Naviti Island, Fiji

So here I am on Naviti Island, and I’m a bit nervous. Today, I’ll be heading to Soso, a village in the interior of the island that still practices old Fijian traditions. The village is a chiefly village, which means it is where one of the many Fijian chiefs resides. Most chiefs claim heroic ancestry, usually from a famous warrior of yore, and the villages they inhabit are the best places to experience the ancient traditions of the Fijian people.

My first task before I arrive is to head to the local market and find a Kava root. It’s considered good etiquette to bring a bunch of these spindly, woody roots when expecting to enjoy traditional Fijian hospitality. My host will use it to prepare kava, a deeply important and symbolic drink Fijians use to welcome visitors, commemorate new relationships and formalise conciliations between members of the community who have fallen out.

Attending a kava ceremony is a great honour, especially for a foreigner. I enter through the low threshold of a bure, a traditional thatched house, stepping onto a floor covered with woven mats and a large hardwood bowl. The first thing I must do is the Sevusevu - I approach the chief (called ‘the leader’ during the ceremony) and present him with the Kava root, which is then taken, cleaned and pounded in the bowl before being mixed with water. I take my place and watch as coconut shells are filled with the strange liquid, then passed from person to person. Each time someone takes a drink, they clap once before and then three times afterwards. As my turn comes, I take a sip of the strange beverage, its earthy, bitter flavour numbs my mouth, and I instantly feel dizzy. It’s an acquired taste, I think.

I feel tired after the ceremony, but there’s work to be done. I head to a beach with some of the young men and spend an hour digging a great pit, then gathering large stones. Afterwards, someone lights a fire inside the pit and we place the stones inside it. Then, someone claps me on the shoulder and tells me to go and rest.

I decide to take a nap in a hammock strung between two palm trees. I wake up just as the sun is beginning to set, and spring to my feet. It’s past time to attend tonight’s feast. I hope I’m not late!

Tonight the village is putting on a Lovo feast, a traditional meal where the entire village comes together to eat, drink, dance and tell stories. It’s dark by the time I reach the beach. The area is illuminated by the flickering flames of torches. I see in the pit parcels of banana leaves, filled with all kinds of delicious foods: local yams, cassava, taro, pulsami, which are taro leaves stuffed with onions and coconut cream, as well as whole local fish caught in the reefs, flavoured with lime and coconut. We sit in a circle as the food is unwrapped, and the vegetables are smothered with Miti, a deliciously piquant coconut milk sauce. My favourite is the pulsami, with the rich coconut cream balanced deliciously by the onions and the sour notes of taro leaves. I eat four and don't regret it.

After dinner, now that it is totally dark, it’s time for the meke dance. The torches flicker, distorting the shadows of the dancers, and we sit in a circle, legs crossed.  The ancient mythology of these islands is acted out, the dancers telling the community’s stories, moving to the rhythm of the traditional drums and bamboo percussion, whilst the audience chants and claps. A local whispers the story in my ear as the performance reaches its climax. 

The Meke dance is a fascinating part of Fijian culture. If you want to learn more about it, please check out the Meke cultural spotlight, which you will have unlocked alongside this postcard.  (Watch on YouTube.)