Well, I did say we'd leave Sunday weather permitting - it didn't! But that was OK, since we had a bit longer with all our new friends at Port Resolution - those on yachts and those ashore. Sunday, we were told, was Church day. 09:00, we were told - and like good Western stressballs we were there at precisely 09:00. But nobody else was. We asked a woman what time church started - she said "Oh, 9 o'clock....or something...." A bell rang and we thought this would get things rollling - but no, it was just a warning bell to get everyone out and in their best ragged clothes for church. At 09:30, another bell - at last..... but no, that just got them all out of their huts chatting to each other and comparing babies. About 10:15 things got underway with a dozen or two hymns sung in Bislama - the local pidgin-type language. Then one of the elders of the church said a few words and read from the Gospel. He kindly translated it for us as he went; then he asked me to tell the group a "story": this was a tough request but I told them all about Sydney and our lives, about TVs, DVDs, three car families and refrigeration in every house, and every house not blowing down in a strong wind. There was a general wide-eyed envious or maybe disbelieving look from the teenagers and kids. But I told them that, on the whole, they seemed happier than most kids their age in Australia. This filled David the elder with righteous pride and he sternly told them later in Bislama that this is why they don't have beer, movies and the like in their village.
Monday we just loafed around - a rare day for us of doing not too much.
Tuesday AM we left for Port Vila. We had a really quick sail; we had expected to be a day and a half but got here in 22 hours in a strong following wind. The entrance was tricky, all the more so with our deep draught and a very low tide (new moon), and we pulled in quite tired but very happy to the seawall berths at Yachting World. I must admit it's nice in a funny way to be back in a town with electricity and butchers who keep their meat in a fridge.
More on Port Vila in a day or two.
Cheers for now, and thanks for the messages.