Friday was spent visiting the neighbouring ship, Pacific Hope. As part of the Mercy Ships, she works in the Islands performing minor eye and dental operations with a major outcome (removing cataracts is a small operation but when you’re basically blind, it is life changing). The work they do is both awe inspiring and fantastic but a great reality check.
Once all of the inter-island permits and customs regulations were cleared up plus Vanuatu sim cards purchased, Phil decided it would be a fantastic idea to hire a car for the day and explore the island of Efate (Port Vila is located on this island).
By 0830, it was already sweating hot. Co-ordinated pink was Jenny’s colour of the day dressed as unintentionally touristy as possible as the remedy was still being made by a lovely local lady.
Having been a French territory, Vanuatu still drives on the right-hand side of the road (as Kiwis, we’re used to driving on the left). While Phil has lots of experience at driving on both sides having spent eight months living in a camper van and driving around mainland Europe in the ’90s, it has been some time since he had the practice. This meant Jenny regularly felt like the ditch was just a little too close for comfort.
Exploring coral backroads and enjoying stunning views, we had lunch at Le Life Resort (on the opposite side of the island to Port Vila) and found the Blue Lagoon that afternoon. If only we had discovered it earlier in the day!
Temping as it was to go for a swim, it was getting rather late and being a lot closer to the equator than NZ, dusk was looming so home we headed.
Wooohooo!!!! you guys are doing it! Big Congrats to Capt Relentless and First Mate, so nice to stay updated. I tried sending a message before but I don’t think you got it. I’ve asked Anita do you have a simple email address? Anyway, hope you get this okay, I’m not used to blogs. Nice to finally have Jenny onboard as press secretary for SV Waimanu as Capt R was very poor at providing many pictures and lots of stories about his voyage ( I look forward to drawing them out of him when we meet again). In the meantime, enjoy Efate, I knew it well, last time I visited there was in 91, I guess its changed a lot. If you are talking to any of the locals… please ask after Pastor George Zachary or…Zacharie George as they refer to him, he lives in Erakor village, a great man of faith, I traveled with him around the islands a few times. Kerry and I even sponsored him and his wife to come stay with us in NZ but he seemed to vanish after that. His birth place was the very small Erakor Island (now the famous resort). Stay well, mind that Coral with your feet and have a great time.
Love Ivan and Kerry
but you are missing all this rain and single digit temperatures!