Sep 14-23, 2015 Erromango - Port Vila - Chief Roi Mata

Sep 14-16 Erromango

We planned to just stop at Erromango for the night then sail on to Port Vila, but we really liked it. We did a short hike along the river to the fresh water swimming hole. Our skin still felt a little weird getting in the water (still tingly from ciguatera), but it was really nice to swim and get clean.

David from the Dillon's Bay Yacht Club took us to see his ancestor's skull cave. It was in the cliff above a beautiful sand beach. There were actually 2 caves, one at ground level and one we had to climb to. In the lower cave you could see the remnants of a whole human body laid out on a large stone. In the upper cave there were 5 skulls, the main chief and 2 of his wives, and a lower chief and his wife. The chiefs would have died naturally, but the wives were killed to be with their husbands.

Action Aid Australia and the people of Dillon's Bay were hosting a women's forum with ladies from all the villages on the island and all their chiefs. It was fascinating listening to the speeches and getting an insight into the issues that affect these villages, even though everything was in Bislama. There were only 3 white attendants, me, the AAA lady, Sonia, and Russ from Peace Corp. I had some great discussions with each of them and Jocelyn, who lives on the island and has been active in preventing domestic violence for years. I hadn't realized how much I had missed stimulating conversations, not just talking about where to find food and the best diving.

Men making lunch at the women's forum (not a common sight)

Rock where a whole body is lying.

 

Sep 16-22 Port Vila

It was nice to get to the main city to be able to get some variety into our food and for fresh veggies. Unfortunately all of the fruit in the country was destroyed in Cyclone Pam, and very little has regrown yet, so we couldn't buy much fruit. Although local raspberries were in season, and they were delicious.

Port Vila was a very nice city, with amazingly clean water, and surrounded by scenic islands. The city was badly damaged from the cyclone, but they have rebuilt incredibly quickly, but every so often you see evidence of the destruction. We were shocked at how many boats were washed up on the various shores.

We enjoyed all the big city had to offer, fine patiseries, big grocery stores, laundry, shopping, movie theater, restaurants, and of course lots of ice cream. Sam explored the bar scene for us and met some French girls and Ni-Van guys.

We caught up with many friends, especially Lumbaz. The kids spent most of their time, when not doing school, with them and they made a silly movie about mermaids. It was sad to say goodbye as we will not see them again in our travels.

Geni, Anara, Danni, Luna, Nils and Noa from Lumbaz

Sep 23 Chief Roi Mata

From Port Vila we sailed 20 miles to Havana Harbour, still on Efate Island. We visited the home and the 2 burial sites of Chief Roi Mata, Vanuatu's only World Heritage site. He died 400 years ago and was famous for being the main chief of all the islands in Vanuatu and bringing peace to the country. He implemented a clan system that integrated people from various islands and villages around the country making then have to work together. He also told the people that they had to marry outside their clan, this is still being implemented today. His death is also famous, he was poisoned by the neighboring village. When he died he was brought to a spectacular cave on Lelepa island, then he was paraded around Efate, then he was brought to Eretoka (Hat) island and buried for 100 days. After that time, some of his wives, his warriors, the medicine man, and others all went to his grave, drank very strong kava so that they were almost paralyzed, then they were all buried alive to show their respect for him. There are at least 50 people buried with him, but some reports say that it was as high as 300.

 Beach in front of Chief Roi Mata's house

Petroglyphs inside the amazing cave on Lelepa Island

Image of Chief Roi Mata 

Grave site where Chief Roi Mata and at least 50 of his followers were buried.

Today is Gary and my 20th wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that we have been married that long. I think we have given each other the best present, this trip. Gigi just made us a key lime pie, and I will make duck for dinner.  In 2 days it will be Gigi's 13th birthday, which is really hard to believe.

Calm winds and fair seas,

Julie

Mt Yasur erupting

I created a video of Mt. Yasur erupting. It was so amazing, and a little scary, to be so close to an active volcano.

https://youtu.be/LHYjKv4HFQw

Fulaga from the kids view

The kids each wrote a little about their time in Fulaga (pronounced Fulanga) for school. I am a little slow posting these, but better late than never.

Camping on Fulaga

Axel Mitchell

            Fulaga is a remote island in the Lau group, Fiji. It has a population of 348 spread over 3 villages. The only way to get there is by boat.

