Itinerary Soccer and Service
The Fiji Islands Summer 2009
Day 01 - Monday
Depart the USA
All of Rustic Pathways scheduled group flights to Fiji depart from Los Angeles. Our carrier is Air Pacific – Fiji’s national airline. The flight each week is non-stop to Nadi International Airport and is escorted by a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. The flight departs LAX in the late evening and takes about 10 hours. During your flight, take the time to get to know other students, get some sleep in preparation for your arrival in the South Pacific, relax with a movie or two and start to settle into the easy-going and friendly nature of the Fijian’s and their legendary hospitality.
Day 02 – Tuesday
In transit
Today is “lost” as you cross the international dateline, but don’t worry too much… you will get it back on your way home!
Day 03 - Wednesday
Bula! Welcome to Fiji!
Upon clearing customs and immigration, you will be greeted by a Rustic Pathways staff member and transported to your new home at our beautiful South Pacific Eco Lodge Base. Here you will enjoy a tropical breakfast with your new staff and new friends. You will receive an orientation about the week ahead of you while you overlook sugarcane fields that seem to fall into the ocean. The staff will help you settle into your new home and answer any questions you might have. You will be given enough time to relax and unwind while getting to know your new friends.
After lunch there is no time to waste. By mid-afternoon you will be participating in one of our eight Servicio comunitario opportunities for a half day of service. This is a great time to start exploring your new neighborhood while getting to know your local community. You will be surprised how welcoming and excited the Fijians are to see you! There’s not a better way to say hello than with Servicio comunitario!
During the evening you will participate in a formal sevusevu ceremony (a traditional welcoming ceremony) and begin to learn about the amazing country you have just entered. Dressed in your new sulu (traditional Fijian sarong or skirt), sitting around the kava circle, you will begin to learn that there is more than just the world-renown beaches that makes Fiji special. The local staff will guide you through your first step of cultural understanding as you participate in this ceremony. Drinking kava while watching the sunset from our huge deck with new friends will be a perfect end to your first day in Fiji. This is an experience you can only have in Fiji.
Day 04 and 05 – Thursday and Friday
The Fijian People and Your Projects
Thursday will be your first full day of service work! Rustic Pathways has developed a wonderful relationship with the local people of Momi Bay and the larger Nadi area. Project work during the course of your program will involve participation in a variety of initiatives. You can expect to spend time working in the local schools, tutoring students in English, getting involved with afternoon sporting events and facilitating much needed art and music classes. In addition, you might be singing songs and creating crafts at local kindergartens or orphanEdad while learning new games that the Fijian children love to play.
Our services extend beyond the children; we teach computer literacy classes to people of all Edad who would not have access to this information otherwise. Other projects involve repairs and maintenance to school buildings, construction of new amenities or upgrading present facilities. You may also spend a day at the local hospital or one of the rural nursing stations to help disperse medical donations, teach the locals about hygiene, dental care and general medical issues. If you love the outdoors you will be able to help preserve the marine life and coral coast through environmental projects with local Fijians. Your service will be varied, interesting, challenging and extremely rewarding and worthwhile.
While you will have a diversified range of service activities you will also focus on cultural exchange through soccer. This might take the form of coaching a local team, training students at a Nadi primary school, competing against a village or high school soccer team or joining pick up games at the local eco-lodge.
In addition to soccer, you will participate in some of the beautiful natural wonders Fiji has to offer. From surfing down sand dunes to soaking in the natural hot springs or jumping into a pool of mud, no afternoon is dull. At the Eco Lodge we host meke performances (indigenous Fijian dances) and Indo-Fijian cultural nights where you can learn about the large Indian culture that exists in Fiji. We keep your afternoons full of the exotic beauty that makes Fiji a top tourist destination while providing you the opportunity to learn about the culture that created it.
Day 06 and 07 – Saturday and Sunday
Work and Wander this Weekend!
During the weekend you will participate in large group Servicio comunitario projects. Generally, work on Saturday or Sunday mornings will involve projects that enable us to complete tasks at schools while students are not in their classrooms or larger projects that involve a whole village or community. Many of the local adults are able to participate and get involved after meeting their job obligations during the course of a normal working week.
This freedom from work or school allows us the opportunity to offer an official game of soccer with a local Fijian school or village. This game can take place either at the Rustic Momi Base soccer field, a local village or school! It is an exciting game for both sides and a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange after the game!
After your morning of service and soccer there is the time for some touring and sightseeing along the coral coast in the late afternoon. Your group can determine the pace of the afternoon but it may include a few hours at a local beach to relax, swim, snorkel or perhaps even learn to surf. Other options include a stop in town to explore a Hindu temple, survey the open-air market for possible bargains and souvenirs or taking a class in local handicrafts. Your staff will know all the best sights and activities to fill up your day and will happily help you make the most of your afternoon.
When your group is not playing soccer or working on other service initiatives, your time will be spent enjoying the wonders that Fiji has to offer in whatever way that fits your mood! How you spend your free day is up to you. You can go swimming, snorkeling or surfing at our beautiful Natadola beach, explore paradise while island hopping, participate in amazing, adrenaline water sports, discover the world below us while scuba diving or discover the world above us while you sky dive! Get ready for a day you will never forget!
Days 07 to 09 – Monday and Tuesday
More Exciting Projects and Wonderful Cross-Cultural Participation!
During the next two days your focus will be on a variety of projects your group is undertaking for the week. Each morning you will break into small groups and concentrate on a new project for the day. At the conclusion of each afternoon’s work you will either participate in outdoor adventure, culture experiences or a fun, organized match of soccer with a local high school. Often all Rustic Pathway participants rush to these soccer matches to cheer on their friends. It is a great event for all students in Fiji! After the game there is time for refreshments with both teams. This is a perfect opportunity to get to know other Fijians your age interested in the same things you are.
Evenings are special at the Eco Lodge! They range from the ridiculous 80’s dance parties to quiet songs around the traditional kava circle. The staff will charm you into being outrageously silly or sincerely reflective. You will find that Fijians will inspire you to try both.
Tuesday nights are reserved for our weekly farewell ceremony. Even if you are connecting onto another program, you will be moved by this tradition. The evening ceremony gives you the opportunity to reflect on your experiences, lessons learned and say good bye to your new but very special friendships.
Day 10 – Wednesday
Moce “Goodbye”
Well your time in Fiji has flown by like a dream and you should now be truly entrenched in Fiji and what this easy-going island nation is all about. Today you can soak up some last rays of sunshine and shop for souvenirs. You will get the chance to explore town and the local handicraft market for gifts and reminders of your time in Fiji.
If you are departing to the USA tonight, after a final meal with your group, you travel to the airport and bid Fiji farewell (until next year perhaps). You will be escorted to LAX with a Rustic Pathways Flight leader.
For those students who are continuing to another Rustic Pathways program in Fiji or overseas, you will commence your next program this morning.
Extending your stay
Weeks Two, Three, Four and beyond….
Fiji has a way of seducing you and these islands have captivated many a visitor. Finding a place with the degree of friendliness that the locals possess, the natural beauty that this country exudes, melded with the easy-going and peaceful pace of life is wonderfully refreshing and incredibly enticing. Your staff will encourage you to enjoy all that Fiji has to offer and we hope that the quality and range of projects, personalities and activities you experience only make you want to stay longer!
The most popular option after a week of service is connecting onto a week of adventure or touring. This is a nice reward for a week of sincere service or perhaps you desire to serve continues to grow. Diversifying your next service location to the highlands or remote islands will only enhance your cultural understanding and experiences of adventure.
An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
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