Football World Cup 2018
After our experience in New Caledonia, Ueli and I had high hopes for Vanuatu. Upon our arrival, we paid a standard taxi fare of USD 15 to get to our hotel in Port Vila.
Saying there was a football mania because of the World Cup 2018 is an understatement. Every car, bus, taxi had a flag proudly hoisted from the side-view mirror. And no matter who we spoke with, the first question was “which country do you support on the World Cup 2018?” Several Brazil fans followed closely by France fans, England, even a few Germany supporters. Ueli was proud to mention his home country Switzerland each time because they won against Brazil and out of the sudden everybody knew Switzerland in Vanuatu.
Port Vila – Exploring & Planning
Our first stop was Travellers Budget Hotel, a family run 7-room hotel where we met backpackers from Chile, Germany, Colombia, Australia, Austria etc. The most interesting was meeting the Olympic weightlifting team from Papua New Guinea. They were on their way to the Solomon Islands for the South Pacific games. Very keen on sharing their experiences and curious about ours, it wasn’t until two hours later that Ueli and I realized that we need to go to the tourist office.
We wanted to visit the island of Tanna, home of Mount Yasur, the most accessible, active volcano in the world. Trying to stay within our budget, it seemed difficult at this point to be able to experience the volcano since flights were expensive as was the accommodation. But the curiosity about the volcano and the island overpowered our frugality. So, we booked our flights and accommodation in Tanna. We were fairly warned by several tourists about what can be expected on the island, as far as comfort and general facilities are concerned. Considering it would be 2 days in Tanna, we were willing to accept whatever little comfort in our fate.
In the meantime, we had a few days in Port Vila. The city itself was sparse, with washed-out buildings surrounding the main roads which themselves were worn down subject to weather. With no sidewalks, pot holes everywhere we looked, one had to be careful of the potholes in addition to the swerving cars trying to avoid even bigger gaps in the road. Once we ventured out, branching put from the main roads, onto the smaller side streets, we walked past smaller communities, villages where residents had set up make-shift shops in the open outside their houses, selling coconuts, taro, mandarins.
Public Transport in Vanuatu
Rumour has it, I haven’t confirmed it myself, that income tax doesn’t exist in Vanuatu. As a result, there is no governments funded public transportation available. What is available, however, is privately driven mini-buses with a capacity of 6-7 passengers. We identified these buses through a “B” on the license plate. Once we knew which direction our destination was, we firmly parked ourselves on the roadside and hailed down a mini-bus which were dime a dozen. Since these are privately owned, we had to ask the driver if he is willing to take us to our destination. The driver almost always had a friend in the passenger seat who would deal with the payments etc. The payment; 150 Vatu (approx. 1.50 USD) to go anywhere within the city. You had to be lucky to hail down a newer, more comfortable van. Our first ride was in a mini-bus which must have been the oldest model around, with an actual portable table fan perched up in a corner for the ‘comfort’ of the passengers and lastly, to my horror, live spider webs in the corners of the van. So of course, my ride was spent carefully watching the webs and its host to ensure I was not trespassing in any way.
Strolling around the town
That afternoon we walked by the port where the locals were celebrating a day-off. We sat among the locals, families enjoying a day out with kids and toddlers, and couples trying to enjoy quality time together. Ueli and I stuck out, Vanuatu natives are Melanesian which could indicate the darker skin tones, as opposed to Polynesians with lighter skin tones. I waited at the park while Ueli went to an ATM and during that 30mins, Bob Marley’s “I shot the sheriff” played on a loop. Not that I don’t enjoy Bob Marley, but I was happy to be moving on. We walked through the markets where locals set up shops for souvenirs made from coconut shells, clothes, local foods. My favorite; Banana chips, of which we bought 4 packets; 2 to consume, 2 to carry (Ueli wasn’t thrilled about this decision)
Hideaway Island, Port Vila
How does the idea of staying on an island small enough for only one resort sounds? Well, it sounded great to us and luckily, we were able to book the last room available so we hopped on the chance and booked ourselves in for 3 nights. The bonus for us was that Hideaway is known for its snorkeling adventures on the house reef and an underwater post office. Our next ride in the mini-bus was to the ferry port going to Hideaway island. The island owned officially by the neighboring village on the mainland, was leased to an American couple who ran the resort. The resort consisted on bungalows, self-contained villas, and twin-share rooms. What did we have? The twin-share room with a shared bathroom about 20 metres outside. My liquid consumption decreased drastically as soon as I realized it was shared bathrooms.
