I needed something to do so one of the things I opted for was a tour of the highlands. I wanted to experience something natural and cultural. This was not what I wanted. Yes, there was culture, but I thought I’d go into the forest or something. Instead, I saw some of the slash and burn agriculture that was prevalent in Fiji. The village we went to was interesting. I think to the eyes of the Japanese and Chinese visitors I was with, the village seemed poor, but when I saw it, given the context of the land they had, I really don’t think they thought of themselves as poor. They lived by a different standard.
A traditional style bure. It had been damaged by a cyclone and was waiting for repairs. The weeds growing up the sides of the bure are mile-a-minute, a noxious weed.
I found the bure most interesting. In constructing the bure, the central post was critical, it symbolized the whole village. In order to protect the central post, and by extension the village, two warriors willingly sacrificed their lives, their bodies embracing the post. It makes me wonder how, in these modern times, they are going to deal with reconstruction should the pillar ever be damaged. Will somebody sacrifice themselves? One has to wonder.
