Morning - do, afternoon - sleep, night - eat

Friday 10th July 2015
Weather is cloudy and windy, but after breakfast we set off to the museum which tells the story of the New Hebrides - obviously a long established culture - before independence from the condominium of British/French rule to become Vanuatu in 1980.

 Colourful totem poles and below the ceremonial head-dress used during circumcision.

The pottery was very fine, and many of the designs like roman or greek designs. Jean Clayton (who we met up with on Saturday) said that her brother studied this for his PhD and she helped him sort out these bits.

 We watched a video on the Pentecost Island Land diving. I nearly left my coat there - fortunately realised in time! We walked downtown  where the pitted narrow footpaths are clotted with tourists from the Cruise ship. Again the lack of town planning has let Port Vila down. The shops and markets and markets run down to the dirty unkempt foreshore. Not much fruit here (because of the cylcone) - the large green things are oranges with hugely thick skins - I also saw them for sale peeled.

We return via the supermarket, and have lunch at the unit. The weather is still windy and showery so we read our books  and had a nap before heading off late afternoon with Roger, Judy, Kerry and John from Taranaki to see the Fire dancing at the beach bar. We cannot get a table so we are placed in the deck chairs and have our woodfired pizzas and watch the children play in the light show. The fire show is very spectacular, but it just starts to rain at the end.

Saturday 11th July

Another cloudy start today. Duncan went for a run after breakfast and then went to a neighbouring resort Breakas to arrange dinner with Jean and Peter Clayton. Jean is a maths teacher at GGHS and Peter is a golfer. Unfortunately they weren't there when he called, and the Art Gallery I walked to was not open. We went into town to the handcraft markets where I picked up a few souvenirs. We bought a french stick  at the store  and returned to the unit for lunch, bookreading and a nap. Duncan braved a very brisk swim and we headed down to Breakas  to meet Jean and Peter. We had a fabulous meal there with entertainment from the Banks Islanders. Unfortunately it was not well lit and the Banks Islanders were dusky dark. There seems to be quite a lot of difference between the tribal groups. Many Vanuatuans are short and stocky, but there are also thin, lithe people who are a little taller.

They all had green "feathers" behind

Jean gets the challenge!