We sailed to Vanuatu!   We entered the harbour just after midnight on May 23 and dropped our anchor by moonlight.  

It was the next morning before we got a look at our surroundings.  The day was grey and drizzling.  Thermal vents around the shoreline spouted plumes of steam which clung to the lush slopes above.  Fishermen in crude dugout canoes paddled slowly around the bay.   My passage-fuzzy brain took a while to process all of this.  Where are we?  When are we?

We were in Port Resolution, on Tanna Island.  Our passage from New Caledonia had taken two days.  The customs officials only visit Port Resolution every few days, and we had unfortunately just missed them.  We’d have to remain on the boat until we could clear in to the country.

No big deal.  We’ll just wait for them to come back.  We can pass the time reading and baking, with the occasional family sing-along! 

We ended up waiting for two days.  We passed the time arguing and moping, with the occasional attempted homicide.  It turns out being confined to the boat at anchor was a lot harder than being at sea.  We we were tired and frustrated, impatient to meet up with friends ashore. 

By the end Sarah and I were ready to hurl ourselves into a volcano.  On Tanna Island this is a credible parenting strategy, thanks to the nearby Mount Yasur.

We eventually cleared customs.  We connected with old friends and met some new ones and everyone felt immediately better.  As the sun set the next evening we were standing on the crater rim of an active volcano, along with three other sailing families.

We stood behind a safety barrier that was purely a suggestion.  Every 5 or 10 minutes a chest rumbling explosion would expel gas and throw molten rocks up to eye level.  The accompanying aroma was not pleasant, but the experience was amazing.

After the volcano I had a chance to speak to a local elder about village life on Tanna.  He enjoys hunting.  He uses a bow and arrow for small game, or dogs and a knife to hunt wild pigs. He lamented that the village kids don’t hunt anymore.  They they just spend all day staring at their phones.  He then excused himself to deal with an incoming message on his phone, which gave me time to reflect.  When was the last time my own children took down a wild pig?  Like, never!?  Pfffff.

We did see a lot of cellphones around the villages.  These devices seem out of place amongst woven grass huts and thatched roofs.  These villages were the most primitive that we’ve seen.  No vehicles and not many manufactured goods.  Village life looked pretty sweet  for the young kids, but maybe a little quiet for a teenager.  When the sun goes down, there were very few lights, as electricity was scarce.

Sarah and another boater went into a village one day to debug an issue with a solar panel installation.  They were successful, and in thanks we were treated to a beach picnic and kava session that evening.  

The kava in Vanuatu is said to be stronger than in Fiji, but you still need to consume a fair quantity to feel any effect. After I tossed back my half coconut shell serving, our host described how they prepare the drink:  The young village boys chew the kava roots, then spit them into a container to be mixed with water, and then filtered.

“Oh… neat”.   I projected the smile of someone who just drank spit, but still wants to appear cool and polite.

“But not this batch”, our host elaborated.  He had walked to the neighboring village to use a kava grinder as he was aware some foreigners could be squeamish with the traditional preparation.  I was touched by his consideration and the effort he had gone to for us.

Along with lava and kava, Tanna Island is also home to the John Frum cargo cult.  The movement formed after locals witnessed the bounty of manufactured goods brought by troops in World War 2.  Their core belief is that a messiah (John Frum) will one day return with a massive quantity of consumer goods.  

I hope he takes his time.  Modernization may be inevitable, but these are special places as they are.

Next stop: The capital city, Port Vila!