We're definitely needing to sort our clocks out and find 'island time'.  First attempt to visit the volcano was aborted due to a car too shot to be able to make the 6Km trip to Mount Vasur.  Having just returned I'm surprised any car can make that distance.  Suspect Hertz haven't invested in a franchise group here.

School kids long jumping

Huge sacred banyan tree

Traditional Canoe

 

The car no-show in fact turned out to be for the best.  We where able to spend an afternoon in the village visiting the school playing field to watch the kids practicing for a forth coming long jump competition.  There after, our guides where a wonderful group of super smiley kids who after giving us a tour of their wonderfully real village, straight out of the pages of National Geographic, had great fun with Z and C playing ball,  they don't half put our kids catching and throwing skills to shame.  The village is beautiful and magically tranquil.  Hundreds of low thatched woven houses on hard dirt surrounding areas, all meticulously swept. However on the fringes of these compounds the wild jungle looks ever ready to pounce. Every 5 or 6 family compounds seem to share a hand pump or if a little wealthier motorised stand pipe. 

What is very clear is this village might be monetarily poor, but their lives are hugely rich.  The sense of community is really strong.  Each time we've wandered into the village we're generously welcomed.  By early afternoon much of the hunting, gathering, schooling or other work form has been completed, thereafter it's time to relax chew the cud that being kava for some.  But there's often a vigorous game of soccer for the men or volley ball for the girls. 

 Twins – note the knife!

   Real parrots

 

Cosmo bought, with his pocket money, his much longed for bow and arrow yesterday.  It's certainly not a bit of tourist tat, he wasn't the only one sitting around armed with his weapon, some of the younger men where about to go off into the jungle to down a few birds for their tea and were sporting the same killing devise. So we're hoping Cosmo with return from Vanu' being a top archery competitor, shouldn't be too much to ask given the wealth of expert teachers he has on offer.

 

In keeping with all other Pacific islands we're rarely able to leave land without a hand woven basket and delicious orange fleshed bananas.  This is a whole different world to anywhere we have been thus far,  now a few more days acclimatizing to the culture we're loving it.