http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Vanuatu en-us Tue, 21 May 2013 12:56:45 +0000 Tue, 21 May 2013 12:56:45 +0000 In which our heroes arrive to a nonwestern country become guests in a local parish backpack to a remote island and twice try to get stoned but are unsuccessful. If you drill a hole through the earth from Israel you will emerge in the South Pacific. The closest land to that point will be a one of the most remote islands in the world the small island of Rapa Iti in French Polynesia. In my mid http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Efate/blog-756012.html Tales of unique religious practices have emanated from Tanna Island for decades a place where seemingly mortal humans are accorded divine status. There is the Prince Philip movement which worships the Duke of Edinburgh but far more popular is the John Frum movement where their figure of veneration is a US Marine. Since I am drawn to observing different religions it was inevitable that my jo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Tanna/blog-752862.html 7 October 2012 Sunday. Sea day which was pretty much as described previously.8 October 2012 Monday. We arrived in Port Vila Vanuatu at breakfast time. Vanuatu is another of those South Pacific Islands favored by The Survivor reality TV show which Linda and I have followed since the first season. Vanuatu used to be called New Hebrides the name given it by Captain Cook when he arrived in th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/blog-749660.html The afternoon arrival at Tanna Islands modest airport commenced a quest that was as astonishing as it was exhilarating a journey to view Mount Yasur claimed to be the worlds second most active volcano with its constant Strombolian eruptions. The offroad vehicle drove along the deeply potholed and creviced road that caused all occupants to rattle around as we bumped and bounced our way http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Tanna/blog-745185.html Sifting as a result of so numerous options today when it comes to smartphones pc laptops tablets visitors and so forth. can grow to be extremely time consuming. There are numerous tablets being produced recently in purchase to contend with other brands39 reading gadgets tablets and netbooks. In can be tough not only to pick which attributes are most critical as effectively as personplea http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/Luganville/blog-711243.html So you39ve broken your iPhone... This was most very likely a gut wrenching quick particularly exactly where you pulled it out of your pocket in a blaze technique as perhaps you generally do only to drop it onto the flooring and wince as it shatters and you are left with cracked iPhone glass. Or most likely you handed it to a buddy who was employing it only to drop it unused as they are to t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Malekula/blog-710179.html Regardless of whether you like cricket or without a doubt adore it holding up with this a long time Ashes in Australia can be challenging if items these kinds of as getting a career or a relatives everyday living hold finding in the way. With the Check matches taking put in the center of evening for us about in the Uk many cricket enthusiasts are being forced to choose between a sleepless night http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Tanna/blog-710133.html For Android applications development the initial thing to check out that the features and encounter of the Android applications developers. It is apparent that the a lot more experience human being carries the increased expectation and will be ready to supply expected remedy in offered time frame.Generally men and women who are making use of phones which use a operation program may possibly be h http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Moso/blog-709884.html So we were up early for the drive to the Brisbane airport from Kingaroy....5am early which was way to early for Me and Shoni. A quick stop for some brekky and it was off to the car parking place and then off to book in for our flights to Vanuatu. So we got there a bit early but hey it39s better to be early than late noone likes anyone who is late to get on the plane. Take off in the sk http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/blog-691989.html Today39s shore excursion is to Champagne Bay which is situated on the East coast of Vanuatu39s largest island Espiritu Santo. This is Spanish for Holy Spirit and was first sighted by Europeans in 1606 when the Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandez de Quiros landed at Big Bay west of Champagne Bay. The beach has fine white sand and this fringes forests and mountains. 200 residents live http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Espiritu-Santo/blog-679472.html Wala Island is a small island paradise in the north east of Vanuatu. It has 323 inhabitants who make a living out of the copra and cocoa crops as well as some beef cattle which are mostly on other nearby islands. Tourism is an add on with 3 or more cruise boats a week anchoring off the 150 foot deep water anchorage only 500 metres off the island.Many of the people today came from the nearby island http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Malekula/blog-679469.html Shore day in Port Vila Vanuatu. This is the capital and on the island of Efate the south west of the group of islands formerly known as The New Hebrides as named and chartered by Captain Cook. A small capital of around 30000 people from a mix of nationalities with the principal language of Bislama pidgin type of language English and French. In the harbour lies the island of Iririki which has http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Efate/Port-Vila/blog-679449.html No new year hangover for me but think Martin39s bottle of Sake may have had an effect. Little slow to start this morning for both of us. Mystery Island is our shore trip today which is in the southern end of the islands that form Vanuatu. It is uninhabited as the local people from the nearby island of Aneityum consider it taboo. There is a landing strip on the island used in WW2 for the allied http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/blog-679326.html Getting a good nights sleep in the bush is always a tricky thing. Depending on ones level of jetlag adjusting to an early bedtime can be difficult. When there isnt much in the way of electricity after the sun goes down and your day begins at sunrise the prospect of staying up past 7pm seems like a tremendous feat. Once you do get to bed it can be difficult finding the proper body p http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/Luganville/blog-637667.html Well everyoneits been a month since the last entry and a great deal has taken place. Of greater significance however is what has NOT taken place. Please try to remember folks this is Vanuatu and we firstworlders need to be able to roll with the punches. If youre not interested in the dreary prose heres the short versionThe construction of the Sele Clinic is being put on hold at http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/Luganville/blog-636541.html I39ve dragged myself to write today39s blog and yesterdays blog for what I can remember of it well most of it was spent in the office so not much to sayI think there will be more periods where i39m just unable to write a blog every night mainly due to being too tired or just too busy. So I might do it every other day or so. Yesterday 190811 consisted of waking up at 6am again n http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Efate/Port-Vila/blog-636078.html Well where to start.. maybe waking up at 430am My own fault really going to sleep at 7pm. I can never sleep long these days for some reason shows i39m ageing I suppose I snacked out on a few things on waking up and went back to bed I then had a really deep sleep and awoke to my alarm at 6. I wanted to make a good impression being right on the dot for work for when the geohazard office o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/blog-635581.html So today I touched down in Vanuatu 17th Aug it39s some time in the evening here... must remember to change time on my phone. I feel like i39ve been travelling for years. It was so good to finally have a shower and brush my teeth after finally putting my bags down.Flight from London to Dubai went fine. Dubai to Brisbane was fine I just didn39t remember how long it took.. it went on fore http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Efate/Port-Vila/blog-635352.html Hello again everyone Today I find myself back in Port Vila in the hospitality of good friends and familiar faces. Project MARC39s 2011 season will officially kick off in a couple weeks but Dr. Hilbert and I are here early for prep and planning of our August expedition. Keep up with us here for further updates on our progress with the expeditions or follow us on Twitter for blurbs from the bus http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Efate/Port-Vila/blog-627782.html Turtles turtles everywhere The Kustom owners at Chrystal Blue Lagoon sure know a great location when they see it. We spent the day out there and discovered a turtle hatchery full of very cute little babies. We swam and snorkled in the lagoon and got up close and personal with lots of colourful sealife. Exhausted and ready to eat the overwater restaurant was calling. Friendly staff happily prep http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Efate/blog-594725.html