John's Beekeeping Notebook
Fiji's Land and People
Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is home to about 800,000 people. Almost half the population are indigenous Fijians, and the other half Indians. A few percent of the population are people of Chinese or European ancestry.
My main Peace Corps project was beekeeping, but I also began projects on water supply, village sanitation, poultry and alternative food crops.
Fiji is a beautiful country and has weather that rarely exceeds 90f degrees in the summer or 60f in the winter.
The traditional housing has grass-thatched roofs and woven bamboo or grass walls. Woven pandanas mats cover the floor.
Housing is increasingly being upgraded with metal roofs and concrete or wood walls and floors.
The Fijians children are usually very happy, socially well-adjusted and well-behaved. Many parents in the U.S. could learn valuable lessons on child-rearing from Fijians.
Ratu Isikele (left) was my village chief.
He showed me where the "old" village was on a hilltop. Before the European influence, the hilltop provided more protection during war. The old village was near a cave where the women and children hid during battles.