FIJI’S HISTORIC NAVALA IS A STEP BACK IN TIME
SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Mar. 1) - They say when you visit Navala village in Fiji you feel like you are going back in time.
The village, in the interior of Ba Province [on the northwest coast of Fiji’s Viti Levu island], has a rich history, which the people are proud of.
Navala is a national heritage site. It is full of history and legends. One of them is about the caves overlooking the village.
Village elder Josefa Tubi, 69, said the caves, halfway up a steep mountain, were a refuge during tribal wars in the dark ages of Fiji's history. The caves are near the old village (koro makawa).
It was where the women and children hid while their men guarded outside.
Tubi said the caves were in a strategic location and anyone approaching could be seen.
When villagers moved to the present location, the caves became empty.
The caves became taboo ground. The only time people would go up the...