It is a hard act to follow when my husband speaks
of sarongs and Island culture so eloquently.
But my job is quite different. Today,
I am the recorder of events and happenings.
Sue, Joe and Sammy |
We had an amazing visit from our dear friends Sue
and Joe and their 7 year old son Sammy.
They arrived April 1 and spent 2 weeks with us. Although we visited so many different sights,
we managed to maintain a fairly relaxed agenda that usually included a walk
into the town of Lenakel for a daily ice cream cone (OK…maybe that happened
more than once a day but that was a little atypical). Our first adventure was to Blue hole # 2
which, in my humble opinion, is much better than Blue Hole #1. Blue Hole #2 is a deep bowl that is encircled
by the inner reef. What makes it really
special is the wide variety of reef fish that remain in the bowl as the tide goes out. As a result, there is a high concentration of
fish in a rather small area and the clarity is much better than on the reef
itself. The highlight was when Anna spotted
a green turtle that was resting at the bottom of the pool which you could dive
down to see it much closer. It was great
to see and all the kids got the opportunity to see the turtle up close.
The next day, we hired a boat to take us to the
Blue Cave which is located on the Northwest coast. One might not know the blue cave exists
unless someone pointed it out to you because the opening is under the high tide
mark. When the captain anchored the boat
and was describing where we should go, we all knotted obediently but we were
all thinking “huh?”. It wasn’t until you got very close that you could see a
small sliver of an opening as the waves receded. It was really amazing once you
dove under the lip of the cave and found yourself in this cave that resembled a
cathedral dome. There was an opening at
the top that allowed sunlight to be funnelled into the cave, creating beautiful
beams that lit up the back of the cave.
The colour of the ocean inside the cave was vibrant blue due to the sandy
bottom. It was quite something,
especially watching all the kids swimming in and out of the cave by diving deep
under the cave entrance.
Next was our trip to the volcano. We left mid-afternoon to ensure we would be
at the top prior to sunset. Watching Sue
and Sammy in the back of the truck with the wind blowing in their faces, and
Sammy smiling a mile wide was just great.
We were very lucky to view the volcano when it was erupting at level 2. This indicated the intensity and the
frequency of the explosions. The volcano did not disappoint! Huge rumbling eruptions and lava being
propelled into the sky every 1-2 minutes was pretty thrilling. Sean sealed the deal when he presented each
adult with a cold Tusker Beer at the top.
What a thoughtful man!
A highlight for all of us came a few days later
when we visited the traditional village of
Yakal about 1 hour south of Lenakel. The
local people continue to live the way they used to, prior to external
influences. Tours operate from the
resorts bringing tourists to Yakal and
one would contemplate whether the locals put on a show for the tourists, but from what I saw, I
certainly didn’t get that feeling. We
were not part of a tour, but rather had
the chance to offer medical advice to the people. We also went there to visit new friends that have been living with the
Yakal people for 4 months. This
Australian family (Ben, Janita, River
and Atlas Dean) have immersed themselves in the culture completely. They are living in a traditional hut, eating
all local food, and spent the first 2 months gathering local stories and experiences. They then wrote a screenplay and are
currently filming the story using local “actors”. It was quite a privilege to be able to spend
the day with them and experience the kindness and generosity of the Yakal
people.
Certainly the attire differentiated us and
them. The local men wear the traditional
namba. This is the penis sheath that Sammy and my children couldn’t wait to see
(OK….maybe the parents too). Although I
could imagine Sean and or Joe giving this a try, I would prefer not to. It consists of a waistband and a woven grass
sheath that resides over the male’s genitalia.
We spent quite a bit of time trying to ascertain whether the sheath also
contained the testes. Despite our best
effort, and respecting the boundaries of others, our question remains
unanswered. When I say “our”, I am
really referring to Sue’s and mine as it would slightly inappropriate to show
such interest in front of both our husbands and our children.
Anna has such a wonderful way with the
children. She engages with them so
easily and they respond in kind. She
subsequently provides the opportunity for Sasha and Sammy to also get
involved. She is really something to watch
as she approaches the kids in a kind and respectful manner, and reaches out with irresistible warmth. She
will have 2 or 3 children hanging off of her within minutes. She was given a beautiful shell necklace by
one of the girls that was really very special for her.
A
traditional dance was performed for us.
The men and boys danced in circles, stamping the ground with their feet
in rhythm. The women sang on the
periphery and were quite amazing to listen to.
There was one woman in
particularly that never closed her mouth as she sang perpetually. Everyone really looked like they were
enjoying themselves. Once the dance was
finished, we all walked down the dirt pathway to the bottom of the ravine. You could hear the waterfall from several
hundred meters away that fell into a small swimming hole. The kids were the first ones in and we all
followed. The water was so cold but it
really didn’t matter. The kids were all
jumping off the cliff walls into this small, and not so deep, pool. I started reviewing my old lifeguarding
emergency procedures like cervical neck
stabilization, but thankfully did not have to apply this. It was really one of those life moments as we
all played in this tropical pool with a cascading waterfall nearby. It was quite something to share this day with
our friends who have travelled all the way from Canada to visit us.
Young dancers of Yakal |
Although we did other excursions, the time spent
just hanging out and experiencing the life on Tanna was equally as fun. Sue and Joe and Sammy fit right in and
embraced the island life. Joe, in
particular, took on the much appreciated role of cook extraordinaire. He remained highly motivated to create unique
dishes that incorporated the local food.
He even took on the courageous job of making cava from scratch. One blender down and a sore forearm from
grinding the root, we had ourselves a homemade cup of kava that tasted a heck
of a lot cleaner than usual.
Sue and I will have long-lasting memories of the
cava at the nakamel on the beach. In
case either of us forget, the video footage will serve as a constant reminder
of our experience. Too funny!!!
They left on April 14th, and as sad as it was to see them go, we all felt a great satisfaction in being able to share our unique Tanna experience. A huge thank you out to them for coming!!!
Andrea
Hey Sean,
ReplyDeleteI have received your emails and have sent several your way. It appears you are not receiving mine - must be the bamboo wiring in Vanuatu.
Lyle
no, I haven't received anything. weird. I seem to be corresponding with most without problem. I'll check my spam folder. try again. I'd like to hear some team news
DeleteSent you another email via my gmail account on Saturday morning
ReplyDelete