Vanua Lava Festival
Kokamo's Pacifc Meanderings
Tom and Rachel
Fri 10 Sep 2010 09:21
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Until this morning Kokamo was
at 13:49.6S 167:22.9E
After a wonderful few days at the
cultural festival we were pretty relieved to move a little further up
the coast to Waterfall Bay and escape the crazy gusts of wind and the
constant rolling. Repeated nights of wrestling with our stern
anchor were beginning to wear a little thin. Luckily we were well
entertained by the festival and the incredibly welcoming people from
the village of Vetumboso. Highlights included more spectacular
dancing, being shown special kastom stones used to improve the harvets of
particular crops and not forgetting the kastom magic. In fact we felt rather
sorry for the magician - It was a far cry from the glitzy high budget
illusions we are used to but he had a whole store of tricks up his sleeve
including attempts at picking up a large conch shell with only a palm leaf
(the synics amongst the audience felt sure a hermit crab may have had
something to do with it) and kindling fire from a taro - but unfortunately
he was rather thwarted by the windy, rainy weather and nothing really went
according to plan - we knew how he felt. Nevermind he redeemed
himself with a trick in which his son ate a load of coconut and then
produced the mashed pulp out of his ear into large cane of bamboo - the
kids loved that one!!
Waterfall bay was a little more
relaxed and we joined cheif Kerely and his family at the bamboo 'yacht club' on
the beach. On arrival the whole family sang a special
welcome song in four part harmony to the tune of 'God save the Queen'
- you can probably imagine our stifled giggles!. Swimming in the pool
under the huge twin waterfalls was very spectacular and we enjoyed a
gourmet feast having traded torch batteries for a couple of lobster - not
bad!!
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