fruits. An area of about 300 – 400 m2 was freshly plowed up to plant vegetables.

I had a freshly baked bread with me as a present and gave it to Kara, Tom’s partner and Una’s mother.

The other ladies, Kara’s older sister and mother stayed in the background until we left and then they waved Good Bye.

The oldest boy brought drinking coconuts for Tom and me. What a delicious drink!

Tom showed me a historical place closed by. It was a ford in what was in the past a deeper, and I assume, wider river, which protected the core of the village. This ford was the only place into village, thus, as Tom calls it, a killing field for defending the village. Like all over the world there were in the past many wars and people were killed for their stupid leaders. It was a sad atmosphere there and we soon turned around.

On the way back to the house, we looked a bit at the larger cassava fields. Cassava (English: manioc, tapioca) is a main stable food in Fiji. It grows very quickly. Pull a root out cut, the root and put an about 20 cm – 40 cm long part of the about 2 – 3 cm thick stem into the ground and in 12 – 18 months another root is ready for being pulled out. The roots can be kept in the ground until needed; it’s a pretty good way to preserve the vegetable in the warmth of these tropical islands.

I took a picture of Tom standing in the late afternoon sunlight in one of these fields. He looked happy and content. Although he’s a fisherman and sailor he feels connected to the countryside life, the life he grew up with.

Then it was time to say good bye and we left Tom’s farm. We had quite a way back home.

First we stood at the street to Sausori just waiting for a car to stop. As Tom explained me, there will always be car coming whose driver wants to earn some money by giving us a lift. It happened pretty quickly that we got such lift; 10 FJD (about 4 – 5 EUR) to Sausori where we took a bus to Suva. From there back to the place where the Tom’s tender was moored.

Bevor we got into the tender, we had a small dinner. Tom, being very familiar with the place, brought a meat dish with lots of onions for me and for himself a fish. It was delicious. After cleaning our plates, we took off with the tender and Tom brought me back to MaRe.

Tom, vinaka, thank you so much for this wonderful trip into the village of your childhood and youth, and to your farm. In both places I could meet incredible friendly Fijian people linked to you. It was a trip into a world rich on nature and happy people.