Steve’s Travel Blog

Hello all,

Well I continue to make my way south on the east coast and the further I go the colder it gets.  The days are still plenty warm but the nights are getting down to about 5-6 degrees.  I guess that is not to bad for it being winter.

I left Mission Beach and made my way to Townsville, along the way I had to stop to fill gas and then noticed a big dent in my rear panel.  It looks like some ass hit my car and just took off.  It must have happened in the parking lot at Mission Beach and I am not very happy about it, but what can you do but move on.  I did have a laugh at myself when I went in to pay for the gas the lady behind the counter asked where I was headed and I told her Townsville and she asked if I was going for the big race?  I told that I didn’t know about any race and she informed me that a big V8 car race (similar to Nascar) was going on and that there would be no rooms.  Since I had not booked before hand I got into the car and started phoning right away and luckily the first hostel I called had a bed left.  Sometimes it is great to not care where I am but I guess I could get caught without a room but then I can camp as well.  At least it got my mind off the dent in my car.  I got into Townville and  headed up to the town lookout (Custer Hill) to get a view and the place was packed with people.  I could not believe how busy the place was until I got out of the car and saw that they were all watching the race from the lookout as the track was right below.  I watched the race for a bit and checked out the rest of the lookout which was empty and got a few pics.

After the lookout I made my way to the hostel and got checked in and then did a tour around the downtown area.  When I was walking around it was pretty dead but when the race finished the area picked up and it was a hopping evening with all the bars and pubs in the area.  My main purpose for going to Townsville is that is where you catch the ferry to go to Magnetic Island.

The next morning I hopped on the ferry and then a bus and was at my hostel (Bungalow Bay Koala Resort) by about mid day.  I got settled and then went for a walk on the beach at Horseshoe Bay.  This worked out very well, while I was walking I saw a fishing charter that was heading out and I went and talked to the captain and 10 minutes later I was out fishing the Great Barrier Reef.  We did not go out very far but we were catching a lot of different fish.  Most of them were pretty small but we caught a lot of what he called Pike (not like our pike at home) and Cod.  After that I was pretty tired and just relaxed for the evening. The next morning I was up early and took the bus to Picnic Bay and the only golf course on the island.  It was a 9 hole par 33 course and a lot of fun to play.  I had a family from Victoria, Canada playing in front of me and they were pretty slow so I played 2 balls for the whole course.  I shot 40 with one and 44 with the other, which I thought was alright since I had not played in a while and the clubs I was given were horrible (the driver was actually an old wooden head).  After the golf I went to the beach at Picnic Bay and checked that out as well as Hawking Point which had a really cool lookout.  I hiked all the way back to Nelly Bay where the ferry port is and then caught the bus back to the hostel after picking up a few groceries.  I figured that I must have walked about 9-10kms for the day and felt pretty good.  After a quiet first night I got to know my roommates a little better but the bar was pretty dead and we all made it another early night.  I was up early again and this time my day was going to be a lot more hiking.  I started off on a trail at the end of Horseshoe Bay and crossed over to Balding Bay, which the sign said was a nude beach but when I got there no one else was even there so I took a few pics and continured on my way.  From there I went to Radical Bay and then on to Florence Bay.  At Florence Bay I went for a snorkel in the warm ocean water but did not see much and then tanned far a while on the beach.  After some lunch and some more tanning I made my way to Aurthur Bay and then up a huge hill to the Forts walk.  The Forts walk is one of the most recommended walks in the Magnatic Islands and for good reason.  If you go later in the day you can see Koalas and that is exactly what I did.  The walk goes to a old fort made during the war but most of the buildings are demolished now and the highlight was the Koalas.  I saw a small one that was sleeping on my way to the fort and then 2 large ones at the fort that were sleeping as well.  On the way back down the small one was up and moving and I sat there for about 1/2 hour just watching him/her.  It was so cool to see it moving around and it was very agile and was going all over the place.

