Time for a Meke
28 September 2010 | Mokagai, Fiji
After the first climb up the steep hill, Patrick set up one of our old ropes as a handhold to go up the steepest and slipperiest part of the trail. All the researchers and the villagers thanked him for that, as did I! He took endless pictures that week which I made into a movie for the chief, complete with captions and music. We hope it worked on their DVD player! One picture he did no get though was the sunset he rushed the chief and another elder far out in the anchorage, in the dinghy, to see. It was a perfectly clear, cloudless evening. Just as the top edge of the sun slipped behind the horizon, the green appeared. The most vivid "green flash" hung there for nearly two seconds right on the horizon. In reality it is a green speck but certainly one of the best that can be hoped for. The chief was amazed he had lived all his life and only now saw it with his eyes.
The chief invited us to be special guests at a "meke" they were having for a boat load of diver/tourists who were coming into the anchorage that evening. A meke is native dancing and entertainment in honor of the visitors. When we arrived dressed in our finest cloths well in advance of the tourists and were seated on the side of the communal room with the villagers whose faces were becoming very familiar to us.