Fw: Port Villa and Tanna

Sea Topaz
Duncan Briggs
Sat 16 Oct 2010 01:58
17.44.800 S  168.18.690 E
----- Original Message -----
To: blog
Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2010 12:51 PM
Subject: Port Villa and Tanna

We have been on a mooring buoy in Port Villa for a week and have been very busy since then. There is so much to do and see. Provisioning is good, but not cheap, except for the fresh fruit and veg. There are several good restaurants and plenty of cultural tours. We did a round the island tour with Irene and Roy from "Peggy West"; learned a lot about Vanuatu and enjoyed ourselves. We went back to Tanna by plane, as we felt we had to see the volcano. It was worth it, standing on the edge of a live volcano as it gets dark is spectacular. We spent the night in a resort and visited a kustom village the next morning before flying back to Port Villa. The village was very interesting; they showed us how some villages still live in Tanna;  again we learned so much about the culture and how they are one with nature. Men still wear nambas (penis sheath) and women grass skirts. They are trying very hard to keep it that way, but it is difficult.
This morning we filled up with fuel and water, will do more provisioning and leave tomorrow early for some of the other islands further north. Next stop Lamen Bay on Epi Island.
 
     
 
        Mount Yasur ash fields                            Lava explosion from the crater                                    Thick, smelly smoke the next minute
 
         
 
Duncan with the chief from the village                Demonstration of playing the flute
 
 
                    Kids making fire