From Vanuatu 2014

From Vanuatu 2014

We've spent the past week in Port Vila, Vanuatu's capitol. After rolling our brains out in the swell at Tanna, it's been great to sleep again except it's a billion degrees here which is not so great for sleep. In keeping with our constant "stocking up" behavior, we spent the better part of the past 2 days loading up again on produce, diesel, dinghy gas, food and toys for island kids/trading. We're headed out tomorrow with Gypsea Heart & Blue Rodeo for northern Vanuatu where there's nothing much to buy. If you want fruit or veggies up there, it's best to trade with the Ni-Vans.

We got things like pasta, tea, cookies, soap, colored chalk, lollipops, canned meat, etc. We also have some clothes, National Geographic magazines, a pair of shoes that give me blisters but might be just right for someone else, glasses, DVD's, that kind of thing. There's so much more we could be giving but it's hard to store all of our stuff plus carry a lot more- where do you stuff it all in?

The saga of our watermaker continues but supposedly, with any luck at all, we will receive a package in Santo- a few islands up, via DHL that will have the new membranes, endcaps for the pressure vessels, o-rings and brine seals in it. We're taking bets & are forever hopeful that we can lick this issue with just a few more bucks spent!

The finale to our big city visit was a fire dancing show at Mele Beach Bar tonight. For some reason we've taken a great liking to cold coconuts this season and so tonight's was cold rum coconuts- yum! I like fire dancing and tonight's music was all the same songs I used to spin to at the health club. I kind of miss those days.... If we had a megayacht I'd have one aboard along with a treadmill!

I really like parts of Port Vila, especially the marina area. Yachting World has great moorings so you're front & center, free water which is good since we can get a break from our “eau de Evergreen”, a nice happy hour under the palapa and pretty landscaping. Yes Tim, we saw your sticker there! The city is the typical gritty but the people are friendly and you can get what you need as long as it isn't anything specialized like me trying to find a new kitchen timer. It's just not going to happen! I can never get over the social scene at the produce market. When I went to buy some oranges today, the lady in the stall was completely zonked out on a mat on the floor. It's open 24hrs, this massive produce market. People as much as live there. They do shifts. Tomorrow is the super big day- Saturday. It'll be mayhem. I have to go in there and buy a big bag of shucked coconuts for our habit!

The plan is to head out tomorrow to start diving. We're all getting really antsy to get under water and start seeing stuff. We want to hit the same spots we loved last season and discover some new ones too. We also need to get up to Pentecost Island to see the land diving which is what Vanuatu is known for. They dive off of large man-made natural material towers to hopefully just grace the ground with their faces. Supposedly it's something to see but we only have till the end of the month to get there. It'll be good to be moving again.