locals Archives - Adventures with ThevdMz

August 3, 2017

Onwards and Across

We bought fresh mandarins at the market which consisted of a bunch of ladies under the big mango tree at the hospital entrance. There was a barge that had unloaded goods the night before when it arrived at 2100 and left in the morning at 0700 so it was good to stock on fresh things. As we had run out of work, by Friday lunchtime we set off on our next adventure armed with our fresh fruit. It was exactly a week after dropping anchor in Lolowai. Early on Saturday morning, we slipped down the coast on the full tide. In the wind shadow of the mountain we motored on flat water.

Discovering a secluded little inlet down the coast in the later that morning after only a passing mention from some yachtie a long time ago we thought to check if out. Think Rangitoto coastline with a little dent. We anchored in Dixon Bay (15°19’29.58S, 167°48’17.16E) to the delighted audience of giggling kids watching from the rocky bluff. A local fishing boat came in to assure us anchoring there was safe although there wasn’t any wind anyway. We were the first boat to stop so far this year and they only get 3 or 4 in an annum.

There was a cut away in the rock and a concrete ramp smaller than a driveway. This we lifted Zoe onto. (Zoe is the zodiac and our little runabout dinghy) We had rowed in rather than getting the outboard set up which made things a little easier.

The young local chief met us and showed us around the very small village. Phil asked if they had any elderly and was introduced to one man. We asked for fresh fruit and the kids disappeared while we did a sight test with him. He needed strong reading glasses. The kids returned with a load of island sweet grapefruit. We shared some out and traded some to take home to Waimanu. Back at the boat ramp the kids started swimming and Phil joined them. The water is over 27°C! Phil and the kids all jumped in from a high rocky outcrop. It takes some pluck, that’s for sure.

Wanting to shorten the voyage to Santo as much as we could, we carried on along the North West coast of Ambae. We found an anchorage of sorts off a steep boulder beach named Loone Lakua (15°21’37.02S, 167°45’42.72E) and with the dinghy anchor astern, we pointed to the slight swell and enjoyed a quiet night, watching some more of Colditz, a 1970s BBC TV series about the POW camp that we are now halfway through.

August 1, 2017

Photo Journal – Loltong, Pentecost to Dickson Bay, Ambae

July 31, 2017

Local Traditions

We normally start our days with a breakfast of bananas, some grapefruit, and black coffee (there is no fridge or freezer onboard Waimanu so milk is not a daily item for us). The bananas we normally have raw but we sometimes fry them in cinnamon to change things up a bit.

The hospital people put on a thank you dinner, with French red wine! We were also given beautifully handcrafted carry baskets. These are beautiful, handmade, plant woven basket like bags that are oh so incredibly useful!

So now we have more than one, which reminds me of our time back at Loltong, Pentecost where we received our first one. We unintentionally found ourselves in the middle of Day 50 while there. When someone dies there is a set time for mourning that lasts 100 days. A feast is had on Day 50 and again on Day 100. During this period, the widow spends a lot of time in the nakamal while others visit.

A nakamal is a traditional meeting place that in northern and central Vanuatu usually takes it’s form as a hut assembled using nearby materials and built by the entire local community (in southern Vanuatu it is more often a large, sheltered outdoor space such as under a banyan tree).

When we arrived, they were most insistent that we join in with their feasting. As we were the furtherest traveled we were given food first. We were also given a bag of food in one of these traditional basket type bags.

It was fascinating and touching to be able to participate.

July 28, 2017July 31, 2017

Busy Lolowai

It has been so busy here in Lolowai, we haven’t been updating everyone quite so much.

Jenny has been throwing herself into writing and has found a lovely spot on the deck of a tiny wee cafe that is situated to catch the breeze. It has been going quite slowly though, as there are many interruptions with the guys (new friends of Phil’s) coming down for morning tea and chatty visitors turning up for lunch. The cafe is run by a local named Fred and is positioned with a great outlook, which was useful to observe a bunch of the village guys unloading a small freighter that recently came in, by means of a longboat and a human chain.

Meanwhile, Phil has been flat out with a number of building projects. He has fixed plumbing and installed new stainless medical benches. He has also redone some spouting and downpipe systems connecting to water tanks. This included repairing a cement tank built by NZ Armed Forces in 1994.

There are two large yachts in the bay at the moment, one from Australia and the other from Germany. We had sundowner drinks onboard the Australians boat from 5pm until 8.30pm. They have a quality French wine onboard which we are discovering is quite normal in Vanuatu.

Onboard our home (back in Vila) – Photo @Jenny vdM

July 26, 2017

Lolowai Hospital

Phil has been itching to get to Lolowai since leaving NZ. We know a Kiwi couple who are retired and have been involved (aloing with a number of others) in upgrading the hospital here, a project between the NZ and Bundaburg Rotary club. As is the norm, the hospital is not big at all (having approx. seven beds and covering a broad number of health malidies for every age group). Our friend Sam (one half of the aforementioned Kiwi couple) gave us a tour of the place when we first got her before Phil happily launched himself into ditch digging and plumbing jobs. We then had lunch with the building team at Torgil in the tech training centre. Also: showers (make the most of them wherever you can).