I was plannng on hiking all the way back to the resort but I was pretty tired and got a bus for the last few kms, but I still walked about another 8kms for the day.  There was a big trivia night at the bar and all the roommates were into the idea so that is where we went.  There were 14 teams and we ended up in 3rd place.  Most of the questions I did not know the answer but one that did come up that I answered and I have no idea why I knew it was (What does the symbol Fe on the Periodic Table stand for, right away I said Iron and no one else was to sure so we went with it)  I was correct and have no idea how I knew that or where it came from but I was feeling pretty smart.  It was a great night with a really fun group of people.

The next moning I was up and on my way back to Townsville on the ferry and then I decided to drive on to Airlie Beach.  Once I got into the town I walked around and booked a tour to sail the Whitsundays which should be a highlight on everyones list.  I was trying to decide where I was going to stay for the evening and in the end I decided I would try something different.  So far I have been staying in my tent or at hostels which all cost money.  I decided that I would sleep on the back seat of my car and thus have no cost for accommodation.  It wasn’t because I couldn’t afford it but I just wanted to try something different since there are a lot that are traveling this way.  I picked up some groceries and went into the downtown area and pulled into a spot by the McDonald’s and opened the back and made a sandwich and ate on the street.  After I started up my computer and used the McD’s free internet.  Now you can not sleep on a busy street in the downtown plus I think it might be illegal in certain towns so I got into the car and found a quiet side street and parked.  I got out my sleeping bag and curled up in the back seat.  I wasn’t perfectly comfortable but it was okay.  I had a decent sleep and no one bothered me.  The next morning I got up and drove to Conway National park and did a short hike to Cedar Creek Falls and then out to Shute Harbour for a tour around the area.  I went back into the downtown area where Magnums (a huge backpackers) is and walked in like I knew what I was doing and went back to the showers and got all cleaned up.  I decided to sleep in the car again and went thru the same procedure as the night before. The one place I did find this evening was a pub called the Rum Bar.  It had 147 varities of rum and it was hard for me not go crazy and try them all.  I controled myself and made it out before I decided to live at the place.

I was up really early to get to the harbour so that I could get a free parking spot before they all filled up as I was going to be gone on a boat for 3 days.  I packed my small bag and covered everything else in the car and was on my way to meet the crew of my sailboat.  I decided to sail on a Tall Ship called the Alexander Stewart.  We had 18 guests on the boat and 3 crew (captain, first mate and cook) to take care of us.  We got on the boat and got a safety demonstrationwhich was pretty quick and then on our way for 3 days of sailing.  We used the motor to get out of the harbour and then we got to help hoisting the sails.  We sailed past Daydream Island and through Unsafe Passage and onto Hook Passage.  Usually the wind blows from the east and they can’t sail the last part but today it was coming from the west and we got to sail all the way to our snorkeling spot at Dunbell Island.  The snorkeling was wicked and we saw so many fish and turtles, absolutely amazing.  After the snorkel we motored into Tounge Bay and did a hike to the lookout at Whitehaven Beach.  It was a short hike and then back on the boat for the evening.  We stayed in Tounge Bay and got a great supper and everyone got to know each other a little better.  There was an older German couple, a swiss couple, a brazilain couple, 2 canadian couples, a dutch couple with another friend along who ended up as my roommate and then 2 Scottish girls, a German and Austrain girl.  We all got along pretty well and had a good night.  The room I had was at the front of the boat and my bed was about as wide as me and not very long either.  It was comfortable enough I just did not move around a lot.  The next morning we went back to Whitehaven Beach which is known as one of the best in Australia and spent 2 hours there.  I spent most of it walking around the water and ended up seeing 6 stingrays in the shallow water swimming around my feet.  It was really cool and most of the others did not see any rays. Once we got back onto the boat we motored to the top of the Whitesunday Islands and then sailed all along the top Stonehaven Beach where we stayed for the night.  Another fun evening but we were all tired and in bed a lot earlier than the first evening.

