Port Resolution, the Village

Tashi Delek
Mike & Carol Kefford
Mon 29 Sep 2014 06:56

The village was absolutely delightful.  Immaculate, welcoming and very pretty. 

 

Caroline sits with a pile of shredded palm leaf on her knee…..

 

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However, on closer inspection, she is making a bag to sell in the village co-operative shop.  (We bought one)

 

 

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Stanley, who had looked after us the day before going to town and the volcano.  He was very much a leader within the village and extremely interesting to talk to.  Yachties leave whatever they can that may be of use in the various villages but this of course means that only those villages near an anchorage really benefit.  Stanley distributes to other villages in the area to spread the benefits. 

 

On the Vanuatu SSB radio net, run by cruisers in the area, there is a section each day for requests from the villages on any of the islands.  The yachts can therefore take supplies, parts and people between the islands.

 

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The village green and football pitch….

 

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and the team strip out to dry.  Look behind the washing line at the houses, they are all made from wood and palm fronds with gardens around.

 

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A short walk through the village and you reach the beach on the other side of the headland. 

 

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Stunning; so forgive the slightly cheesy shot of the happy couple sitting on an upturned dugout, outrigger canoe.

 

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The old and the new; the dingy and the dugout with outrigger and fishing net.  The dugouts last about three years and there is a particular season for making them.  We, well actually Lorie the paddling specialist to the fleet, observed that the different islands mounted the outriggers in different ways.  All to achieve some flexibility between the outrig bit and the canoe to accommodate the waves.

 

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When you take things for the villagers (tins of food, rope, fishing hooks, clothes, toys) you are asked what you would like in return.  Usually fruit and veg according to whatever is freely available locally.  We wanted coconuts and banana’s but the last of the ripe ones had already gone so Stanley said that he would find some and bring them out before we left.  We said not to worry if there weren’t any and thought no more about it.  Just as we were pulling up our anchor we heard shouting and saw Stanley paddling hard towards us.  Good to his word he got the ripe bananas to us. 

 

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