Back to my Roots festival on Ambrym Island

Enjoying a warm Tusker beer at the Sunrise Yacht Club, in Olal

Carol and Dan enjoying a coconut drink at lunchtime

"Kastom" dancing

Killing of the pig by the chief

Local kids are captivated by the festival

Back to my Roots festival on Ambrym Island

August 21, 2015

August 19 to 21 there was a festival in a village on North Ambrym to which we and other cruisers were invited. These festivals are primarily for the villagers themselves. There are ceremonies involved in raising your status towards being a chief. The older folk want to make sure that their children do not lose touch with the customs, dances, songs, and ceremonies of the past. This event is a yearly one. In Vanuatu the original customs have not been lost. After watching many songs with dances, I was wishing that we had a translation. I know they each had a different meaning but sounded much the same to us. The drumming rhythms are more complex than we are used to. And the musical scale used is different also. (maybe pentatonic?)

The costumes were different from what we had seen so far. The women wore grass skirts but nothing on top. The dancers were the older villagers so not too exciting to watch. But there were more men dancing. They wear a grass band around their waists with various plants tucked in. The only other article is a  "penis sheath", which is dyed leaves wrapped around it with the testicles hanging out. Their beautiful dark skin looks much better like this than most North Americans would.

The choosing of a chief involves the giving of money and a pig. Also the candidates stood on a high platform dancing and dodging coconuts thrown up at them. They also killed a pig for roasting by hitting it on the head while it was tied on the spit. Not a pleasant thing to watch! I know there was more to all the procedures than we were understanding.

The  women had prepared lunch and snacks for each day which were very tasty. There was a "yacht club" along the water which was basically just  a bar with a few flags hanging up. We were anchored further down the shore by another village so got in some long walks. On Wed it was Janet's birthday. Chapter 2 crew treated us all to a dinner at the village near the anchorage. It was in the chief's home and was based on a roasted pig. It was a celebration not likely to be repeated. They gave her a "mother hubbard" dress as a gift. It is a loose gathered dress with puffed sleeves worn by most of the women past a certain age. As in most places the younger ones dress like we do and have cell phones.

The sailing in Vanuatu has been more work than in Tonga. It took 2 day trips to get to Ambrym, one of which was motor sailing to windward in rough seas. From Ambrym it was an overnight sail to Santo. We chose a light wind forecast, but except for a few hours we had 20 to 25 kn.  There are 2 volcanoes on the island and they were glowing orange after dark, a beautiful, unusual site. It would have been fun to hike up for a closer view. Most of the hikes are a full day return trip, or an overnight.

Port-Vila to Malekula, Vanuatu

Carol being welcomed to South West Bay, Malekula

Dan munching on coconut during a taxing climb to the village garden

Kastom dancers

Port-Vila to Malekula, Vanuatu

August 18, 2015

August 14, afternoon and overnight, we sailed from Port-Vila to Southwest Bay on Malekula. It was also our 44th wedding anniversary. Another celebration underway. Dan is really getting a taste of rough water. He has spent a fair amount of time sleeping. Hope that means he arrives home well rested. We are hearing of more things to see in NZ in Sept. I know we will not have enough time.

On Saurdayt Luc had arranged a day's visit to Labo, one of several villages on Southwest Bay, to see what life is like in their village. In the morning the men did several "kastom" dances with drum accompaniment. The rhythms are very complex, and each dance tells a story. The costumes are very elaborate and harken back to the war and cannibal days on Vanuatu. A longer explanation would have helped me. The women performed "watermusic" which surprisingly is done in the water by clapping the hands in various positions to create the rhythms.

Lunch was prepared by the women. All local dishes, mostly vegetables, were served. We met a 100 year old man and were thinking that the fresh food diet, fresh air, and climbing home are all good for your health. In the afternoon we toured their village. The homes and gardens extend up the hillside. With the thatched roofs and well tended gardens and property, it was quite beautiful. We continued on to a waterfall where you could swim in fresh water or dive from a height above. A number of our group, including Dan, did that. It has been quite cold and rainy this week so passed on that myself. The local kids must love it. The end of the day was a chance to snorkel on the reef. It has been good snorkelling everywhere here.