Fulaga is surrounded by a fringing reef, inside is a bright blue lagoon dotted with limestone islands. We anchored at a large sandspit that disappeared at high tide.

Day 1 of camping (not at sandspit)

The second night we were in Fulaga we went to shore without parents and camped at beach near the pass. We arrived at the beach later than we expected. Not everyone came today, only Johnny, Gigi, Victoria, Luna and me. We lit a fire and cooked canned hotdogs and beans for dinner. At 9 o’clock it was high tide, the fire had been washed away, but the water was not as close to the tents as expected. After a bit of sitting around in the tents, Johnny and I decided to go mooning in the light of the moon. In the morning we lit a fire to make biscuits and hot chocolate.

Day 2 of camping (at sandspit)

Today everyone except Brenden slept on the beach, so there were 11 kids and no adults. We found a spot cleared of trees and bushes by fire to set up the tents. We lit a fire on the sandspit below the tideline. Everyone brought different food for dinner and displayed it on a kayak. After a long time sitting around the fire, one of our friends named Seppe asked many times if he could pee on the fire. The tide came in and surrounded us and made us have to leave for dry land before Seppe could do anything silly. In the morning we lit a fire and made biscuits, which we cooked over the fire and that made them smoky.

Day 3 of camping (at sandspit)

I didn’t sleep on the beach today, but I spent most of the day there and went to the potluck. Fresh fish and other tasty side dishes were eaten. Sadly, the banana cake was ruined because the baking powder box fell over on it while it was being made. Luckily, my mom made banana chocolate chip cookies.

Day 4 of camping (at sandspit)

Today everyone slept on the beach except my sister. We ate on our boats before we came to shore for the night. That night we sat around the fire and talked and played games. The morning was similar to the other camping mornings, we cooked biscuits on the fire and I smeared peanut butter all over mine.

I liked camping on the beautiful sandy beach on Fulaga. If I could I definitely would camp with my friends again on a remote beach. Everything about the camping adventure was awesome. I wouldn't change a thing.

Fulaga Autobiography

Gabrielle Mitchell

                I poked my head out from the cockpit of my family's boat, a beautiful wooden Alden 64 named Nirvana. The boat's white sail is full and the sun is shining down onto her as she breaks smoothly through the waves. Ahead of us I see the grey green blur that is Fulaga, and as the boat sails closer the island slowly comes into focus. I see small islands, white sand beaches and breaking waves on the reef that paint the perfect picture of a tropical paradise. Then we are finally at the reef pass, where a small natural channel is carved through the reef. We motor through it, having taken down our sails a few minutes ago. Waves break on either side of me and they crash down on the jagged reef that barely pokes it's head out of the crystal clear water.

                We are just about to turn towards the anchorage when I feel a jolt run through the boat. I look over the side to see a blooming coral head right below me, and the keel stuck onto it. My parents decide that it will be best just to wait until the tide rises and the boat is lifted off the reef. Once the tide has risen enough we head towards the anchorage; taking extra precautions so as not to run aground again.

                The moment our anchor is on the ground I jump in the water and swim as fast as I can, my arms cutting through the fluorescent blue, towards the group of kids splashing in the space between the five anchored boats. My brother Axel paddled in right behind me on a kayak and together we jumped into the mayhem.

                "Gigi!" I heard a voice squeal from in front of me. Soon everyone had noticed Axel and my arrival and I was hugging all of my friends who I hadn't seen for so long. It filled me with joy to be around my best friends who I hadn't seen for a while, and I was smiling so hard it felt like my face might break. After everybody was done hugging and talking all the kids started splashing around, tipping over paddleboards and kayaks, and just having crazy fun.

                For the next two days all we did was have crazy fun, playing in the ocean and on the beach during the day, and watching movies and playing board games at night. On the second night that I was anchored around all the kids we decided to have a campout on the beach. In the end there was only five campers, two boys and three girls, but that was all we needed to have an awesome campout on the beach. There was no parents there, only the five kids, but we were able to start a fire, cook dinner, and set up tents on the beach. For dinner we ate fire roasted canned hot dogs and cold beans, but it felt like a gourmet meal, sitting there on the beautiful white beach watching the sun set over the tips of the palm trees. When the sun was gone and our only light was the glow of the camp fire we decided that it was time to go to sleep.

