Milestones

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 31

Milestones

If you want to buy fruit from a roadside stall, don’t be dissuaded by the sight of small, greenskinned oranges. In fact, they are ripe, sweet, and refreshing. Last month oranges cost 10c for four from such a stall — half the price of those in the Suva market. ■ Hotels could be saved a lot of wear and tear if the management ensured that every room included one small, inexpensive item — a bottle opener. Many rooms are without that “indispensable” amenity. A desperate search for a makeshift opener always seems to lead to the bathroom door-latch frame which often reveals evidence that many thirsty former occupants have had the same problems. Frustrated owners of struggling pot plants can feel even more frustrated in Fiji, when confronted with the wild profusion and riotous health of the same species that needs such tender loving care at home. ■ But then, gardeners will

be gardeners. A European girl told us that her mother, who lives on a plantation island in Fiji, has constantly battled against the tropical odds to establish a worthy rose garden about her home — never mind the orchids, frangipani, bougainvillaea, or poinsettia which she could grow so easily and quickly. K Myna birds, which entertain tourists with their cheeky antics, do not amuse hotel staff who regard them (the birds) as pests. “The myna birds are so cheeky they’ll come into the dining room and steal the meal off your plate,” a friend in the hotel business told me. “The tourists feed the birds, which only encourages them. The birds are such a nuisance, we would really like to be able to shoot them, but you can just imagine the reaction of horror from the tourists for being so cruel to the ‘cute’ birds.” a Fiji, which relies heavily upon diesel oil for power generation, is very conscious of the energy situation. Visitors are constantly reminded by notices in hotel rooms to switch off unnecessary lights and appliances, a very small courtesy. ■ The most beautiful singing you could ever hope to hear rewards you if you attend a Fijian church service. At a Methodist church in the small village of Raki Raki, the travel editor heard a superb choir composed of Fijian men and women who obviously loved singing the traditional Wesleyan hymns. The church itself ■was far from beautiful —

it was in fact just a concrete shell, happily visited by frogs throughout the service. But the sound of such rich singing in such humble surroundings was an extremely moving experience. ■ A handy hint for travellers to the tropics — try a preparation that replaces body salt. On the advice of New Zealanders living in Fiji, I tried a lime-fla-voured, mineral/glucose formula called Staminade. I felt much more alert and energetic after taking it. The formula contains sodium, chloride, potassium, citrate, magnesium and sulphate. The New Zealand couple who swore by Staminade concurred that the benefits were felt immediately, and were real, not psychological.