The Land of Paradise

I've just returned from my holidays.

When I first arrived down under, I needed a holiday fast! Being a diver, I also knew that the South Pacific is now on my doorstep. For a diver, there is a vast smorgasbord of islands to choose from. I was like a kid in a sweetshop. After careful deliberation, weighing up the options, pros & cons and then finally choosing the cheapest, I opted for Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is a country archipelago of around 83 islands set out in a sort of "Y" shape. I was gonna be based on Efate, the island that holds the capital Port Vila and is situated half-way up the stem of the "Y". I was actually gonna be staying on Hideaway Island, just off the coast of Efate.





The welcome

My plane landed at around 7.30, where I was met by the transfer. We headed off down a dirt track, no lights on the car nor the street. It was pitch black. After 15 minutes he stopped on a beach and flashed his headlights. Why he didnt have them on when he was driving is beyond me !

Out on the water somewhere, I saw a flash in response to his.........a few minutes later I could hear the buzz of an outboard.......my ferry to the island had arrived....dumping my bags in the boat we headed off to a light in the distance.





The Views

As we approached, I could hear gentle tones, sweet harmonies being carried across the waves to me Tum te Tum de Da de Da....A five piece Melanesian string band strummed my arrival. I couldnt stop smiling, I was in paradise.

The next few days were spent lazing around in the shade, diving with the sharks, snorkelling on the reefs, eating great food and chatting with the staff who were all locals.

Time to get up and do something I thought, so off I went to Ekasup Village. A local kastom village where you can learn how the ni-Vanuatu (people from there) used to live and in a lot of cases, still do.



One of the locals....


Local kids doing their thing...

We're taken thru the village and shown how they catch fish using spider webs, relieve headaches and increase fertitily using the same leaves, set a coconut crab trap and also how to crack open a skull to eat the brains of a cooked human.


Ex Cannibals


You also get treated to a kastom village " Welcome Dance"

Cannibalism hasn't been practised here since around the 1890's after the missionary's arrived, but there was a case in 1969 where someone got eaten on one of the outer islands. Probably a politician or an FX dealer.

Cannibal #1 "Am I late for dinner?"

Cannibal #2 "Yes, everyones eaten."

Me and a local....



Vanuatu to be continued....