Lolowai is the perfect anchorage and is the top of an underwater volcano, the crater of which creates a lovely sheltered bay.

We’re likely to stop here for a few days and do some work around the place (it is always useful having building skills). We are both loving this lifestyle and are getting more and more tanned by the day.

July 24, 2017

Hidden Yachtie Havens

Once you get into the Islands, you discover lots of little spots that only locals and yachties get to. These are gorgeous wee gems with a laid back culture that offer laughs and new friends, a slice of home (sometimes) and a good bit of humour.

We found this latest one at Asanvari, a small bay at the bottom of the island of Maewo. There is a nice little waterfall in one corner with a part time bar that is open when there are no village occasions happening and enough yachts in the bay (just your normal opening hours). A lovely fresh water wash shower was had after enjoying a stunning wind-less day.

Jenny still had the dregs of a headache (it can take awhile to adjust to a different set of climate and weather patterns and the heat is getting to her a little bit, although she’s nearly acclimatised). Because of this we didn’t attend the birthday party of a local ashore that our neighbouring Norwegians had invited us. However, we could hear the happenings from home and wondered what the other visiting yachites would be thinking of the hymn singing that was happening (quite a normal part of a birthday party up here) along with four versus of the Happy Birthday song that were each sung in a slightly different tune.

July 23, 2017July 23, 2017

Life in General

This is what quite a “normal” day looks like now:

Morning:

While anchored in another stunning spot (Loltong Bay, 15°32’42.84S, 168°08’56.64E) Phil did a bit of general engine maintenance while Jenny puttered around the boat. We worked in companionable quiet while listening to the birdsong from ashore and the laughter coming from our chattering neighbours. We also watched a ship unload supplies.

Afternoon:

A spot of swimming and watching the local kids having a ride in a longboat dugout with the local fishermen and then we’re off ashore.

In short, life is good and you have to make the most of the adventure it is (or can be).

July 21, 2017

Yummy Rain

We sailed from Home Bay up to Waterfall Village on our next leg and boy did it rain!

It is currently what is known as the “Dry Season” at this time of year although perhaps a more apt name would be the more-common-to-have-few-cyclones season. (Dry Season is NZ winter, traversing April through to October while Wet Season, or Hurricane Season, or Cyclone Season usually happens from November to March, usually being the operative word) It was nice to have a bit of a cool down, though, as even when you are jumping in for a swim the water tends to be a lukewarm temperature. Not only refreshing, it also topped up our water tank with Phil emptying two full 10 litre water buckets just from what we collected using our sun awning. There is nothing quite like fresh rain water.

We also headed ashore to have a bit of an explore, walking up to the Ranwadi school. Ranwadi takes students right the way through, from 5 years old to 18 years old. For the local villages, it can be a bit of a walk (depending on how far away the students live) but it also has dorms for both boys and girls, catering to those who are just a bit too far away. When Anita came up here in 2007/2008 it was their summer holidays so she and her friends lived on site while working on upkeep and maintenance jobs. It is a special place.

A Year 13 student (17 or 18 years old and in his last year of school before he becomes University/tertiary/collage age) did a good job showing us around as the staff were in a meeting.

The next day we visited the Waterfall Village where we tracked down a local girl Anita used to spend a lot of time with while here and wrote letters to for a number of years. She now has her own girl pikinini (child) who is a year old.

Jenny had a serious headache by this afternoon so we watched the UK version of the movie Death at a Funeral to have a good laugh.

July 19, 2017

Trade Winds

The crossing from Ambrym to Pentecost was a bit wild with guusts of up to 35kts. Just a little windier than anticipated… We spent the night anchored in Home Bay on the southern end of the island. This was also the spot cruise shops anchor off and home of the seasonal and infamous Land Diving (the original bungee jump).

Phil has also been learning how to trade, swapping a big bunch of small eating bananas (they taste much better than the ones in NZ) and four huge pampelmouss (grapefruit) for an old tee shirt and a pair of trousers.

July 16, 2017

Being Social

We anchored in Lameh Bay, Epi (16°35’52.86S, 168°9’51.84E) and went about introducing ourselves to our neighbours for the night.

It wasn’t long until we were sipping wine with our new Canadian friends.

Today also marked the first day Jenny went for a swim. She doesn’t swim in NZ (too cold for her liking) but swimming in the tropics certainly has its appeal. Just be aware that it is not necessarily refreshing, often feeling more like jumping into a tepid bath.

We had dinner back at home (onboard Waimanu) and it was quite the eclectic mix. Black beans in a mole poblano sauce with fried onions (Phil will have fried onions in absolutely everything savoury if at all possible) and local “beans”. These “beans” grow on a plant that has flowers similar to climbing beans but the vegetable is more like a cucumber or zucchini (it smells like cucumber).

Still no internet connection so here is a photo from our Efate exploration.