Playing With Knives

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EPI
Epi is an island lying north of Efate almost equal in size, but much less developed. It has a population of about 5000. There is one Australian couple living full time on Epi, otherwise the only visitors it has are youth aid project workers, missionaries, the odd backpacker (rarely) and occasional visitors off yachts that moor in the bays. There are a number of traditional villages dotted all along the coastline, living a simple life based on traditional Kastoms. There are no TVs, a few villages have a telephone, one of the schools has some computers, and only very few of the villages have generators providing power in the evenings. There are only 9 vehicles (Toyota trucks) on the whole island. Each village has a chief that decides on all matters including crime and punishment. In the years before Independence (1980), there were many more French and English living on the island and there were more plantations. Now only a few coconut plantations remain. Much of the island is jungle and mountainous, but the land is richly fertile, and the villages are self sufficient. The main language is Bislama, with different dialects spoken from village to village, English and French are also taught at school, if they can afford to go.

We chose to visit Epi because we wanted to get off the tourist trail and experience untouched island life, it was reported to have the best surf in Vanuatu, and because it was possible to swim with dugongs (sea cows - similar to manatees) in Lamen bay, and snorkel over beautiful coral beds. We booked a flight into Valesdir in the south of the island and a flight out of Lamen Bay in the north. We really wanted to only visit the north as it was difficult to get around, and all the main attractions were there. Unfortunately, the Lamen Bay flight was full, so to Valesdir it was. There were only 3 places to stay on the island, and we chose Lamen Bay village at bungalows run by Tasso and Milani - the ‘Paradise Sunset’. We were able to phone ahead and let them know we were coming, and they promised to send a truck for us, but if they couldn’t - not to worry as we could arrange one ourselves. At that point we had no idea what we were letting ourselves into and had no idea that there were only 9 trucks on the whole island. We had plans to flag down a bus outside the airport! Silly really.

Anyway, I’ll get back to that - firstly we had to catch our plane from Port Vila. It was an 18 seater (tight fit) twin otter. This is a very small plane (check out the photos). The airport experience was great, no security checks, no questions, no X ray machines, just jump on the plane when it’s ready with the live chickens in a bag - all weighed and given a luggage label. The pilot leant out of the cockpit to give us some info about flight time and we were off, up and away, catching a fab view over the reefs and volcanoes as we went. We were still a little nervous with our new found fear of flying, but this was fun. We came into land on a grass runway, complete with some kids and dogs running towards the plan as it touched down. The airport was literally a tiny concrete hut. We were dropped off, with some difficulty in retrieving the surfboard from the tiny luggage hold, and away the plane went again.

We had that sinking feeling of ‘oh dear what have we done?’……. All that was around us was a small group of men carrying very large knives, a few rabid looking dogs, no houses, buildings and definitely no truck to meet us. It was only an hour or so before it was dark, what were we going to do? We asked the local knife wielding men if they knew where we could catch a truck, with a laugh they replied….the next village has a truck, but ‘no one will take you tonight’, oh dear….I started to imagine what it would be like sleeping in the jungle or walking 20-30kms along the track to Lamen Bay……anything to keep the impending fear away, and why did the men need such large machetes? They informed us that we should not stay at the airport and that we should follow them….It turned out that our decision not to go to PNG was a good one, as had this situation occurred there I would have been sure I would not survive the next hour or so. These guys were great, they told us there was a guesthouse owned by the Australians just 1 km away and they would show us the way, and we could arrange a truck from there in the morning. On the way we asked what the knives were for. They found our fear amusing, and replied ‘everyone in Epi carries a knife when they go out walking’, even the smallest children. It is in case they come across a wild animal they want to kill or to chop a coconut down or a chop path through the bush - obviously.

Anyway, after a 15min walk we arrived at a beautiful idyllic wooden house on its own patch of beach with a small farm. We surprised the owners Alex and Rob (Crapper - and he is a plumber!!) as they were currently enjoying a quiet period at the guesthouse, until we descended of course. They welcomed us in and fed us and arranged a truck for the next day. It was a pleasure meeting them, they had many stories to tell. They were hippies who had wanted a different life for themselves and their kids so moved to Epi over 10 years ago and had built the house all themselves with the help of locals and using all local parts, and they were completely self sufficient with their own hydroelectric supply. It was a fascinating place. But it was on the pricey side, but we had no choice and enjoyed the experience. It was a little touch of unexpected luxury.

