Blogs from Santo, Vanuatu, Oceania - page 4

How many countries can you name beginning with V? A very geographically-minded 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 Vanuatu’s independence, two distinct political parties became the major candidates for the post-independence government. One of them, the Nanggriamel party, under the leadership of Jimmy Stevens, identified more with Custom; the other, the Vanu’aka party, under the leadership of Bishop Walter Lini, identified more with the Church. By the time the elections took place, missionaries had already been at work in Vanuatu for over a century and the Vanu’aka party won easily. It was, however, extremely unpopular in ... read more

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 R&R. The last few days I've had some interesting birds to watch. They were dive bombing the pool. At first I thought they were drinking but I think they were picking the bugs off the water. These are small, sparrow like birds. They are black with white tails. But I can't tell if they have the split tail of a sparrow or not. Anyway, it starts at one ... read more

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 jumping off a small bridge that was part of the "main" road. After the shade-covered river it was off to see a piece of World War II history, Pacific Theater style. But first we had to ask the local landowner's permission. He was a big man with dark skin, a completely bald head and a huge belly. He was ... read more

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 sit absolutely still and then go to sleep shortly after. So going out for kava is sort of an oxymoron. It makes you not care about anything, but you should care about things. But, with alcohol on the other hand, sometimes you care more strongly than when you are sober. That is if you haven't gone overboard. ... read more

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 by. I have seen one young child, about 5 years old, walk by with a machete that was bigger than he was. I feel I need to get back home to see what the future and “real life” will bring to me. But then again, sitting this grass-thatched hut seems so right. Paradise, a great place to think. “You talk ... read more