I'd never heard of Vanuatu before this. Or Noumea, Suva, Norfolk Island, Pango Pango. So, I made a point to myself to visit the local museum on the islands as I went, to try and be a little bit more enlightened about where I was. Perfect example was at the Fiji museum in Suva. After perusing many outrigger canoes, tapa cloth and war clubs, I came across a cool collection of beautiful 3-prong wood carvings. Megan and Callum were with me and they of course asked about what I was giving all my attention to. So, I read the description... these were cannibal forks! Used by the Fijians (and many other South Pacific islanders) not that long ago. Enlightening. Do you tell 5 and 8 year olds about cannibalism?

Anyways... Vanuatu used to be known as New Hebrides (HE brih deez). It was a country that both the French and the English laid claim to so they both agreed to share the country. The government was known as "the Condominium" and was an interesting lesson in politics. Vanuatu was run by two governments who both, in theory, controlled a people that "belonged" to the islands, but in reality, the people really were governed by no one and didn't really belong anywhere. Obviously a recipe for disaster, and that it was. In the end the ni-Vanuatu eventually gained their independence, but there is still a strong French influence as a result. The country is as you would imagine a third world country to be, except that the poor here don't go hungry - there are enough coconuts and local resources to feed the 240k people that live on the 83 islands. I was in Vanuatu on their Constitution Day - October 10 was the day of their independence. We'd been told that it was a very important holiday and that everything would be closed -- we expected a ghost town. Well, it just so happened to also be a cruise ship day - a weekly event where loads of vacationing Australians flood into the town for one day with money to spend. Independence day or not, the doors to every store and duty free shop were wide open all day. I guess capitalism is sometimes reason enough to balk tradition.

Torben is a wonderful 60-something year old man I met in the yacht club who is sailing around the world alone on Blue Tongue. He looks like he just walked off a viking ship in a history book (or from ZZ Top) with his long blond/gray hair and a full beard. An accomplished Danish law professor with a wife and kids in Denmark, he decided 3 years ago to take off, and to do it alone. Sailing around the world is one thing, but doing it solo is another. Besides the solitude, how does one manage the actual sailing? I asked him about it and he told me he had an egg timer. The idea is that you sleep for 45 min at a time, 24 hours a day on a passage - always keeping an eye out for ships and squalls. Can you imagine doing that for the 25 straight days it took Torben to cross the Pacific from Galapagos to Marquesa?? It sounds impossible to me, but there are many single-handers who are doing it, and would have it no other way. I guess with his trusty clarinet by his side, the various friends he meets along the way and regular phone calls home are enough to keep him going. Torben even played his clarinet for me - Bali Hai.

I finally went up the mast. I was dangling from a "chair," held up by a mere bowline knot 60 feet high in the air above the water, with 4 people pulling on a rope below me. I was sent up to replace a lazyjack and restring some other thing - I honestly had no idea what I was doing. You'd be amazed at what can be accomplished with a lot of pointing and yes and no questions. The swaying mast and having to dodge an obstacle course of wire cables and ropes on the way up made it a bit scary, but it was an exhilirating feeling and an amazing view once I made it to the top. I'm just thankful that the boat was anchored, in a harbor, with little wind, calm seas, and a sunny sky. Doing this at sea in the middle of a gale would be a lot less fun.

The best things are often off the beaten path, and boy it was a beaten path to get to Banana Bay. But, it was paradise at the end of the bumpy dirt road. I was privileged to be invited by some local friends to see such a beautiful place. Crystal clear water in every shade of blue, white sugar fine sand, bouganvilla and palm trees everywhere, and no one around for miles. A photo could never do it justice.

My last night in Vanuatu was spent at our own farewell BBQ - a party tradition for departing sailboats. Many bottles of Tusker Beer (Vanuatu's very own brew) were consumed and it was sad to say goodbye to everyone. The wonderful and interesting people I have met so far have become quick friends - I find myself with a growing list of email addresses and places to visit around the world.

As a funny aside, we all tramped to the immigration office on Wed afternoon to check out. Posted on the door was a sign that said, "Office closed due to death." Someone dies and the whole operation shuts down - how many employees are in that office? We were all a bit befuddled as to how we were going to be able to leave at 6am the next morning - who knows how many days the office would be closed? One of the crew had a bright idea and traipsed off to the airport. He tracked down the customs and immigration officers and invited them to the BBQ that night. In the midst of beer and food consumption and merry making, we all got signed out, our passports stamped, and the boat cleared. Gotta love when Admin comes to you... and stays until the end of the party.

So, I didn't have to buy a plane ticket after all... I found a ride. The sailing trip to New Zealand was a dream come true for me - from the sailboat to the crew to the experiences we had along the way. Stay tuned for the Entry #6!

Until then,
Judy