Our last day on the water we motored to Langford Island and went for another awesome snorkel where we all saw turtles and plenty more fish.  From there we motored a little way and then caught a great wind and sailed all the way back to Airlie Beach, which the captain said that does not happen very often.  Once the sails were down an alarm started to go off and they were not sure what it was so the captain got me to take the helm and he went below to investigate.  I must have done a good job because when he came back he told me to stay where I was and I took us all into the harbour area.  Once we got close he took over and got us parked.  After 3 great days and 2 fun nights I was very happy about my sailing adventure on the Whitsundays and it was everything that everyone said it would be.  We all ended up meeting up at a bar that evening for a few drinks before we said goodbye for good.  I decided to stay at a hostel because I did not want to drive after having a few drinks.  The hostel ended up been a shit hole and I would have been better off in my car but oh well.

The next morning it was time to move on and I drove to Mackay and was there by lunch time.  I stopped for lunch and then was right back on the road.  On my way out of Mackay I saw 2 hitch hikers (one male and one female) with Canadian flags on their bags.  I pulled over and they hopped in.  They were both from a small town outside of London, Ont and had been in Aus for about 6 months.  We traveled to Rockhampton together and then found a caravan park to crash in.  We stopped at the store and picked up some steaks as Rockhampton is the beef capital of Aus and then went back to the park. We had a great supper and chatted for most of the evening.  There is not much to see in Rockhampton so they continued on in the morning and I toured around the city.  That lasted a few hours and with not much accomplished I made my way out of town and drove to a small community on the ocean called Anges Waters/1770.  1770 was named by Captain Cook when he landed here in 1770, that’s a tough one to remember.  I got into a hostel called Cool Bananas and it is a great place.  I chilled out in the evening and made some plans for the next few days or prososed plan.  I got up the next morning and did a tour around the area and found some places I could go fishing.  I talked with a guy at the bait and tackle shop and found out the time to go fishing and will be doing that tomorrow.  I did a few small hikes in the afternoon and finally finished writing this blog.

I will stay here another day and then on to Bundaberg which is named after the local Aus rum and where the plant is and yes I will be doing a tour.  From there I will be going to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island for a few days and then onto Brisbane and the sunshine coast.

Take care all,

Steve

PS:  Happy Birthday goes out ot my cousin Tyler even though it has passed.  Upcoming events are a birthday for my friend Angela and a wedding for Jon & Jolene (a big congrats to the 2 of you).  The Dietrich family reunion goes this weekend at my sisters farm in Gem and I think most are going to be there, unfortunately I will not but I plan to make a call while everyone is there.  On a more serious note, my newest nephew Nicholas (Gregs son) is going in for Kidney surgery and everyone is praying that all will be ok, no one 6 months old should have to go through this but i guess sometimes it happens. I guess that is it so I will quit rambling on….

PPS:just before I sent this blog, I got an email from mom saying that Nicholas’ surgery went very well and all is good!!!

If you like blogs about the road less traveled than most of this is going to be for you.  I have just spent the last 13 days roaming around the different islands of Vanuatu.  I started with 6 days in Port Vila which I spoke about in the last blog and  decided I needed to get to the outer islands and see what the real Vanuatu was like.  I booked the entire tour with a very nice lady by the name of Mima who runs Island Holiday Tours.   The entire tour cost 184,000 Vt which equals around $2000 Australian dollars. This is the account of those 13 days:

