Tuesday 8th July
Everyone is up early after a proper night’s sleep (rolling a bit on anchor). Over breakfast the morning’s jobs are listed; canopy repair, life-belts, port navigation light, replace anchor rope, check alternator and engine oil (a warning light has come on), clear water from the bilges, dry off everything, tighten up the propeller and do a general tidy and clean after the last 2 days hammering. Ian and Alex do customs and get cash. Stewy fixes the outboard propeller ashore while Annie stays aboard. The Arc have arranged for Customs to enter the boats at the Port resolution Yacht club and have also arranged a bank facility. The Yacht Club and village is like no-where else. There’s no electricity or running water and very few vehicles. People here live in woven palm frond houses and are totally self reliant, living on a diet of home grown fruit, vegetables, pigs, chickens, bats and occasional fish. There are traditional dug out canoes but these are not suitable for long distances or for fishing in anything other than calm conditions. At 3pm everyone’s off on a tour - 10 people in the back of each of 3 pick-up trucks. The roads are very rough dirt tracks – we’ve all been told to take cushions and thank goodness – it’s a very rocky ride and everyone is hanging on for grim death! First stop is a village where the men perform some dancing and singing wearing their traditional penis sheaths (quite a change from coco-nut bikinis!), fire lighting demonstrations and a look at some enormous banyan trees. There’s a craft stall but Annie manages to restrain herself as she,(and Alex!) are already worrying about how to get all their things into OZ !
Next it’s up to Yasur Volcano – a drive up on to a moonscape, then a ½ mile hike up the hill to the edge of the crater - it looks as if it might fall away underneath our feet at any time. The locals warn everyone not to turn their backs on the volcano - if there’s a big expulsion you have to be able to see where the rocks are going to land - Hmmm! ( Health and Safety UK – eat your heart out! ) The volcano is truly amazing; it’s lively and blowing from two craters the entire time we are there – the noise of the rumbling and groaning from the bowels of the earth is unforgettable. We have to cover up the cameras as there’s so much ash in the air as well as considerable deposits of black sand in hair and orifices. When we return we’re led through the village (in company with Akoya and One Life) by two young girls to the local beech-side hut where some local food is being prepared. It’s quite a squash and treacherous to get up off the bench without warning as whoever remains seated is see-sawed and catapulted into the air ( depending on the weight issue of course!) . The wine is just about finished before the buffet is ready – a selection of various root vegetables & something very tasty which closely resembles chicken – possibly flying fox/fruit-bat? Laudia and her family are lovely hosts and everyone enjoys their food …whatever it is! Afterwards Laudia’s restaurant man (Laudia told Stewy she lost her husband 4 years ago) walks us back to the shore in the pitch black. Jo from Akoya comes back for a night-cap – another lively evening!