It is now Thursday, the second day since the big quake here in Vanuatu. The night after, and the next morning, there were several small quakes, felt ashore only, and just manifest as slight instability underfoot for a few seconds. Late yesterday there was a second submarine quake, of 6.5 Richter, again NW of Port Vila and SW of Epi, but this produced no big effects in the islands. The locals are nervous about the possibility of a tsunami, and who can blame them, as most Ni-Vans live within a short walk of the shore, often at close to sea-level. Within a couple of minutes of the first quake, mobile phones started to ring all over the village of Lamen Bay. Everyone in the island villages has a close family member or distant relation in the capital, and the mobile network allows instant communication with the farthest islands. The locals were able to get whatever information was available almost immediately, from their contacts there - the tsunami warning system and access to the internet in Port Vila meant that the villagers outpaced us in terms of up-to-date info, at least until we made contact with Wombat, who are in Surundu Bay with good WiFi. Once we had made contact with Mike and Lynn and organised a radio sked, Mike passed on bulletins from the news agencies' websites as they were posted. The mobile networks in these islands, which are quite new and very extensive (almost all settlements have some form of coverage) have really revolutionised the way people communicate today, and in this sort of situation can be real lifesavers - as quick as shortwave radio broadcasts, clearer and more interactive, and in the absence of internet access they are really reassuring. The phones are the same as we have at home, but very much cheaper, and calls are incredibly cheap. Yesterday we spent several hours with Machin Valia, the high school principal (in the school truck), going down the coast to various villages where there are primary schools, and distributed lots of books, pens, other school supplies, and also clothes - the teachers are often in the best position to see which children really need a new T-shirt or pair of shorts. We were well received in these places and will put up some photos (click here to see them) when we get to Port Vila and internet access. We'll be leaving Lamen Bay tomorrow morning, as the wind is moderating and coming around NE for a couple of days, so this will carry us downwind to Port Vila. Cheers from us.