Day 1: Today was a tour of the main island of Efate where Port Vila is located. I was picked up at 9am by a van with 7 others and already I felt like a tourist instead of an explorer but after I had paid for the whole tour Mima threw this part in for free.  I couldn’t be that bad and the people were nice.  Our guide was a university student that was studying law and skipped out to do our tour for his aunt(Mima).  We did a short tour in Vila and then headed east along the coast, everything looks pretty much like jungle on one side and the ocean on the other.  The road is the only road and it goes all around the coast and I would be generous to actually call it a road but it is what I would expect in the smaller pacific nations.  They are in the process of fixing it as the Americans donated the money to get it done and a New Zealand group won the contract to fix it.  It is a slow process but it is getting done and as I continue to see it is not the Vanuatu people getting rich from projects in their own country.  The first stop was a place called Banana Bay which had a nice beach and our morning tea.  Sometimes the tourists would snorkel here but this early in the day no one was that interested and the weather was okay but not great.  We then had 2 stops for pictures at Forai Wharf and Epule River, after which we made our way to a village that is not on the map and I did not get the name of but we got to watch a custom dance from the men in the village.  The costumes reminded me  a lot of Fiji but the dance was very different and very entertaining.  After 4-5 dances we made our way out of the village and onto another village called Taka where we were fed a traditional meal of laplap and it was great I and most others went for seconds.  We then made our way to Emua where most of the boats come into Efate.  We walked along the port and onto the boat launch, I was walking toward the end and wanted to see how cold the water was and got to close because all of a sudden I was sliding into the water on the slippery boat launch.  I had enough time to throw my camera so that it did not get wet and i ended up wet up to my waist.  The workers got an oar and reached it out to me so that I could get back up and while I was getting back our guide can down and did the exact same thing and we all had a big laugh (by the way the water was warm). We then went by Havannah Harbour on the east side of Efate where the USA was based during WWII.  The area is known because when the war was over the Americans had a lot of equipment that they did not want to take back to the States so the pushed it all into the ocean and ruined it all and it is mostly still there today. From there we made our way back to Vila and back to my motel.  I went out for as nice supper figuring that I would not get many chances over the next 13 days and then early to bed.

Day 2:  I had the morning to myself and I did a little shopping for the trip and made my last payment.  I was picked up at noon and headed to the airport.  I got checked in for my trip to the island called Tanna and ended up meeting 3 Americans (Patrick, Molly & Anna) that were going back to Tanna to visit friends that they met from working their while in the Peace Corp.  They asked if I would be interested in touring with them on Thursday and since it was a free day for me I said I was in.  The main attraction on Tanna is the Mt. Yasur volcano which is very active.  I was picked up by my accommodation (Jungle Oasis) and we drove into the main town called Lenakel in a very nice 4wd.  We picked up supplies and the Americans negotiated a ride as well and they rode in the back of the truck.  We drove thru the jungle and then onto what they call an Ash Plain where obviously the ash from the volcano is settling.  It is amazing how in changes from lush jungle to nothing but a huge plain of ash.  My bungalow is at the bottom of the volcano and the closest accommodation to the volcano.  It gets dark around 5:30 so I basically got a quick tour and then had supper and back to my bungalow.  The power is by a generator and they turn it off at about 8:30 so it was an early night after some reading.  I am the only person at the place and everything is amazingly quiet except for when the volcano erupts and it sounds like thunder the keeps on going.

Day 3:  Breakfast was at 7am and then I had a little free time.  My guide (Sam) for the day showed up at about 9 and we walked to a village back in the jungle and I got to watch a custom dance by the villagers with the volcano in the background.  Now that it is only me and the guide it is feeling more traditional and the dance was great.  After we walked back to Jungle Oasis and I had some lunch and then showed up with 2 horses and said that we were going for a ride.  My horse was 20 years old and he went at his own pace which was slow and I did not mind that, I can’t remember the last time I was on a horse but my uncle, aunt and cousins in Bow Island would have been laughing (I guess I should have spent more time out there and actually learned how to ride one of these animals).  We rode out to the ash plain and got a great look at the volcano.  Sam tried to get the horses to go up the volcano a bit but my horse did not want anything to do with climbing and so we stayed at the bottom.  On the way back we went thru the jungle and along a bush track.  We were gone for about 2 hours and I had a lot of fun with it.  After a little break it was time for the highlight of the day, hiking to the top of the volcano. We made our way thru some jungle and ended up in a village where they have a tree house way up in a banyan tree, they plan to use it for accommodation once it is finished.  We continued from there and ended up on a road that takes most of the tourists up to the volcano.  We were about 3/4 of the way there and it was starting to get dark and so when a truck came by we hopped in the back and got a ride for the last bit.  The trucks drop you off and then you have to hike to the top of the crater.  We got to the top just at dusk and I got to see it in the light as well.  It got dark pretty quickly and this is the way to see it.  I have to say that this was an amazing site, we were about 100 yards ( 1 football field) above the lava on the crater edge.  The explosions of lava were loud, big, bright and went a long way into the air.  It is incredible that we can be so close and no barriers or precautions for the visitors, I am sure in almost any other country we would not be where we were.  This is an experience that no picture can explain but that is the only thing i have to show you and it is something I will never forget.  We were supposed to hike back in the dark but as we were there it started raining and Sam negotiated a ride down the volcano and to the resort.  They had supper waiting for me when I got back and then after a very full day I read for a while and went to bed.