                It took us a while to actually fall asleep though. Once I was in the girls tent, and lying next to Victoria and Luna, the other two girls, the boys decided that they should go mooning in the light of the moon. Johnny would hold open the door while Axel came and stuck his butt in at us. Many squeals and much laughter later we were finally asleep. It was hard though because the night was cold and we only had three sleeping bags, one baby blanket, and two pillows between the five of us. I woke up countless times during the night and constantly had to worry about the tide rising up and getting the tent wet because there hadn't been much beach to put the tent on.

                Once we had all waken up, around five thirty in the morning, we started trying to make a fire, but it was hard since the morning dew had made all of the wood wet. Eventually after an hour's work Johnny was able to start the fire on which we cooked hot chocolate and fresh bread biscuits. Around nine o'clock all the other kids started to arrive on paddle boards and kayaks for another day of fun in the sun. In the middle of the day Axel and I had to leave though. My family was going to the village to present our sevusevu, or gift of kava, to the chief of the local village. We all hoped into our dinghy and speeded over to the village's beach. We navigated through the shallows and dragged the small boat up onto the beach where it wouldn’t be washed away by the slowly rising tide. It was a quick walk to the other side of the island where the village was. After the sevusevu ceremony we were given a host family who we would be with for the rest of our time on Fulaga.

                Our hosts were a school teacher named George and his wife Ma. They were incredibly kind to us and made wonderful traditional Fijian food for us. The food was very different from the food I was used to, but it was delicious all the same. We ate the fish, muscles and lovo bread sitting on the floor with our hands. Everything about our hosts life was simple, traditional, and natural. It was amazing to be welcomed so kindly and warmly into somebody life and home.

                Later that day we guided Nirvana over shallow spots and around coral heads to the natural harbor formed by the sand spit. There the white sand stretches out from the beach like a curving finger protecting anchored boats from rough seas. I swam to the shore, and as I walked onto the beach my feet sunk into the soft sand, making perfect prints. I played with the other kids, looking for starfish, skim boarding, wiping out, and laughing until we could no longer see the sun and parents called for us to return.

                The next day we decided that we should have a big campout, with all twelve kids this time. The sand spit was the perfect place to camp because the locals were trying to clear the land for a resort, so there was an open area in the jungle covered in branches that were perfect for a campfire. The branches were also perfect for building shelters, and by the end of our campout we had built many structures and had turned the beach into a little settlement.

                I spent my first few hours on the beach hiding from the rain under the palm frond roof of Alex, the oldest boy's, small hut. The roof was leaky and we all got cold and wet,  but we still had an tons of fun. Once the rain had passed I started gathering branches to build my shelter. I built the frame, but once I started adding palm fronds for the walls the whole thing fell down because of the strong wind.

                Before we knew it the sun was setting and it was time to start a fire and make dinner. After eating everybody gathered around the fire where we laughed and danced and sang Taylor Swift at the top of our lungs. Eventually the tide came up and swept the embers into the darkness of the sea, and one by one we all drifted off to sleep.

                I was awakened by the sound of the boys banging on the frying pan and running around the tents telling all the sleepyheads to wake up. I slowly rose out of bed, put on some clothes, and shook the sleep out of me. That morning we used all the gas in two lighters trying to start the fire, but we weren't able to start it until one of the dads took a coconut full of dingy fuel and dumped it on the wood. Again we cooked bread biscuits and hot chocolate for everybody. I worked on my shelter for most of the day while Victoria wove a mat for the floor and all the other girls hid from the sun in Alex's shelter. Most of the boys were either sword fighting, working on shelters or relaxing in the hut. Throughout the day everybody had to keep an eye on the fire to make sure that it wouldn’t burn out because we didn’t want to waste anymore time trying to start another fire.

                By the end of the day everybody was starving, we had only had two crackers each for lunch, so the parents decided to have a giant potluck on the beach. They brought lots of delicious food, but all the kids tried to get them off the beach as fast as we could because we didn’t want the parents stealing our beach! Once we had hurried them off the beach we played campfire games and went to bed earlier than we had the other nights.

                After eating a campfire oatmeal breakfast I finally was able to get my structure to stand, and this time it stood for a long time, even through the strong winds that blew Alex's shelter over, mine stood strong. I built a fenced garden, a table, found log seats, and wove a mat for the floor. Victoria wove the door mat and Fien wove a water bottle holder and once Alex's hut blew over mine became the main relaxing hut.

