18:49.553S 169:00.650E - The Villages of Vanuatu #2

Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Tue 26 Jul 2022 07:07
The Villages of Vanuatu #2

We say farewell to Port Resolution in the early morning of the 21st July.
The short sail northwest to Dillon Bay, (Erromango Island) is blissful -
main and genoa up, winds of 16-20 knots, achieving a speed over ground of
7-8 knots. We are, however, very happy to anchor in the calm, flat seas of
Dillon Bay in the early afternoon. George and I jump right into the
crystal-clear waters for a cooling swim. A large full river flows into the
bay providing ample delicious fresh water to the local villages. David, the
Dillon Bay Yacht Club proprietor, paddles out in his dugout canoe to welcome
us and ask if we would like a tour of the village and the river valley the
next morning. We are delighted and make a date for 09:00 the following
morning.

David explains that a recent huge storm wiped out much of the village
vegetable growing grounds, some houses, his yacht club jetty, and more,
causing untold damage everywhere, and this after the Covid two and a half
year shut down. Despite the devastation, the village looks well kept, with a
web of beautiful pebble paths leading to houses, meeting areas, the medical
clinic and school - again lined with exquisitely manicured, colourful
landscaping. The windy conditions inevitably lead to rubbish strewn here and
there. We would love to do a village clean up but realize that this would be
the ultimate insult. The villagers are proud of their secluded piece of
paradise - and rightly so. We learn a day or two later from OWR boat Latobe,
after we have left, that David's 2-month-old granddaughter has died. We
wonder what the child mortality rate is on these remote islands. The day we
left Tanna Island, we heard of a 25-year young man dying of appendicitis.
All medical advances have not yet reached these far-flung spots. David tells
us that they have developed their own Covid vaccine, with lemon juice,
coconut milk and a concoction of wild growing herbs and grasses. I pray that
these simple living, socially sophisticated peoples are not wiped out with
the opening of their borders. We have been careful to leave anyone aboard
who is not yet Covid negative. Finally, we seem to all be healthy.

David guides us around the village and through the woods, showing us
majestic Kauri trees from New Zealand and sweet-smelling native Sandalwood.
He tells us stories of cannibalism in times gone by, of blood shed driven by
the high market value of that peacefully growing Sandalwood, and of the
cruelty inflicted on the locals by the Christian missionaries.

We come eventually to a wide rocky riverbank clearing and are invited to
swim and eat coconut flesh. David is, all the while, walking in a pair of
boots whose soles and uppers have long since parted company. We are
delighted to offer him a pair of runners that had been mistakenly left
behind by Angus Miller. David hugs us in delight and gratitude. We send a
photo of the beaming David to Angus.

The ladies, David's wife, Ronda, her cousin, Priscilla and her daughter,
prepare us a delicious feast for lunch. I had heard tell that we might be
offered lobster, so I warn Louis and George, (both dangerously allergic to
all shellfish). The excuse of getting the shoes for David takes them out of
harm's way fast. We dine on boiled lobster, fish noodle soup, pumpkin,
cassava, and yams, with coconut milk sauce, fish samosas and beignets,
washed down with lime and passion fruit juice. The locals in ever increasing
numbers watch as we eat! I ask Rob if he would mind going back to the boat
to get all our cookie supplies. He kindly obliges, we gain lots of little
friends forever!

The delightful day ended with a few rousing songs, sung by the now huge
group of locals, all, it seems, related to David, accompanied by David on
his guitar. We led a group rendition of "If You're Happy and You Know it" in
reply. Many giggles, smiles, and hugs later we bid our Erromango friends
goodbye, leaving eyeglasses, solar lights, canned food, clothing, and
cookies as a token of our appreciation, along with promises to the
schoolteachers of packages of supplies to come.