Hideaway island resort – One of our favorites
To much information? Oh well! We were immediately greeted by ‘Wednesday’ the Dachshund puppy who was tired from the chase. I can’t get enough of house dogs in the smaller hotels/resorts. ‘Princess’ the stray pup that had been adopted by the family run Travellers Budget Hotel in Port Vila was just as adorable. While Princess had a rumbustious personality, Wednesday was more docile, only flashing her needy eyes at dining guests trying to coax them into throwing food.
Anyway, our room was four walls void of natural light, buried in the back of the resort. There were mosquito screens on the window but the tiny holes in the screen were big enough to allow sneaky mosquitoes through. We only found this when after having clapped our hands and killed what seemed liked hundreds of mosquitoes, they seem to keep emerging in larger numbers. It was war! Ueli with the mosquito spray aimed at the entry point, and me getting ready to light the coil. We may have shortened our life span by a year or two after spraying the whole bottle, but I am proud to have won that battle. The night was mosquito free.
Hideaway’s sea life
The next day we snorkeled and encountered fish like we’re never seen before. And an abundant amount! The underwater post was a highlight. We posted a few cards but it is a challenge to swim 5m below the surface to post. We might have disturbed an octopus from its nap but the stupendous camouflage made it difficult to notice t he tentacled creature. But once we did notice it, it was a sight to be seen. Unforgettable! Completely awestruck!
Vanuatu Underwater Post
That night, the resort had a movie night scheduled by the beach. “The Mummy” played on the screen with the sound of crashing waves in the background. Not a bad way to spend the evening eh! The next day, Ueli went for two morning dives while I decided to finish some long overdue, much needed, administration work. Especially since we wouldn’t have electricity for the next two days.
Diving at Hideaway island Port Vila
Tanna – Home of Mount Yasur
Arrived at the airport just in time, we boarded a bigger than expected jet. A mix of tourists and locals on the flight.
- Flight time – 40mins
- Phones – 100% battery
- Luggage – only two small backpacks carried onto the plane
- Target – Mount Yasur
I must mention that I was hoping my fear of spiders or geckos wouldn’t be entertained on this trip to Tanna. The lack of electricity, I was okay with. The airport “white grass” was no bigger than small-sized supermarket.
On the way to the Volcano lodge
As we wait outside for our host Morris to pick us up, the weather becomes a bit gloomy. Just our luck! A man wearing a neon coloured jumper reluctantly response changed his reluctant attitude to a welcoming one as he introduced himself as ‘Morris’. A short chit chat and we make our way to the car. We waited for another tourist as he would ne sharing the car as well. On our way we go! Another hour and a half until we will reach our accommodation since it is on the other side of the island, in the lap of the great volcano, Mount Yasur.
As we drive through the main village in Tanna, it is easy to conclude the financial state of the island. Faced with a hurricane about 2 years ago, the redevelopment process is ongoing. Morris advises us to buy water or snacks at a small kiosk since there are none on the other side of the island. We buy cookies, chips, and beers (lol, without electricity we are okay, but without beer! Oh no!). With two big plastic bags and a few funny looks, we are again on our way.
Once we are out of the town after collecting food for the next 2 days, we drive around a mountain. The posters are obvious. Australian Aid, World Bank, American Aid, Peace Corps are well in their presence on this island. And as we would later find out, the accommodation we were staying at was also built by volunteers through the peace corp organization. Once we passed the drive around the mountain, we saw an ash covered mountain surrounded by an ash desert (which used to be a lake) spewing smoke. Mount Yasur! Here we are. The tour we intended to take would take us to the crater of the volcano where we would be able to watch the lava. For now, this sight needed its due admiration.
Driving deeper into the island, it seemed like the driver was using dried creeks as a path of driving. He had no other choice since there were no roads. When I write ‘no roads’, I don’t mean ‘no road but a dirt path’, I mean ‘no actual road, no path’. Just driving through a creek which can be flooded if it rains. Luckily, no rain! We pulled into a compound with scattered banana trees, 4 tiny huts made of bamboo and coconut leaves and a common area where a family of three sat and admired the view. We finally arrived at Morris’s Volcano Island Paradise Bungalows. About 2km away sat the top of the volcano.
