http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Vanuatu , Santo en-us Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:42:28 +0000 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:42:28 +0000 Travelblog July Part 4ldquoIf you come across an 30 inch tall naked infant that is holding a 36 inch blade vertically over his head as he stares you in the face and cries his little eyes out in fearhellipyou may be in Sulemari Village.rdquo On our first night in Sulemari the boys in our team went to the river to have a swim and wash the road dirt from our backs. On our return to the villa http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-452765.html Travelblog July 2009 Part 3On our first day in the Pareo Valley our team split forces. One group headed up the steep North side of the valley to survey the villages there while another group stayed on the valley floor for the villages there. Another group yet stayed with our newly laid camp. The hike up the North side of the valley is a very steep climb. The distance as the crow flies is less than http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-452763.html So one little thing that happened during this first bit of the month involved a wayward canoe. I'd almost forgotten about it until the photo popped up in one of the other volunteer's picture caches. On our second day out of Luganville we were motoring up the coast to Wusi in a water taxi. Near the end of our trip I spied a dugout canoe floating idly off the shore. There was nobody in the canoe and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-424854.html All volunteers assembled we were ready to head off. Some had come before others but time was of the essence and much training was to be done on the fly. We had a firebuilding seminar on the beach the day before leaving and the camp pots had been broken in. The volunteers were fit the hikes ahead were rough and thankfully the maps were still dry.Before we drove off into the sunset and away fro http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-421916.html Travel Blog 624 Luganville.Itrsquos businesshellipItrsquos business timehellipldquoThatrsquos why they call them business sockshelliprdquo I arrived in Luganville yesterday morning after two weeks in Port Vila taking care of business. I donrsquot actually own business socks but I did bring along a single shirt that would be appropriate to wear in an office. Let me tell you i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/Luganville/blog-412354.html i came home from a looong day at work and find this waiting on the island in the larson kitchen to my pleasant surprise enjoy b27 December 2008 While you at home are enjoying what we might deem as a traditional holiday season Justin and I are celebrating the season island style. This year our Christmas tree was a coconut palm decorated with paper ornaments and snowflakes. We had quite http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-367493.html The first full day in Vunap had two projects running. First off the doctors held a clinic day in the village which served more than a score of patients. Several surrounding villages sent people to see the doctors as well which was nice. We didnrsquot think that the word of our presence would travel so fast but apparently it spread like wildfire. Like in Jereviu there was a scabies problem in http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-337517.html Once back on Alvei we found out that the ship had been stuck out at sea for two days due to heavy weather. Unfortunately the Clinic team never made it to the Tasiriki dispensary while the Mobile team was trekking through the mountains. Strong headwinds from the South pushed against the ship forcing them to sail out to sea. As they tacked back and forth through the gale they made little headway b http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-337489.html Well everyone the expeditions in Espirito Santo were quite a lot of fun as well as being great successes. We started out from Luganville with a few setbacks a full hold of medicine and three teams of doctors. The Clinic Team was comprised of Sara a midwife from the states Anish a med student from Oxford Nina a British doctor based in New Zealand Rosie the Kiwi 2nd mate of SV Alvei and H http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-336291.html How many countries can you name beginning with V A very geographicallyminded person could possibly come up with four or five but it is unlikely that any more than a handful of people would name Vemarana because as a country it only existed for three months from June until August in 1980.In the years leading up to Vanuatursquos independence two distinct political parties became the major cand http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-318822.html We sailed out of Port Vila on the 25th after an awesome day. We spent a day sailing along north along the Vanuatuan archipelago towards the island of Ambrym the centre of black magic and sorcery in the area with two active volcanoes. The people are really christian but still practice lots of ceremonies and superstitions. Apparently they were still practicing cannabalism in the 1970's. Its crazy http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/Luganville/blog-214827.html Getting ready to leave Vanuatu for Australia. Though we have been saying that for a week. Yes we have spent a week here at Aore Resort in Luganville. Paul has been doing some cool dives on the wreck the USS Coolidge. I sank here during WWII hit a friendly mine.Me I've been doing bugger all since getting here. Mostly sitting around the pool getting some much needed RR. The last few days I' http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-84227.html Yesterday we went down to the school beach where we had a relaxing float around South Pacific Style. We played with coconuts in their various stages even a little coconut baseball. I feel I'm thinking clearer. I don't know if itrsquos the South Pacific or what but I like where I'm at right now. I can't believe that its Christmas time. I keep listening to my Christmas carols to keep myself in t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-54933.html Hello world. It's another day on Vanuatu. Today we went on a bush walk around Matevulu. We just grabbed some stuff together and took off. As we set off on our journey we passed by the farm. We stopped to say hello and my friend told them in Bislama where we were going. Our first stop was a crystal clear river. We jumped right in. About a hundred yards away there were some local kids playing and ju http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-54707.html Well I think I'm a little burnt out on travel. I just don't care about getting out and seeing things anymore. We missed the bank today and as a result we have roughly 20 between the two of us for the weekend. I guess a little belt tightening will be in order.It's a little strange that my southern hemisphere adventure is winding to a close but I'm not sure I would want to go back next year espec http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-51979.html Kava is annoying. Thus begins my rant. Straight off the bat it tastes and smells foul. So you definitely aren't drinking it for the taste. Now on to the effects. It just deflates you. You just accept life. But it is a false acceptance because you get a feeling that nothing matters. And that is so far from the truth. And also kava serves to put an end to the night. The only thing you want to do is http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-45596.html The truck ride yesterday was awesome. After saying our goodbyes in Metandis we rode back to Matevulu in the back of a pickup with four NiVan locals. We were in the highland rainforest weaving in and out with each bend of the dirt road. It was raining. The palm forests were magical. And then all of a sudden I slipped into this higher plane type of consciousness. I was hearing Melanesian music lou http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-45378.html I sit here this morning looking out the window at coconut palms. I can hear the waves of the South Pacific Ocean crash in the distance. I am aware of a nostalgic island smell on this gray day on Santo. I am very much at peace and yet I still let things bother me. Like missed opportunities and the inevitable sting that comes from thinking about what might have been.Two chickens and a villager walk http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-33529.html I was a little bummed out to start the day. Could have been the Larium. But as were driving to the Big Bay village of Sara I got a boost of excitement. Here I was stepping into a totally foreign environment with islanders and the everpresent cows just ambling along the road.Once at our destination we got out into a village of grass thatched huts the whole thing. The villagers were very welcoming http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-32118.html Well I think it is Monday. Time doesnrsquot seem to exist here. It is really cool here in Vanuatu. It is amazing how different it is and yet very familiar all at the same time. Last night my friend and I went over to Augustinersquos house. Augustine is a really chilled out NiVan guy who lives on the school grounds. At his house we did the whole kava thing.Irsquove already done kava at a lo http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Vanuatu/Santo/blog-31802.html