Day 4: Today was a free day for me and the plan was to meet up with the Americans.  Unfortunately the weather was really bad all day and the Americans never showed up.  The days was spent reading and doing puzzles.  In the middle of the afternoon a group of day tourists showed up and they were fed and a local string band played some music which was a good way to break up the day.  I had supper and then i got out my computer and played some of the music on it for the locals and they played some of their local music. It was a fun evening as the rain continued.

Day 5: Breakfast was at 7 this morning and at 8 we were on our way back to Lenakel where I walked around the market. On our drive we stopped at a roadside stand and picked up some fresh peanuts, they were still attached to the stems of the plants.  After selling nuts for so long it was cool to taste them in there original form before they would be roasted. I bought some kind of bread/donut kinda thing for 20Vt and 3 mandarin oranges for 20vt.  My brother Rodney would love the markets in Vanuatu as he is a big fan of mandirin oranges during Christmas and there are absolutely tons of them here all year around and they taste great.  I was then taken to a back part of the village and had a traditional lunch for only 250vt and there was tons of food.  We then headed for the airport and my flight back to Vila.  I was picked up by Mima and taken to my motel with a few stops along the way to pick up some money and supplies.It was raining for most of the day again in Tanna and Vila and I am hoping that it gets better quickly before I head out on more hikes over the next few days.  I spent a little time on the internet and checked the weather and it does not look god for me.  I talked with a few locals and it seems that Vanuatu gets more rain tan sun.  They do not have dry and wet seasons and it seems that they are getting more and more rain every year.  I guess I should have looked at that before i left, oh well.  I have also been thinking that since the start of my trip I seem to be doing a lot of hiking and really liking it but not sure why I never got into it when I was back home with the Rocky Mountains at my doorstep.  I guess I will just put it to the busy life of a working man but I will need to do some exploring there before this is all over.

Day 6: Originally my flight to Pentecost was supposed to be at 9am but I got a phone call to say that I was on the early flight and that I would be picked up at 5:45am.  They were right on time and we made our way to the airport where I was told that I was not on the early flight and that my check in was not until 8am.  Mima was very sorry and lucky enough there is free internet at the airport so I checked a few things out and got caught up on Facebook.  At 9am we were on our way to the island of Pentecost where the traditional custom is Land Diving.  Now what is Land Diving you ask, well think about bungee jumping and then instead of stretching cord around your ankles it is vines from a mangrove tree which has no bounce.  They climb a tower that looks like it could fall at any moment and jump off a plank to the ground, and yes they hit the ground.  I am not sure what to call it (crazy, stupid or amazing).  The tradition started long ago at the start of Yam harvest so that the crops would be plentiful.  At the top of the hill all the locals gather and sing and chant before the jumper leaps off to lots of yelping and cheering.  The traditional dress in also intriguing, as the women were a grass skirt and are naked from the waist up.  The men are completely naked except for a leaf sheath that is wrapped around their penis, everything else is hanging out.  I was sitting with another Canadian girl from London that has been living in Australia for 6 years and is now a doctor and we both could not believe all that was going on.  At one point they had to stop jumping because the tower was unstable and they ties 1 vine to it and said it was good to go.  Every time they jumped I thought the whole tower was going to fall.  There were 7 jumpers and all lived to do it again.  After it was over most of the tourists that were there were ushered back to the plane and off to Vila.  I stayed behind and got a boat ride from where I was to another island called Ambrym.  Now the boat driver was told that I was supposed to go to the village of Ranvetlam.  The weather in the afternoon started to go bad again and here I am on a small boat in the middle of the ocean.  The waves were huge and we probably had no business been there but we made it across except not at Ranvetlam.  The driver ended up at a village called Magam and left me with the villagers there because they wanted to get back to Pentecost before the seas got to bad.  The locals called my guide in Ranvetlam and he came to pick me up in a fishing boat.  By the time he got there it was getting dark and we only went as far as a village called Ranon where they fed me and gave me a bungalow to stay in.  It was not much but it was all I really needed.  They gave me a lantern for light and with as full as the day was I was in bed early.