Our bamboo hut
As we sat down to let the view sink-in, the ground rumbled which was followed by ash being spewed out from the crater. O what a view! After that we were guided to our hut. At the time of booking, the room was described as cozy, 4m2 with a comfortable bed and mosquito net. Ueli and I dismissed the 4m2 as a typing error of 14m2. There was no typing error. It was really 4m2. Four walls made of bamboo which weren’t perfectly aligned leaving gaps in between. A low roof just high enough so we didn’t have to crouch down while inside. A bed that touched all four walls covered by a blue mosquito net. This mosquito net was my protector against any nocturnal trespassers that wanted to pack a visit through the gaping holes in the walls. And a hornet’s nest just outside the door. Of course, the room was to be used only for sleeping. We spent most of the afternoon watching the volcano, waiting for the next rumble and spew.
Our little home in Tanna, Vanuatu
Volcano tour
At 3pm, we walked through the jungle to reach the volcano tour office, opting for the afternoon/evening tour. When we first imagined the volcano, both of us pictured an angry mountain with lava flowing down the sides annihilating all life in its path. But in reality, the lava that shot out went back inside the crater, leaving nothing but ash as only proof. Before the tour started, the visitors were shown three tribal dances, a formal request for permission to visit the volcano. The cultural display was much appreciated by all but the anticipation to see the volcano up close was overwhelming. Everyone was driven up to the bottom of the crater in pickup trucks and finally the last 250 steps were the only thing between us and the crater.
Our trek to Mount Kinabalu (4095m altitude) had prepared us well for this. At the top, everyone wanting front row view inside the crater. The middle-aged American woman posing in her skirt on the ground like a mermaid basking on a lone rock in the sun. But none of the hilarity of this came close to the overwhelming seeking of how small we are when standing next to the crater. Inside the crater, red-orange lava, 1000-1150°C jumping up as if on a trampoline then settling somewhere on the inner walls of the crater slowly changing colors. Each time the ground rumbled, a loud roar of the explosions, you can’t help but take a step back. After thousands of pictures from different all different angles, the volcano crater glowed as the night sky dawned. Up above, clear no cloud view of the billions of stars, and down below, the glow of the lava boiling within the crater.
Volcano Mt. Yasur, Tanna, Vanuatu
A night in the forest
The night was interesting. I was woken up several times during the night by what seemed like footsteps. But it was chickens. Then, something moving inside the plastic bags we had bought food in from earlier in the day. As soon as we turned on our solar powered lamp, the ghost of whatever was inside the bag disappeared. As soon as the lights were off, it appeared again. Hoping that typing the bag on a higher level would deter the hungry ghost, we hung all our plastic bags. Another 15mins, this time the ‘thing’ comes back to knock over to the ground lamp and the deodorant bottle sitting on the bedside. Completely terrified, I urge Ueli to sleep with the lights on. Lo and behold, the ghostly footsteps quietened and no unknown presence was felt. Not as restful of a sleep as I had hoped.
Open Question
A big question floated in our minds as we left Tanna. The amount paid for the accommodation was similar to 3-star hotel in Asia, the fee paid to visit the volcano was a significant amount yet no part of it can be seen as reinvestment into the island to build a better infrastructure or even for improving the quality of life for the locals. Who gets all this money? A question we never got a serious answer and stays a mystery.
Back to Port Vila
The day we checked into our Moorings hotel equipped with electricity in Port Vila would be our last. Never in the past have we been so happy and excited about electricity before. The next morning, we left for the airport having paid 10 time the amount for a taxi instead of a mini-bus.
As we drive, a certain sense of unease takes over me. Seeing the streets slowly being crowded by school children and early shop-keepers, I dismissed it as a local ritual. Not being able to shake the uneasy feeling, I asked the driver what was going on. I was asked a follow up question of “what do you mean?” I didn’t know what I meant so I just ended that questionnaire. At the airport, broken, shattered glass windows, people, a bit more energetic and finally the mystery of unease solved. As we drove to the airport, Vanuatu was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake due to which people had accumulated on the streets as a safety precaution. The first ever earthquake that shook the ground as hard as it did. Hmm. Onto Fiji appreciating no loss of life or severe damages.
Alisha
Vanuatu Gallery
