奇妙岛屿 22

Major celebrations surround the giving and receiving of these prized assets.

And since the Toka only occurs once every three or four years,

everyone jumps at the chance to dress up.

The dancing goes on for three days.

Each village attempts to out-dance its neighbours in a display of friendly rivalry.

You could say this is Strictly Come Dancing, Vanuatu-style.

In the past, tribal rivalry was far more serious.

On this island, there were precious few wild animals to hunt.

Pigs would have been essential protein,

but if they died, perhaps through disease,

what else did the islanders have to eat?

The great-grandparents of these dancers were cannibals.

Life on an isolated Pacific island is eternally poised on a knife-edge.

Nowhere is this more apparent than on the single most remote island in the Pacific,

Easter Island.

This tiny speck of land has an extraordinary story to tell,

with new twists turning up still to this day.