If you've seen the new edition of Yachting magazine, then you know it contains my feature article about the fantastic couple of days I spent in Fiji aboard the 111-foot Alloy motoryacht VvS1. We visited the Mamanuca and Yasawa chains, where some people still live in homes that have thatched roofs, and where the night's starry skies seem incomprehensibly bright because the island villages have no lights of their own.

One of the things I did during this charter was attend a meke, which is a celebration performed for important visitors. (I guess VvS1's guests qualify!) The locals wear traditional garb such as grass skirts, and they perform rituals, chants, and songs for the better part of an hour. The meke begins somberly but ends joyously, with locals and guests dancing and singing as one. It is, perhaps, the most memorable cultural experience I've enjoyed during a decade of covering the yacht charter industry worldwide.

I was able to get the local chief's permission to videotape part of the meke, including one of the songs in its entirety. I hope you enjoy it in the video below, which also includes some of my photographs of the beautiful part of Fiji where VvS1 is available for charter.

Special thanks to management company 37 South for inviting me aboard VvS1 and making this experience possible.

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