                The last night everybody ate on their boats and I slept on the boat because I wasn’t getting enough sleep when I was sleeping in a tent. I went back to the beach in the morning to help pack up the tents and spend some more time having fun with all the kids. We had a sword fighting contest, chopped up coconut, and played tons of games in the water and on the beach.

                We had carved, woven, and made many things during our campout, and I had scratches and cuts all over my body that marked the many amazing adventures that I had gone on and that made little maps of all the new places I had explored. We all stayed in Fulaga for many more days afterward, spending time on the beach and in the village, but nothing could match my time spent camping on the sand spit.

                I will remember and treasure the three weeks I spent on my boat in the remote island of Fulaga, and I will never forget my time spent camping with my best friends on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Sep 3-12, 2015 Tanna

This has been a dismal week for the crew of Nirvana, fortunately we topped it off with the most phenomenal spectacle. We were hit hard by ciguatera. Ciguatera is caused by eating reef fish that contain ciguatoxin. The fish get the toxin from eating an algae that grows on the reef. If there is ciguatera in the area, typically the larger reef fish have more toxin as they eat many of the smaller fish and accumulate the toxin. The algae tends to grow on damaged reef and can build up quickly, thus it can affect areas that historically have not had this algae. Based on this information, we now think it is probably best to avoid fish in Vanuatu this year as it was recently hit by Cyclone Pam and it is likely many of the reefs have been damaged. Hindsight is 20/20.

The symptoms of ciguatera are quite unique and we have had most of the common ones. We all started off by feeling tired and generally not well. The kids got really strong leg cramps, and we all were fatigued and easily chilled. I had a nasty headache for 4 days. As the toxin moved deeper into our bodies we were all very itchy. Everyone had weird tingling sensations in their hands and feet, and touching water produced a burning sensation. Stepping on the cool, wet deck in the morning excited a tingling/burning response in our feet. Grabbing something from the fridge made you hand feel like it had freezer burn. Looking at what you were touching, you knew what it was supposed to feel like, but the signals your hands sent through your nervous system were sometimes in direct conflict with that prediction. Washing your hands caused a stinging sensation. These sensations were odd more than really painful, probably because they stopped quickly.

Gary caught many fish in Aneityum and we ate all the small fish while still there, a coral trout, sweet lips and grouper. On our sail to Tanna, Gary made fish sandwiches from the large coral trout and we also ate it for dinner. I only ate some for dinner, as I wasn't feeling that well during the day. That night everyone started to feel the symptoms. The kids woke up with bad cramps in their legs. Sam was itchy all over, my headache and malaise worsened, and Gary was tired and uncomfortable. The next 3 days were the worst, with different people more affected at different times. After 4 days on board, we ventured ashore to stretch our legs. The short walk up from the beach completely winded us and we needed to stop for a rest. Apparently it was only a couple dozen yards, but it felt like at least 100.

As the sickness is food borne, we had to watch the food that we consumed. We have read all sorts of information, and it seems that the foods that might trigger reoccurrences are very specific to the individual, but there are some more common ones that everyone should avoid. The number one thing to avoid is fish of any sort, even canned, also alcohol, caffeine, and nuts. So for the first 5 days we ate vegetarian, then I started to introduce a little meat. So far so good, except the chicken didn't react well with Sam. One could say his stomach betrayed him.

Every day we got a little bit better, but small things seemed to set certain people back. After 4 days Axel had no more symptoms, and Gigi only had cramping legs and tingling extremities. The adults are recovering slower.

So which fish had the ciguatoxin? Gary thinks it was the grouper. I think that they all probably had some and the buildup of the toxin reached a critical point making us sick. We will never know for sure, but I wouldn't wish this sickness on anyone.

The three small fish Gary caught at Aneityum.

The large coral trout (the really large coral trout he caught the day before we gave to the villagers).

After a eight days we finally decided we were good enough to go to see the volcano. It had been killing Axel to be so close to an active volcano and not go, but we had to wait until we were strong enough to walk up the side of the volcano.

Mt. Yasur is the world's most accessible active volcano. We took a 4WD pickup truck to the volcano, Sam, Axel and Gigi got to ride in the back. The journey reminded us of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland; it was quite an exciting road, if potholes and dodging branches in the back of the truck excites you.