On Sun we visited another village on the bay. Historically each has spoken a different dialect. But today the national language is Bislama, which is a pidgin English with a bit of French. Both English and French are taught in school and most adults can speak them. If learning more languages is good for your brain, these children will be quite smart.

Luc has a blood brother, Esrom, in this village .He spent a fair bit of time with them 4 years ago and did much for them, including bringing cruisers ashore for tours. Esrom has built him a bungalow and planted a garden for him. Of course, he has also inherited a whole family. A challenge for us visiting was getting our dinghies up the river to the village. There are several sand bars that are too shallow for your motor to be down. But in the deeper sections the currents is too strong to get across and upstream without a motor. So we were in the water pulling the dinghy through some parts and hopping back in to motor some.

In the morning we took a long hike up into the hills to see the garden areas. With the rain it was a slippery challenge climbing. Our 2 guides hacked away the underbrush with their machetes. As well as seeing the plants grown we were given food for the boat. There is an inland fresh water lagoon that we were taken a boat ride tour on. The women here also made lunch for us. Afterwards we did eye testing on the children living there. We also checked the adults for reading glasses. We have a collection of various strengths to distribute. It was also a chance to give away things that we have collected for gifts. We would have enjoyed staying longer but our time in Vanuatu is limited. We want to get to a festival, Back to my Roots, on Ambrym Wed to Fri. It will be a 2 day trip.

Trip from Fiji to Vanuatu

Dan trying out our newly acquired paddleboard in Port Vila harbour

Wreckage from Cyclone Pam, a category 5 cyclone that hit Port Villa in March of this year.

Dan enjoying his reptiles!

Vanuatu is known for its sanddrawings - amazing drawings where the artists finger never lifts from the sand. The story is as important as the drawing itself, which usually is gone soon after it is made.

  Trip from Fiji to Vanuatu

August 13, 2015

We are now safely tied to a mooring ball in the anchorage off Port-Vila in Vanuatu. This is the capital of the country and on the island of Efate. Dan flew in here last Sat and stayed at a small beach resort. We left Fiji on Sat and arrived Wed am. The first day out was rougher than I would like and the seas stayed high but it was generally a good passage. The winds were on the beam for a change so could travel 7 to 8 knots. The last night we had to reef right down to wait for a daylight arrival.

It has been great to see Dan after about 2 years. We are enjoying just chatting about their lives in NZ. He also could tell us some things about Efate. On Tues he rented a scooter and toured the whole island. The resort had some serious damage from the cyclone in March, but the snorkeling was still good. The storm was one of the worst for the country in a long time. (420km/hr recorded) Behind us in the bay here are numerous boat wrecks along the shore.

So far, we have met with Luc about the schedule for here, cleaned up the boat and ourselves, reprovisionn



ed, done laundry, visited the museum and the market. Rob bought us an inflatable paddle board today. He has been out on it briefly. Dan and I will have to try tomorrow while we are in a such a flat water spot. There is a BPO dinner tonight. Then tomorrow evening we will be sailing overnight to Malekula. There is a weekend festival that we want to take in. The rest of the fleet will be there on Friday.

Weather Changes The Plans Again

We had really been looking forward to get moving to Vanuatu this week. Dan is flying in to Port-Vila on Efate in Vanuatu tomorrow and we are waiting to check out from Fiji the same day. If all goes well it will be a 4 day trip .He has booked into a hotel/resort so hopefully still has a good holiday. Chapter 2 's son, John, is also flying in there.

The hold up has been because of a low pressure system moving from there to Fiji. It had developed into a tropical storm that had a low to moderate chance of becoming a cyclone. Not something we wanted to be a part of. Winds were in the 45 to 65 kn range but it is now starting to dissipate. Two of our fleet have been skirting it to the north and are doing ok to be in Santo soon. But they both have some damage to their boat. What is unusual is that this is supposed to be the "non storm season".

We have been anchored in Musket Cove most of the week so can't complain about the location. On the windy days we were getting wet and salty in the waves on the dinghy, but it was worth it to get to shore. You can pay a nominal amount to join the Yacht Club and then use the resort facilities. There is a 6 foot tide so it makes for an unusual beach and reef.

