The Smells Of Paradise

To begin this post, I wish to dismiss a rumor.

Fiji is a beautiful, gorgeous, and scenic place. No one would deny that. Whenever someone who has not been to Fiji hears that you are going to Fiji, they most certainly and consistently react with the envious, "ooooh's" and "aaaaah's." Their image of the country is what they see and hear from the travel brochures and television.

But, Fiji is no idillic paradise. It is a very real country - with extremely good things, extremely bad things, and a whole lot of things in-between. One of the many, could-be-good, could-be-bad, but certain-to-be-memorable things about Fiji are the smells. They are one of the first things that greets newcomers at the Nadi International Airport.

Flowers, trees, and flowering shrubs bloom year round in Fiji. Their aroma fills the air with a sweetness that is heavenly. This lushly green environment is a gardener's dream. Walter Reeves would have a field day in Fiji.

In addition, the freshness of the trade winds makes the air virtually free of the pollutants and smog that are common in the states. The skies are not hazy, and with there being little if any ozone, there is a brightness that seems to accentuate even the smells of this greatly unique place.

To complete the bouquet of the pleasant smells, the salty breezes from off the Pacific give the island a, well, truly island smell. It is different from anything I have ever experienced at home. The air is similar in Florida, on the California coast, and certainly in the Carribbean. But still, there is a difference.

These things combined create a package aroma that stays in your head (or perhaps, more accurately, the nostrils) long after you've left the island. It is the thing that pops first into your memory whenever even a remotely similar smell comes along.

Now, for the other side of the nose.

Fiji is a third world country. Hygiene is not an item found on every corner. A LOT of the population doesn't bathe regularly. And, perfume is used, but not in every bedroom and bathroom. B.O. is a common quality, especially among Fijian men. I have written elsewhere about the, "Fijian Funk." It is real. And, it is really bad. Some have claimed that the more "ripe" a Fijian man smells, the greater his masculinity (and thus, his esteem among others in his circle of friends, family, and other associates). If that is true, then I have personally been in the presence of some of the most revered men in all of the Fiji Islands.

Neither Indians nor Fijians are known for being the cleanest people on the planet. Some streets in Fiji are dirty, some sidewalks and store fronts are too. There is dust from the gravel pot hole patches on the roads. And, there are stray dogs everywhere. In the villages, neighborhoods, and other areas of housing, there is no Fijian H.O.A. Code enforcement regarding the things that people keep, grow, or do in their yards is non-existent.

And then, there are the Indians.

The Hindi (or Hindu) religion teaches reincarnation. But, not just any form of reincarnation. Cows are sacred to Indians because they believe that their dead relatives come back as cows. And so, there are cows everywhere. Especially where Indian families live. They will have a cow tied in the front or back yard somewhere near the house. This is their way of allowing the dearly departed to come back home again. And, just in case you haven't been out in the country in a while, cows reek. I have wondered about the reasons why Indians smell so bad. Could it be that they practice regular group hugs with their dead relatives. Heaven forbid that it might go even farther than that.

Too, butcher shops in Fiji do not refrigerate their meat. You can walk by a butcher shop in Fiji and be instantly overcome with the pungent odor of a pig's head lying on the front counter. The flies love it. And, no one seems to want to stand in the way of the flies getting their fair share of the pig. And, since fish are plentiful, any average Fijian Joe can go down to the wharf, catch a string full of salt-water fish, and find a place on the side of the road to "peddle" them to passers-by. As the heat of the day increases, so does the smell of the fish on the stringer. The peddler will fan them to keep them cool, and occasionally douse them with sea water. But, nothing makes them ripen like the hot Fijian sun. Mmmmmm. Smell those stinky fish.

In any case, once you have smelled Fiji, you never forget Fiji. You don't go there strictly for the smells, and Fiji is not a scratch and sniff experience. But again, there are few other places like it.

Hold on to your nostrils, o ye faint of heart.