Vanuatu II

 The next morning at 7.15 I started my trek around the island.  I'd asked Anok if it were possible to walk around the island and he told me it could be done but I would need to leave early so I could walk at low tide. Much of the western edge of the island was beaches and easy to walk on but

 on the eastern side the beaches were few and far between and I had to clamber up and over these rocky headlands on about three or four occasions.  My shoes weren't the greatest for climbing over wet basalt boulders but I was determined to walk the island so when I came to each headland I assessed it for the best route and then made my way slowly up and around each one.  I was pleased with my problem solving abilities actually.  I was having my own little Vanuatu Survivor experience.

 Two of the villages are situated on the eastern side of the island and this one was idyllic. The houses were set amongst pandanus and palms on clean white sand.

 Of course one of the highlights was finding this banded sea snake on the sand amongst some boulders.  These are reasonably common but it was my first.  Actually no it was my second. I once found some kids on a beach in Bali who had caught one and had somehow manage to slide it inside a plastic soft drink container.

 People on islands such as this one actually experience climate change in a much more direct way than those of us in the West, who, by and large, still talk about it in more abstract terms.  The sea level had noticeably risen on this island and the times when they grow certain vegetables has changed.  Part of the sea off this island was protected in a marine park and a program was underway to 'plant' more corals that had been lost to bleaching.

 I returned to Efate and then on the next day I took this cruise on the yacht, Coongoola, to Moso Island, yet another of the islands just off Efate.  This was a great day and we visited a turtle hatchery before going around to the other side of the island

 where we disembarked the yacht and boated over to this stunning beach where we had a BBQ lunch. Two snorkelling trips were made from this beach.  They boated us about 10 minutes to a coral reef which was just absolutely stunning!  It was literally like floating over a coral garden.  The colours of the corals were stunning and were similar to the amazing corals off Pemuteran on the northern coast of Bali.  But not so many fish...still lots but not as many as Pemuteran.  This is the island where Survivor Vanuatu was filmed - all three or four versions: Americam, English and French versions.

 And now just a few random pics of Port Vila.  The first is part of the huge vegetable and fruit market in the centre of town that operates pretty much 24/7 six days a week.  The stalls are mainly staffed by women who come in from surrounding villages on the island to sell their surplus. They sleep under the tables at night.

 This is Bosco, the guide who took me and three others on an 'ecotour' of some villages.  He was excellent - very good communicator with a great sense of humour.  He carried his bush knife (machete) with him of course.

 I was surprised to learn that Chinese immigration had taken place over the past few decades.  The Chinese own and run many if not most of the retail shops in Port Vila and according to the local ni-Van people, they tend to keep to themselves and not integrate into the community.

The Secret Garden contained lots of local custom stories including this one...not much more to be said, really......