The edge of the volcano looks like a moonscape, very barren, lots of rocks, a giant lava plain. From there we walked up to the rim of the volcano. It is only 150 m, but it could have been miles to us, thanks ciguatera. Once on the rim everyone was entranced by the volcano. The first thing we experienced was the sound from a huge explosion of lava. The blast was so strong, you could see the shockwaves rip through the ash out from the crater. Sam hit the ground in protective mode, not sure what was coming at him (ciguatera had not affected his incredible reflexes). Gary and Gigi stood transfixed watching the shockwaves in awe. As you walked around the crater you got a variety of vantage points to see into the boiling lava.

The sight of the boiling lava entranced you like watching a campfire, the roar of the explosions overwhelmed you like a rock concert, the smell made you think of rotten eggs, the taste of the ash reminded you to drink more water, and the feel of the ground moving below your feet shook you to your core.

From every eruption billowed sulfurous gas and plumes of ash. The wind blew the ash around, at times completely encompassing you, coating you and filling your eyes and ears. When the wind shifted you looked into the grumbling dragon waiting for it to roar and spit fiery lava rocks at you. Some of the lava rocks landed closer than a football field away from us. The eruptions completely awed us, keeping us in heightened anticipation for the next big one. We were mesmerized just watching the lava boil, the reverie only broken by the huge roar followed by lava being spit into the air.

We were filled with complete awe at the power of the earth. We were also completely incredulous at the fact that they let you get to such a dangerous place. You can walk around the entire rim of the volcano, many places it narrows to a body width steeply dropping off on both sides. Slip and you are either in the caldera or down on the lava plain.

We arrived late afternoon and watched the mountain transform with nightfall. The caldera glowed and the eruptions looked like the best fireworks you have ever seem. Even as the lava bubbled, it was spit into the air like a fountain.

Axel's favorite part were the massive eruptions. I think we all have to agree with him. It was definitely an unforgettable experience. It is incredible to watch a mountain as it is being built.

Tomorrow we are planning to sail to Erromango and stay there for 1-2 nights, then head to Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. We all are hoping that the combination of the sailing and the ciguatera doesn't drain our strength too much.

Calm winds and fair seas,

Julie

  

Video of Mt. Yasur erupting

https://youtu.be/LHYjKv4HFQw

Houses in the village of Port Resolution, Tanna

Guys fishing in Port Resolution

 Photos at the volcano - Mt Yasur

Last steep section of the road up to the volcano

Aug 28 - Sep 1, 2015 Aneityum

We have really been enjoying the tranquility of Aneityum. The people are very friendly and laid back. Sam has explored most of the village and has many friends. He has even frequented the kava bar a few evenings.

One of Sam's friends, Nils, guided everyone but me on a long hike to a waterfall (more than 6 hours). They all loved the hike, but unanimously said it was a little too far. On the way back they stopped at the local bakery, a guy that bakes bread sometimes out back from his house. The bread was delicious.

I have found the scenery stunning. The paths are neatly manicured, garden well tended, and beaches picturesque. The traditional houses are quaint, but look like they may not withstand cyclones too well. I love all the traditional canoes. Many people fish daily with these vessels.

Mystery Island, the small island that the cruise ships visit, was beautiful, but had a few tacky items.

My favorite was this sign.

Gigi and Axel liked this soup caldron.

Gary's favorite part is the fishing. The water outside the reef is teeming with good size eating fish. He speared his biggest fish so far, a coral trout. It probably weighed more than 60 pounds. He also speared a smaller coral trout, sweet lips and a grouper.

He took his fish to show the local to make sure they are safe to eat. They agree that the big coral trout was too big and might have ciguatera, but they have a way to cook it that eliminates any poisons. So it was a very easy decision to donate that fish to them. They were really excited to get such a large fish, but they also realized the potential dangers.

We gave some of the other fish to the Chilean guys on the boat next to us, and Gary is super excited to go out and get more fish tomorrow. After fishing we will probably head out for another anchorage on this island, then the next day off to Tanna to see the active volcano. Can't wait!

Calm winds and fair seas,

Julie

It appears that this did not load from the satellite phone, so here it is, albeit a little late.

August 29, 2015 Aneityum Island, Vanuatu

On August 24 we checked out of Lautoka. After visiting the customs and immigration office, we did our final provisioning. Sam got to experience the uniqueness of the markets in Fiji. It takes many visits to many different types of stores to locate all the items you need. Plus we had a delicious meal at a vegetarian Indian restaurant.