We can pick up one radio station which has English news and older American music. This will be our last night of internet until we get a new sim card in Vanuatu. The closest government check out location should have taken us 2 hours today to sail to. But the wind and waves were high and right on the nose so it landed up taking us over 4 hours tacking with the motor and sails. Because this is the first chance to leave in a while there is a big group here to get through customs including a rally. I hope it doesn't take all day. We are anxious now to be on the seas again.

Change of Weather-Change of Plans

Magogai Island - hoome of a former leper colony

Our chartplotter showing our route through the reef infested Fijian waters

Spectacular sunrise at Nanan - I-Thake Island anchorage

Sugar Mill in Lautoka

Trucks delivering sugar cane stocks to the sugar mill - small gauge railways are also used.

Change of Weather-Change of Plans

July 31 2015

We had hoped to leave Savusavu last Sunday but the weather still had not calmed down. Instead, we cleared out Modayn and moved to an anchorage near the pass out of the bay. All four boats did that. Since it was Klaudia's (on Tahawas) birthday the next day Chapter 2 hosted a birthday dinner. Well celebrated by all!

The first half of Tuesday's trip was pretty boisterous still as we had to go upwind into good winds. Our wind indicator stopped working during that day and for the 3 day trip. That is more a nuisance than serious, as you take whatever you get anyway. Today, Firday, Rob went to the mast top and redid the connections which seems to have solved that problem for now. It was good we left when we did as the next 2 days travelling were beautiful, before another batch of bad weather this weekend.

The first night we anchored at Magogai Island. This was a former leper colony for Fiji. They, at least, had good scenery and a safe anchorage. The next days were traveling inside the reef up the east, then north coast, of the large southern island, Viti  Levu.  Day 2, the anchorage was huge and deserted off  Nananu-I-Thake , another spot you could spend more time. The trip reminded us of travelling along the ICW in US going from waypoint to waypoint down narrow channels, except if you make a mistake you are on a coral reef not mud.

Late Thurs we got to Lautoka, the Sugar City, and second largest city in Fiji after Suva on the south coast. We spent the day searching out chandleries, buying food, and seeing the town. The sugar mill dominates the town as it is right near the water and has a fire burning all of the time. There are other sugar cane burning fires around the landscape with their red glows at night. You can always smell it and there is a black ash that drops on the boat. I can't imagine that it would be good for you all the time. The 2 cab drivers we used had a cough. We couldn't find any marine stores, so eventually took a cab to a marina 10 miles along the coast where we found some of the things we needed. It was fun to see the fancy resort/marina complex and have lunch there.

Customs on the Queen's Wharf in Lautoka or that marina, Vuda Point, are the choices for checking out of the country. We wanted to visit them to make sure we know the most up to date requirements and hours. There was an interesting boardwalk with lots of info about Lautoka and its history on the walk from the main wharf into town. Overnight Saturday we hope to visit another marina/resort complex 20 nm from here, Musket Cove. It is a famous favorite in the cruising community.

It is about 600 nm to Santo where Dan is arriving next Sat. We thought we should leave today, Friday, as you can't checkout or in on the weekends in either country. But another bad weather system is arriving this weekend. We are going to aim for Monday now but have to travel to the checkout and then to the pass which will take half the day. Our new plan is to sail to Port Vila in Vanuatu which is only 500 nm and try to get there to check in Friday. Then we can do the next 150 nm to Santo, hopefully with Dan. We'll see how that works out.

First week in Savusavu, Fiji

Carol purchasing Kava roots for chief of local village we were to visit

Curly conducting navigation seminar for BPO| boats

Huge market in Labasa

MAGGIE dressed for the Savusavu Open

First week in Savusavu, Fiji

July 26 2015

We are glad that we made this extra stop in Fiji. It is a difficult place to navigate and not an official BPO stop so we have been on our own researching. I've already touched some coral with the keel while hunting around for our mooring ball. There are now 4 BPO boats here. Curly, who does a morning net, also puts on a 3 hour seminar on Sundays on navigation and regulations here. He was kind enough to do a special session on Fri for us as we need to get moving today or tomorrow and we are all taking one route to the west side. It was very useful. Rob is spending this morning entering waypoints in the chart plotter to weave our way through the coral. The weather is not good for the trip but isn't going to get much better in the short term. When it is windy the wind is accelerated between the 2 large islands by about 10 knots. You also have to spend the first 4 hours beating to windward to get around a reef.

