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The last three days I have spent on another island of Vanuatu called Tanna. Well actually my first plan was to go by boat to another island called Esperitu Santo. But the engine broke and instead of the planned ten hour trip it would take at least twenty hours or more. Hearing stories of other travellers staying for thirty hours in the middle of the ocean made me cancel that trip. So I decided to go to Tanna and that turned out to be a very good decision. I was the only visitor at the place I was staying. It was run by a local family and one of the ‘chiefs’ eighteen year old son was running it. Like most of the times when I go somewhere I don’t book in advance but just show up and ask if there is accomodation available. Plans can change and it always turns out better than expected. It is just part of the adventure. I found a guy with a 4wd car who was pleased to take me there. When I showed up the family was welcoming me with some flowers and showed me my hut. It is so spacious that I think at
least six people could sleep there and they had more huts. The ‘chief’ of the family told the price and I am sure that with his charisma everyone would agree and would’t argue about it. So I agreed. I was the only guest at the moment. It really felt like a retreat. Being on an island all by myself and with the hunting sounds of the local people in the background when I woke up. By the way my hut was on top of a small crater that is now not longer active. That made the atmosphere even more special. The chief’s son showed me many special places in the area and told about their ‘kastom’ (their belief) and habits of the family. Near the area where I stayed I saw some steam caves. They are big holes in the ground with steam coming out. And I went for a walk through nature. You have to do it with a guide, in my case the son of the chief, because every part of the bush belongs to someone and you just can’t enter it just by yourself. They believe their ancestors live in these caves. But the main highlight of
my visit was seeing the vulcano. It was an hour walk and straight uphill to the crater. When you enter the vulcano it is like a moonlandscape. All rocks and grey vulcano sand. A different world. From on the top I could see the crater spitting it’s lava. It was the best fireworks I have ever seen. So amazing. You feel so little being up there with natures forces. Every five minutes there was a bang and the vulcano was spitting it’s glowing rocks in the air.
I tried not to mingle to much with the family because sometimes I felt a bit like an intruder walking around and looking what they were doing. The weather was good the days I stayed because the chief made sure with his magic that it would no rain can appear I heard. It was especially important because later that week there was going to be a circumcision ceremony being held and for the feast you need good weather. But there had to be enough Kava and Pigs before the ceremony can start as well. So that is the beginning of a big hunt. When you walk through the bush you see the men
walking around with their big machetta knives. Even children who are just four years old cary one. I heard it is important that they learn handling the knifes when they are young. The last evening they gave me a very nice local goodbye dinner. When I had to leave I felt a bit sad leaving this peacefull place with the sounds of the roaring vulcano, the beautifull nature with it’s many birds and the wind going through the trees, just like if they want to tell you something. But on the other hand it is nice to go on again.
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marjoleine
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What an inspiring story; you share the peace of the island with the whole world without disturbing it......how beautiful....