Day 7:  In the ,morning I got breakfast and then on the boat again to get to Ranvetlam.  Today we hike to another volcano.  I met my guide (Ben) who will take me around for the next 2 days into the jungles of Ambrym.  Most of my clothes and stuff was left at the village and it would meet me at the airport on my way out, so I had my day pack and a tent to carry.  Ben carried all the food and the rest of the stuff.  We hiked for about 3 hours in rain and sun through the jungle and ended up out on an ash plain.  This plain was different than in Tanna as there was jungle all around the plain.  It looked like when the volcano (Marom) last blew (1913) the lava flowed through certain parts and others were untouched.  We followed the ash plain for another 2 hours and made it to or campsite.  We set our tent and threw our bags in and continued on our way to the top.  Marom is not active like Mt Yasur with big explosions but it is still active.  We continued up the volcano and the weather was not co-operating very well, it was windy, rainy and there was a ton of smoke coming out of the volcano.  We got to a point near the top and Ben said that it would be unsafe to continue and that we would be risking our lives if we went on.  The wind was strong and almost blew me off the volcano a couple of times so I was not about to argue.  It was really disappointing to get so close (we were about 15 minutes away from the top) and not be able to complete the hike.  As we hiked back down to the campsite it got a little nicer but when you looked back at the volcano it was completely covered with cloud and smoke, I am not sure how we got as close as we did.  Our total hike today was bout 15kms and by the time I got back I was very tired.  Ben went out and collected some firewood which was not easy with all the rain we were getting but he was able to get enough to have a nice little fire.  Between the fire and out flashlights that was the only light we had from 5:30 on thru the night.  We had our supper of tuna and rice and chatted about our different cultures.  I asked how many people actually do the hike I was on and Ben said that there are usually about 100 per year but this year was slow and I was only about the 20th to do it.  They only hike the volcano from January to September because the locals say that during planting season it is bad to hike up the volcano because it might bring bad crops.  We went to bed at about 8 but I did not sleep very much.  All I had was a thin mat to sleep on and the ground was very hard and uneven.  Good thing it was not that cold out because we did not have sleeping bags either.  I put on my sweat pants and fleece and was warm enough.  I think Ben was a little more used to this as he was snoring in a mater of minutes.  At one point in the night I looked at my watch thinking that it must be getting close to morning and it was only 12:30.

Day 8:  After a very long night were up with the sun at about 6am.  We had some breakfast and took down the tent, luckily we were leaving the tent in the bush so I did not have to carry it the second day.  We started hiking at 6:45 and were headed to  East part of Ambrym and a village called Meltugan.  This hike was along the ash plains of Marom and its twin volcano Benbo.  The rain was off and on again today and we got to the village at around 1pm.  We made very good time because this hike was longer than the first day but Ben was unsure of the actual distance.  By the time we got there I was very tired and we had a light lunch and then I had a nap.  I got up at 3:30 and had a shower which was a bucket of cold water and nothing else. It wasn’t the best shower but it got off some of the dirt.  The really bad part was the toilet, and I won’t even try to describe it, just image it was bad.  Now on a good note, all the different trees in the area are neat, as I look out my bungalow I can see a banana, mango, orange, coconut, papaya and breadfruit trees. Later on the chief of the village showed up and invited me for some kava and supper.  This was the best part of the day, I had been looking forward to trying some local kava but none was offered to this point.  The kava here is much stronger than in Fiji and I could tell after the first cup.  There is no formal ceremony like Fiji they just make it and drink whenever they want.  I got a very full cup to start and felt it right away.  We sat around and chatted for about 1 hour drinking more (I had 2 more cups) and then I was taken for dinner.  I could feel the effects and I probably wasn’t walking that straight.  We had a good supper and then went straight to bed.  We I looked at the clock I could not believe that it was only 7:30 and I was going to bed.  I thin it took me about 3 seconds to fall asleep and was out until about 6am.