Grocery shopping is always a lot of work, not only do you have to locate the different foods, then you have to haul it back to the dinghy, bring it out to the boat trying not to crush it or get it wet, load it onto the boat, get it all down below, then pull the boat apart to stow it beneath practically every bunk. By the time we were done, we decided it was too late in the day to leave, so we headed for Saweni Bay for the night.

After some final boat preparations in the morning, we started our passage around 11 am. It was 15 miles to the reef pass, so we had some time to finish final stowage and the kids could finish some schoolwork. As soon as we got near the reef pass we could feel what was ahead of us. The pass was quite rough with 5 meter waves and 25-30 knots of wind on the beam, but we knew that would die down soon. We were wrong, although the steepness of the waves did abate, the size did not, nor the poor angle at which they hit the boat and the wind actually picked up. Most of the waves reached our aft quarter, surfing the boat, but every few minutes a big one hit square on the beam, rolling the boat pretty hard. We were sailing with the 3rd reef in the main and the jib, and going about 8 knots.  Sam went into the cabin as I was making dinner and came back on deck quickly. The food smell and the rolling of the boat got the better of him. He didn’t get sick, but we got some Dramamine into him right away, and he kept those close by for the rest of the passage.

As night approached we took down the jib and slowed down a little. Fortunately after dinner we stopped seeing 35 knot gusts, making sailing a little less tiring. Due the waves hitting us on the beam, the autopilot was having a hard time, so we had to hand steer. This meant that Gary and I did 3 hours on, 3 hours off, and couldn’t put Sam on night watch as it was too hard for him to steer in these conditions. We were both exhausted by the end of the first night as even when we did make it into the bunk to sleep, sleeping was hard with the periodic violent roll of the boat.

The wind lightened all night and by the morning we saw about 12-18 knots, so we shook a reef out of the main and sailed with the 2nd reef and jib. The seas had dropped to 2-3 meters, although there was still the occasional wave hitting us square on the beam, rolling the boat significantly. While preparing some food in the galley, a wave knocked Gary right off his feet and I saw him lying under the chart table in pain. He took a hard hit to his hip, fortunately that healed up quickly, just as his knee decided it didn’t like being jostled so much. He is doing fine now that we are at anchor. Later that day I saw Sam splayed out under the chart table, a wave got the better of him also.

The third day out the wind picked up again, but only into the 18-25 knot range, we were sailing along at 8+ knots, but decided for the night to reef down to the 3rd reef. We hardly slowed down, but it made steering way easier. By this point Auto decided it had had enough and was refusing to steer for more than about 5 minutes at a time. Gary thinks the hydraulic seals had started to leak, so we now had to hand steer. Starting the second day, we had Sam practice driving during the daylight hours with one of us nearby, so by the third night he was able to take a short watch, letting Gary and I get a little longer sleep. Sam is learning quickly, although he expressed shock at all the different words we have for everything on the boat.

We arrived at Anelghowhat, Aneityum Island, Vanuatu around noon on Friday. We dropped anchor and were all relieved to stop rolling. After a little food and showers all around, we headed to shore to check in with the police department. The police office was closed and we couldn’t find any police officers. Later we were told that they had all left to deal with a death on a nearby island, we would have to wait until Monday to check into the country.

Anelghowhat is a small village, but has one of the cleanest, most modern banks we have seen anywhere. Changing money was super easy and they didn’t limit how much you could change. We went looking for the store that sold ice cream, but it had closed at noon and would not reopen until 6:30 am Sunday. We found 2 other stores, but they didn’t sell much at all, mainly canned meat. The houses of the village lined the waterfront and were manicured with hedges and flowers. Even the walkway/road had flowers planted along the edge and was raked clean by the nearest resident. Every house had a bountiful garden, and those further from town had good size plantations. We walked quite a way, but everyone was too tired, so we are looking forward to go back and explore more of this beautiful island.

Back in the village we were totally surprised to find one of the stores sold Digicel SIM cards, but the lady that knows how to activate them was out of town, so we need to come back in a day so she can set it up for us, then we should have some internet.

On the south side of the anchorage is a small sandy island that cruise ships visit. This is the main source of income for the village. Fortunately the cruise ship tourists never come to the main island, so it has been untouched by western influences.

After some school and boat work, we plan to go ashore today for a big hike. We haven’t decided how long we will stay here, but the people are very friendly, and it is really beautiful, so none of us are eager to go anywhere fast.

Cheers,

Julie