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vanuatu - the friendly face of the pacific.

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devinhunt


Joined: Dec 02
Points: 196
Posts: 8


Posted: 2002-12-06 01:53:00   

I felt like a complete twat when I turned up at Brisbane Airport a few weeks ago to discover that my flight to Vanuatu had been cancelled. Being a travel consultant, I should have had the common sense to reconfirm my flight but as I hadn't done so, a pointless trip to the airport was the consequence. It turned out that one of Air Vanuatu's planes had made an emergency landing in Sydney the day before, meaning that their entire fleet had been grounded until further notice. Margot, my crazy friend and travelling companion for this trip, managed to see the funny side of things though so we jumped on the Airtrain and headed back into Bris Vegas. When we finally got off the ground the following evening, we noticed that the air crew were being very generous with the free alcohol during the two hour flight to Port Vila. Margot and I therefore rolled into Bauerfield Airport in Port Vila just after midnight, full of piss after making the most of the free grog on the plane. We grabbed our backpacks, staggered through customs and caught a bus to Mele Village, where a boat transferred us to a little place called Hideaway (Mele) Island. This was where we'd planned to spend the first two nights of our stay in Vanuatu and by the looks of things, we'd made the right decision in going there. Hideaway Island is only fifteen minutes from central Port Vila and is the definition of paradise in my eyes. Dotted with palm trees and beachfront bungalows, the tiny island is surrounded by crystal clear water and vast expanses of coral reef, which is just teaming with colourful marine life. After breakfast in the resorts' beachfront restuarant the following morning, Margot and I donned flippers and masks to go for a snorkel. The best snorkelling around Port Vila is said to be off Hideaway Island and after paddling around for a while, it wasn't hard to see why. Just across the water from Hideaway Island are the Mele-Maat Cascades. Mags and I went to explore them one afternoon and were completely blown away by the breath-taking series of crystal-clear pools which are dominated by a 20 metre high waterfall. Set in amongst thick tropical rainforest and the subsistence farms of the local Ni-Vanuatu people, the visit to the cascades was possibly the highlight of my stay in Vanuatu. The next couple of days were spent in the very laid back Port Vila, lodging at the small and very friendly Luron Guesthouse. A lot of our time in Vila was spent exploring the local markets, where you could buy anything from fruit bats to coconut crabs and yams to local arts and crafts. Whilst in the markets we sampled the national dish called Lap-Lap, which is a bland combination of yams and chicken wrapped in banana leaves. It tasted pretty awful and although we felt obliged to try it, I wouldn't go back for seconds. The nightlife in Port Vila isn't anything to rave about as most clubs close their doors early and are rarely full of people. The best places to go out in Vila would have to be Smugglers Bar and The Office Pub, or Le Flamingoes and The Mamu Bar if you're really desperate. The local beer is called Tusker and isn't a bad drop, however the price of drinks in Vanuatu is quite steep. I found Vanuatu to be a fairly expensive destination to visit actually, which may explain why Margot and I were the only true backpackers we saw during our time there. Most of the foreigners that we met were either aide workers, yachties, fat Americans and Aussie yobbos who'd sailed in on cruise ships or starry-eyed couples on their honeymoon. A trip to Vanuatu is worth every cent though so even if you're paying extortionate prices for some things, you won't be disappointed with what you get in return. Hitch-hiking around Vanuatu is nearly impossible, as Margot and I found out whilst attemting to thumb our way around the main island of Efate. With our backpacks weighing us down, we hiked along a pot-holed road for what seemed like miles before somebody gave us a lift - and even then we were charged for the ride. We weren't too fussed about where we ended up so were dropped off at a secluded beach in the middle of nowhere, before finding a clearing in some pandanus trees to pitch our tent. Buying food outside of Port Vila is virtually impossible as people in the villages are self sufficent and grow everything that they eat. Not being prepared for this, we were soon hungry and dehydrated so decided to hitch back to Port Vila the following day. We waited at the side of the road for more than three hours before a truck stopped to pick us up, although a game of frisbee with some locals seemed to pass the time. The lack of traffic on the roads outside the capital city was incredible and we were very lucky to have gotten a ride at all. We'd been anxious to try the local alcoholic beverage known as kava, so headed to a small kava bar when we got back to Vila. Kava bars, or 'nakamals' as they are known, are difficult to find if you don't know what to look for as few are signposted and many are located down poorly lit side streets. Look for little lanterns hanging outside buildings or tin sheds if you're in search of a nakamal as these are a good indication that kava is being served inside. We turned up at Ronnie's Nakamal just after dark, asked for permission to enter and were soon warmly welcomed by the Ni-Vanuatu men who were drinking there. The Kava in Vanuatu is made from the root of the intoxicating pepper shrub and although it looks and tastes like muddy water, it's very cheap and can affect your body and mind in very strange ways. If you hold your nose and drink it quickly you'll be feeling rather sedated in no time at all. After downing just one shell of the foul-tasting drink, my face went numb and I began to giggle uncontrolably. After a few more shells I was having trouble walking as I couldn't feel my legs, my arms felt as heavy as lead and my eyes were playing tricks on me. Margot, who'd drink her own piss if it got her shitfaced, skulled one shell after another and was completely trashed before too long. Drinking kava is a predominantly male ritual so the local men were quite taken back by this little white girls ability to drink like a fish. Although it was recommended that we drink no more than three of four shells of kava, Mags knocked back eight and was on another planet before she knew it. Kava makes you feel more stoned than pissed and the best thing is that you'd don't get a hangover the next day. I was up early the following morning to head back to the Mele-Maat Cascades and Mele-Maat village to have a better look around this very picturesque part of Efate Island. It's very important that you get permission to enter villages in Vanuatu, whether this is granted by the chief or by one of the people that live there. The houses were very simple - with dirt floors, corrugated iron walls and thatched roofs. It was very poor but still beautiful in a rustic, island kind of way. I was given frangipani and hibiscus flowers by the fuzzy-haired Melanesian children and the older members of the community were more than happy to show me around their village, and give me an insight into the Ni-Vanuatu way of life. Some of the villagers even invited me into their house to watch them prepare for a wedding that was being held that afternoon. I helped one of the men feed his pigs, which were to be slaughtered shortly afterwards in order to feed the wedding guests. He was probably one of the more affluent villagers as large pigs such as his were considered a status symbol amongst the Ni-Vanuatu. I left Mele-Maat for Port Vila a couple of hours later, where I met back up with Margot to catch a minibus to Erakor Lagoon. Erakor Lagoon and the island which bears the same name is on the outskirts of Vila and is well worth a visit. A free ferry takes you to the island, which has some good beaches, a low-key resort and a very interesting open-air church on it. The palm tree lined lagoon is a popular fishing spot for local anglers, who can be seen paddling around in their outrigger canoes or checking the fish traps that have been set by the beach. After relaxing in the sand for the remainder of the afternoon, we returned to Port Vila to witness a magnificent sunset over the Pacific Ocean. It was a wonderful way to end our stay in Vanuatu, a friendly, diverse and culturally rich place that I'll certainly be returning to in the not too distant future.

---
"what a long strange trip it's been...."


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