Day 9:  What a great sleep and I needed it. Today was a travel day.  We left the Meltugan village around 9 and headed for the airport at Craig Cove. My backpack was there and waiting for me when we got there.  This was an interesting airport as the landing strip was grass and all the locals were there.  The plane only comes twice a week and so this is there only way to get things from the mainland and send things there as well.  I had to laugh because someone had live chickens that they were sending to another island.  Each one was in a rice sack with just its head sticking out, at first I thought it was dead and then it started moving around and so did all the others.  Another local got on the flight and he was carrying his machette, they go every where with them.  There is no checking bags for illegal or explosive items here.  We flew to Malekula to pick up some more passengers and then on to Santo and my next island.  I was picked up at the airport by my guide Timmie and transported to my motel.  I had the rest of the day to explore the town of Luganville and chilled out for the afternoon and got ready for more hiking on Day 10.  Walked around town and checked out the local market and got some supplies for the next few days.  The motel had a kitchen so I made my own supper and then retired to my room and started working on this blog.

Day 10: Today started like every other day in Vanuatu, with rain.  I can’t believe how much it has rained while I have been here and this is supposed to be a good month to be here.  Today was more hiking and a trip to the Millenium Cave.  It got its name because it opened to public use in 2000 after long discussions with the chief who thought it to be a sacred site, but the almighty tourist dollar won out and now people go all the time.  I was picked up at 8am and surprised that I was the only one on the tour today.  We took a 1 hour drive over a rough dirt road to a village northwest of Luganville called Nambel.  Here I met my guide (Aaron) and took a muddy 35 minute walk over bamboo bridges and through lush tropical vegetation to the remote village of Funaspef.  The trek from here leads through thick jungle that was completely wet and like walking in a mud bog.  It is a steep descent down muddy slopes and stick ladders with ropes along the way to help guide you to the entrance of the cave.  The cave is huge with water up to your waist and light stemming in through from above.  The 30 minute walk through the cave using flashlights to guide us was excellent and I got to see bats, sparrows, spiders and lots of bat shit that smelt pretty bad.  The picturesque way out leads to the fast flowing Sarakata River.  This is where we stopped for lunch on the banks of the river and got re-energized.  From here we followed the river over and under large boulders and through fresh water swimming holes.  I was given a small kids floatly thing to ride the current along (thank god that I was also given a life jacket).  We went through 4 different swimming holes broken up each time by outcroppings of big rocks.  The scenery was breathtaking.  The trip ended with a 30 minute hike up a steep incline, which at points we were going up the middle of a waterfall, back to Funaspef village for a light snack and then hiking back another 35 minutes to the vehicle.  This was the only day that it didn’t really matter if it rained because I was in the water for a good part of it and was soaked through, but it rained anyway.  After getting back I picked up a few other supplies and then had supper and chilled for the evening.

Day 11:  Today was a travel day or at least that is what I am calling it because I had no real activities set up for today.  My morning was free and I spent the time wandering around Luganville and see what else they had to offer.  I ended up finding a fishing tour but not enough time to do it but I may still try to go fishing in Vila.  I had lunch at the market and got a steak with rice and veg all for 300Vt which is a great deal.  My ride to the airport picked me up at 12:30 and I got checked in.  The flight to my next destination (Norsup on the island of Malekula) was a long, long  flight of a whole 15 minutes, you gotta love island hopping.  Flying into Norsup was pretty cool as this island has the biggest coconut operation in Vanuatu and there are coconut trees for as far as the eye can see.  I was met at the airport by George and we took a 45 minute drive to my accommodation Rose Bay Bungalows.  They are set up right next to the black sand beach and have everything you would need expect power.  I had some free time to roam around and check out the beach  but no swimming as the waves coming in a really big and it is very windy out, but no rain, cloudy but still no rain.  Supper was at 7 and I got tuna and noodles along with banana bread pudding and the bananas here are great.  I was given a lantern for light but it did not work to well and so much of the evening was spent in the dark and of course that meant early to bed.