The next morning our truck arrived early to take us on the 2 hours journey just 20km or so up the track. Due to the heavy rains recently the progress was slow, it was just a soggy muddy track, but the 4WD and skilful driver got us there safely.
We arrived at Tasso’s place with some relief, although the accommodation there was basic to say the least, it was not as ‘rustic’ as some of the villages we had passed through. It also had a nice feel to it, and was set right on the bay. The villagers were happy to have us as guests and all gave the traditional Ni Van smile. It was certainly very different to our time in Vila, and was definitely providing the island experience we were looking for. There were a few other guests around, a young couple from Bristol who had been camping there for 2 weeks and sounded as though they had been on the kava most nights, and an old American couple who were missionaries on the island but had missed their boat to the main island for a trip to visit their family. At dinner we were also joined by some young Australian and Canadian aid workers from the local school, and a British nurse and her partner, working at the local ‘hospital’. It was an eclectic bunch to say the least and it felt very surreal at times.

Unfortunately, our search for the elusive dugong was unsuccessful. We went out snorkelling (with masks and no snorkels - they were just too grubby to use!!), with anticipation, into the dark murky looking waters (thanks to black volcanic sand - it was very clean), we found tracks but no encounter.

We stayed just the one night and moved to another village called Nicara, at the ‘Sunrise Bungalows’ about another 45mins drive away (again using the services of the only transport in the village). Nicara has a small compound for guests about 1km out of the town, with 2 neat bamboo bungalows, and a small ‘dining room’. We were assigned ‘Betty’ to be our host. She literally stayed with us throughout the daytimes cooking our meals on a fire. There was no electricity at all at Nicara, and we were the only ones there. At night Betty went back to the village and left us alone with just a kerosene lamp and the noises of the jungle. In the daytime, due to our arrival, the local village men and boys came to cut the grass - which they did with their machetes!! It was quite a skill. The hut was about 100m from the beach and it was beautiful, it was so secluded, it was a shame that it remained overcast the whole time we were there.

Each meal time Betty would cook us a feast. Admittedly it was the same thing all the time - Baked yam, or boiled yam, or fried yam, with rice and lemon tea, but it was plentiful and served with passion, and a sense that we had everything they had to give. The hospitality was outstanding. Fred, the chief of the village checked up on us regularly, we met his family and were welcome to join them for a kava ceremony, although we gave it a miss this time, as our stomachs were playing up thanks to too much yam I think! It was all very basic stuff but such an experience. After 2 nights at Nicara, we shared the truck with Fred’s family back to Lamen Bay for our flight back to Vila. And what a flight it was……

With the sun shining for the first time, of course, because we were leaving, we boarded the very small, this time very full and cramped, smelly plane to head back on the 30 min flight. We discovered early on that the pilot was a trainee, as you could hear and see everything that was going on. No worries, she looked competent enough, everybody has to learn, but it was the wobbliest take off ever, we were blowing all over the runway. This continued in the air, we were literally blowing over to each side and dropping and rising in height. I couldn’t believe that some locals were snoozing through it. I had sweaty palms and palpitations, especially as you could see everything so clearly. To be fair to the pilot there were extremely strong gusty winds that the pacific islands are prone to. Not quite a cyclone, but I did wonder at times. Anyway the approach to landing was terrible, we looked as though we were not going to land anywhere near the airport let alone the runway, and in fact we didn’t we landed on a grass strip nearby. The touch down itself was actually pretty good. But I did have to visit the toilet rapidly once we got inside the terminal building/hut. It did nothing for our fear of flying.

All in all we loved our time on Epi Island. The warmth of the locals, the seclusion of it all and the real rustic, basic feel was just what we were looking for. It was rough at times, especially the food, but we were grateful of what we had. The only disappointment was no dugong sightings and little surf!

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