Mount Yasur---Volcano
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Sun 5 Aug 2012 22:34
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We were told that a ''must do'' trip was to visit
the volcano on Tanna Island about 120 miles south. We did not sail there as the
anchorage in Port Resolution is meant to be difficult with little shelter and
immigration and customs time
consuming. So we flew!
We were picked up by the owner of Unity Airlines in
his Land Rover---a 1987 model and one of four that he had bought from the
Singapore army.
 The airplane also had
a history. First used in Zimbabwe it then spent 8 years in a hanger in Greece
before being put back into service three months ago We flew down to Tanna and then had a 2 hour drive
across the island to the volcano passing through many small villages. The Chiefs
of the villages are trying to maintain their privacy so stopping was not on the
agenda but we did get a flavour of their life. We passed the Chiefs meeting
place
 and saw some village life
 The tracks were extremely rough and it was slow
progress but eventually we reached the other side of the island and Mt Yasur
came into view
 a little further on the landscape was that of
volcanic ash and we were driven at high speed across it
 the red image in the photograph is a couple of
villagers walking to their village----the wind whips up the ash and it is
painful to the eyes. Living at the foot of the volcano must be
tough.
We drove round the back of the volcano and then
started the drive up to the top
  We arrived at ''base camp'' and then climbed up to
the rim of the volcano
 and looked down into it from the upwind side
 It built up a head of steam with large amounts of
cloud/ash
 and the ground
shuddered as it erupted throwing molten rocks into the sky Too close for comfort perhaps
 but an amazing experience and well worthwhile. The
volcano can be visited at night when the 'firework' display is even more
effective.
We flew back to Port Vila, Helen sitting next to
Nadine----yes another Nads!
 and with Mark in the front we overflew Marita's
anchorage.
 On Saturday we hired a car and drove round the
island
  all rather desolate with property speculators
trying to sell plots on which supposedly people might build---most unlikely. We
managed to avoid a coconut crab on the road
 on Sunday we went to Church. All the vistors in the
congregation had to stand up and introduce themselves and say where they came
from----the priest was highly amused that we had sailed from Cornwall and
immediately asked if we had brought Cornish pasties with us!! Lots of singing in
pidgin English
  afterwards all the visitors had to shake
hands with all the members of the congregation (about 120)
 .............and now to Australia!
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