Day 12: This morning started with breakfast at 7am and then George and I walked to a village called Amelboas.  This is part of the Small Nambas tribe of people and they did a custom dance for me.  It started with men using tamtams (trees hollowed out to make sounds like drums) and singing.  The men are dressed similar to those at Pentecost with just a leaf around their penis.  After the drumming then the women came out and again dressed only in skirts with beads around their necks they did a song where they passed grapefruit to each other and sang.  Then the men came back and did a canoe dance and then the women came out and did another song and dances in a circle.  It all ended with the men doing a goodbye dance with one dressed as an eagle.  After it all I shook all of their hands and we were on our way back to my bungalow.  We had some lunch and then again walked for about 30minutes to a boat that took me across to a small island called Wala (George is from here). We toured into the interior of the island where they have a cannibal site.  He took me to the grave of a past chief that even the locals do not go to and then to another sacred place where the top of the chiefs skull is kept.  If I was not invited by George to see these things than they say evil spirits will haunt me and as we were walking away for some reason the hair on my arms was standing on end, a little freaky.  We then went to the beach where a lady did the kustom sand writing where once you start drawing the tool used does not stop or come out of the sand until the end.  She did 4 drawings and they were all pretty cool.  After that we relaxed for a bit at the beach and I watched as the men were fishing.  The fishing entailed 6 men, 5 in the water with mask and snorkel and one in a canoe.  They would swim along and search for a school of fish once someone had found one then they all swam toward them and encircled them with a big net.  Once the fish were in the net they would dive down and grab them and throw them into the canoe.  They were pretty damn good at it to and seemed to be getting a lot more fish than the others that were using hand lines from the shore.  We then headed back to Amelboas where i was given some kava and a chat with the chief and now the villagers all clothed again. From there is was back to the bungalow for supper and another relaxing evening.  One thing was different today than all the others in that for once there was no rain all day.

Day 13:  Up and packed early today and breakfast at 7 again.  From there we walked to the transport truck because the road was partly washed out and could not make it all the way to the bungalow.  I got to the airport with plenty of time and got checked in and waited for my 10:30 flight back to Port Vila.  The airport in Malekula is very small and basically consists of  one small building to check people and packages in and a landing strip.  This airport actually has a paved landing strip where plenty are just grass.  They said that the airport in one of the outer islands is closed because the grass is to long to land the plane and the lawnmower is broken and they are waiting for a part for it but it needs to come by plane which can’t land, interesting dilemma to have.  The morning started with sunshine but as we were waiting for the plane a big storm came in a soaked everything.  The plane waited the storm out in the air and ten landed and shortly after we were on our way for the 45 minute flight to Port Vila.  I was picked up by the tour operator and taken to my motel.  I have been writing this blog ever since and trying to get it posted.  But the rest of the day has been pretty relaxing.

Random Thoughts:
I think my nephew and niece (Emerson & Kirstin) would like the outer islands for the chicken catching, but I am not sure they would get very many of these ones.  They know to go into the safety of the bush where you can’t run very fast and they are shifty little creatures.

I am still not sure what to say about Vanuatu as it has been my least favorite spot so far and I would not call in paradise as many of the brochures say.  It is different not liking a place that much since I have loved everything else so far.  I know not every place is going to be perfect but just weird with this been the first one.  If anyone is thinking of heading this way I would recommend Fiji long before Vanuatu.

I have today (Saturday June 27th) and tomorrow left in Port Vila to see whatever else I want and then on Monday I fly back to  Cairns via Sydney and Brisbane.  I will be flying all day as my first flight is at 9am and I land in Cairns at 10:20pm.  Then I have 3 months to see the east coast of Oz.

I think that is all from here, with summer in full swing back home I hope everyone is enjoying some sunshine and warm temperatures.  I am sure most in Calgary are getting ready for the stampede and the golfers are cussing and swearing that those lessons still have not got them any better.

Everyone take care,

Steve

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