The young man became aware of our presence and turned his intense gaze toward us. The man waved back, but without a smile. We were making progress. Adhering to the rule of kapu, we quickly left his property and continued our hike. Brian walked in front, creating deep, sticky holes with his boots for my sandaled feet to follow.
Long vines wove from tree to tree, creating a spindly tunnel of Banyan and palm.
Breaks in the vegetation revealed views of the wide taro fields, farms and marshlands in the belly of the valley. At these openings, we d stop to admire the landscape for as long as we could stand the mosquitoes which came needling into our bodies each time we stood still. Locals must be immune to these bugs.