Arriving yesterday, it was time to check in with the chief and ask permission to stay in his anchorage and visit his village. But first I baked some bread, one of loaf went to the nice couple who gave us the fish yesterday and one yummy fresh loaf for us. Then it was time to get to shore into the strong winds. I had pulled a muscle yesterday and it was not smart of me to paddle. One day I will learn…
Tying up the paddleboards a villager walked by and we introduced ourselves. Asking Max where we could find the chief, he explained that it was not necessary and that he was giving us permission. We chatted a bit and then began our walk through the village. Just like other stops in Vanuatu it was extremely well kept with nice landscaping and homes. We stumbled on a store that sold staples, something we had not expected to find. Fully provisioned we just checked what was on the shelf and continued. A bit down the road we came upon three men grinding kava with a meat grinder. In Fiji it is dried and then beaten with a mallet. This was fresh kava cut into small pieces before the hard job of turning the meat grinder. Evidently, they were taking turns and by the large quantity it was going to be a heck of a party.
It was odd to see trucks on the road and even a bus (truck with the bed turned into a bench seating) and a sun/rain cover. We had a laugh watching a teenager try to catch a chicken on the loose while adults were yelling encouragement. Another unusual thing in this village has an airstrip. It is at the end of town so we checked it out. Quite a long strip and there we met a woman who lives at the end of the strip. She had been to a nearby island to get trimming from a flower to plant for when it was her turn to bring flowers to Sunday service at church. We had a nice conversation before starting back to our paddleboards.
About mid-way back another, villager struck up a conversation. We learned about his cyclone proof house, children (four boys and two girls), and that he had a farm with fresh produce. Plans were set for tomorrow morning to come back with T-shirts to trade for whatever was ripe in his farm.
We have found the people of Vanuatu to be just a friendly as the Fijians we met. In a different way, but just as friendly and welcoming. Always happy to stop and chat. And frequently offering help whether it is a tour, advice, or fresh produce.
The last bit of fun was watching three boy playing marbles. They were very good, knocking nuts or their friend’s marbles from more than ten feet away. The accuracy was shocking. The best though, was seeing how much fun they were having with something as simple as three marbles and eight nuts. Refreshing.
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