It has been a fun week to be here as the town council has had its first fair ,the Savusavu Open. The usual info booths, food stands, rides and entertainment in the evenings. You could buy a raffle ticket to win a goat and a case of beer. Each night there were 2 more goats there. Surprisingly the speeches were in English, but very long winded. With Hindi and local languages it is the one they all have in common. Entertainment was mostly dancing, either Indian style, contemporary, or the local village historic styles. And it is true that they cannot sing as well as the Polynesians. The town council asked if the boats would "dress up" which means putting up all of our flags. It did look impressive in the harbour. We put up a couple of strands of flags and won honourable mention. We lent another string of flags to one of the BPO boats who shared first prize. The mooring balls are just inside of the mouth of a river so we are close together and close to shore so right in view of people walking along the one street.

There are a lot more shops and restaurants than in Tonga and the prices are much lower. The food prices are so low that we have mostly been eating out. The first night there were 3 of us with 5 Indian entrees. The total bill was about $15 US. I got my hair cut for $6. We purchased a new smart phone that comes unlocked for about $100. The sim card was $1.50. We are having a lot of fun getting internet on the boat with it! Rob also found the cables we needed to watch the movies on the computer on our large screen. A seamstress repaired the holes in the bimini and someone did our laundry. Alcohol is the exception with a limited, expensive selection.

I took advantage of the fact that there is a clinic in town and had a Dr check my broken toe. I stepped into the bilge when a floorboard was up and I was carrying laundry down the stairs. Three weeks later it is still swollen and sore. It was for my peace of mind to know it is healing ok. He just said I need to rest it more which is a challenge when you have to walk everywhere. Other than that and a few scrapes and bruises we have been very healthy.

We took one tour to a village and waterfall inland on Wed. which was interesting. Sat we took the local bus to Labasa on the north coast, about a 3 hour trip. Mostly we wanted to see the rain forest that you have to cross to get there. It is a larger city with a huge market.  On the return trip I'm sure the number of passengers was double the maximum capacity, with three to a seat and all the aisles full. We have been told to be careful about stealing here which I guess comes with the larger more urban population.

In the marina there are 2 women on the boat, Interlude, which is from Toronto. They have been here for 2 years. Mostly, however, we have visited with NZ sailors. It has been fun for us to learn more about NZ as we will be visiting there in Sept.

School Visit about BPO and Climate Change

School where presentation was made

Carol - overlooking Savusavu Bay

School children in the schoolyard

School Visit about BPO and Climate Change

July 24 2015

An opportunity came up to talk to several local classes about the BPO's mission to highlight climate change. One of the parents saw the splash guards that we have with the BPO logo. He was familiar with the rally and personally interested in anything he could do to increase the awareness among the children here. He arranged with the principal and teachers for us to meet with 2 classes of Gr 7 students on Fri. Despite the short notice and not having photos ready, we were very well received. We talked about any of the things we noticed on the trip, on various islands, that were related to climate change or protecting our oceans. Also we could share what other countries and school children have been able to do.

Some of the things we discussed were the rising water levels and the effect, in particular, on low lying islands like San Blas, and Tuamotos. There is a local Fijian Island where the village is being relocated to the rain forest as their homes disappear. The residents of the country, Tokelau, have also been offered land here. We mentioned a class in the Marquesas that asked the government to protect a local reef and the laws were put in place. Each island has some laws that protect their environment. Being a politician or local activist is just as important as the scientists.

They wanted to know what they could do to help while they are still young. But also what would be some of the fields to study in university to make a difference. Other questions were related to the cause and symptoms of climate change. One thing their class will be doing later in the year is to clean up the mangroves along the creek. This will help with erosion and preservation of plants and marine life. We want to help with the sharing of ideas as we all live in the same world.