Vanuatu Part 3

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="1ccd05a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>DRUMBEAT</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DRUMBEAT"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Voyages"><B>Voyages</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="1cdd2123.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id386.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu 2007">Vanuatu 2007</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id377.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 1">Vanuatu Part 1</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id383.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 2">Vanuatu Part 2</A></div> <div> <B>Vanuatu Part 3</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id385.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 4">Vanuatu Part 4</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id388.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 5">Vanuatu Part 5</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id389.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Vanuatu Part 6">Vanuatu Part 6</A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  </div> <div> <B>Pacific Yacht Ministries</B></div> <bR> <div> A big part of our raison d' etre has been our desire to make a positive difference to the people who occupy on the face of this crazy planet.  We have been incredibly blessed, and we keep asking ourselves 'why us?', and 'what are we to do with this?'.  We have no doubt in our minds that we have been blessed by God, as we have faithfully paid a tithe (10% of our gross income) for the past 20 years, and have had some amazing things happen to us in that time.  Sailing has been a big part of our lives for 20 years now, and I guess we consider that as 'grooming' for what we are now doing.  It is time to give some back!!</div> <bR> <div>  <A HREF="http://www.pacificyachtministries.com.au" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pacificyachtministries.com.au">Pacific Yacht Ministries</A>  is an Australian not for profit organisation which operates in Vanuatu, and has an MOU in place with the government of Vanuatu.  PYM is to provide medical support, mainly in the Torba Province (northern islands), including medical, dental, and health education to the Ni-Van.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Team One</B></div> <bR> <div> It was a pretty quick turn-around in Santo, meeting with James Ward off Windango who is the coordinator in Vanuatu, provisioning, loading the medical equipment and supplies.  We arrived on Thursday morning, and were away with some of the team on board by sunday.  Back to the emails:</div> <bR> <div> <I>Hi All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Well, here we are with the PYM team aboard, and we have survived our first night at sea.  We are anchored off Tsureviu (spelt a multitude of ways) about quarter way up the west coast of Big Bay on Esprito Santo.  We went ashore yesterday afternoon and met the villagers, and will be starting the clinic this morning.  Apparently we are the first yacht to anchor here!  The trading boat visits though.  The anchorage is perpetually rolly, as the swell wraps around the two tips, and comes into the bay, mostly on the western side where we are. No one has been sick yet, however getting ashore is certainly interesting.  The swell built up overnight, so landing the team with all the medical supplies will be interesting to say the least!! At least there is very little wind so far.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>The team is made up entirely of 20-30 year old singles, so we are having a lot of fun.  We have 5 of the 6 medicos on board with us, with one on board Another Angel, anchored a couple of hundred metres away.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Linda went ashore yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed her time there in the village.  The village is quite neat, with predominantly low traditional housing, lots of cattle, goats, chickens pigs and kids.  Their garden is some distance into the hills behind, as is usually the case.  They usually only have a few fruit trees planted around the village, as the pigs would decimated their gardens.  They also do lot of crop rotation, moving every few years to another location with fresh soil.  They hand clear the jungle with machetes. </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Well, I had better get some breakfast, and pluck up the courage to tackle the surf...</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d12c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cf8c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Stefan chats with Jierivue village elders" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cfac2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Linda's first visit to a village, after her foot has healed." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="cffc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Alien space craft" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d03c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Stefan pulling the other one." ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="30" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="cfcc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="The 'Nakamal' which served as the clinc for the next couple of days." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>We are still anchored in off Jeriviu in Big Bay, no wind to speak of, swell has dropped away overnight, and the sun is rising in the North....Ok, I am a little disoriented.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>We awake each morning to the Beach Boys 'Lets go Surfing Now....' on 10..pretty appropriate!!  Everyone is getting breakfast at the moment, before we surf ashore to start another clinic.  Yesterday was successful, particularly the dentists, who saw 12 patients in the morning, and pulled lots of teeth.  Our medico was also very busy, but frustrated with symptoms which need longer term treatment. Some of the villagers were away yesterday, as the Prime Minister was visiting Big Bay, and they made the 2.5 hour walk, each way, to see him.  Word has been sent out that we are here, so we expect a big day today.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Tommorow morning we will head up to an anchorage near the village of Pesena called Wora.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Last night we had dinner at a families home a kilometer or so up the coast.  It was all trdtional food - banana laplap, coconut laplap (manioc or tapioca based puree, baked in banana leaves over a hot stone fire, island cabbage, chicken, baked sweet potato, white yam, finished off with fresh coconut milk from the nut.</I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d05c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Andrea hard at it" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d07c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="The DVD projector is always a hit" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d09c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Pomplemousse girl" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d0bc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Lap lap for dinner....hmmmmm" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="d0ec2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="These guys can eat!!" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>          <IMG SRC="ec0c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Hi All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>It is now mid afternoon on Wednesday, and we are at Vanapu village, about 2/3 of the way up the west coast of Big Bay on Esprito Santo Island.  We have finished the dental and glasses clinic, but the doctor still has many patients to see.  There will be more tomorrow, as they come from nearby villages.  We plan to carry out the clinic tomorrow morning and leave for Matantas, back inside Big Bay to drop of the team, who will drive back to Luganville for the second part of the program.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>The anchorage here is little better than an open roadstead, but the weather is light from the north, and the holding is good in sand.  The dingy landing is dreadful at low tide, having to dodge through big boulders only metres apart, in the swell, landing on a steep rock scree beach. Getting out at high tide was not so bad.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d16c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Anchorage at Unape (one-up)" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d1bc22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALT="Spinner dolphins, small but FAST!!" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d1fc22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d21c2a30.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="675" ALT="Barracuda flanked by sharks - Cameron & Stefan" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d23c22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALT="The Skippers - James, Brian Dodds, Tony & me, with Cameron hanging in the background....." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d25c22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALT=""Lunch today is....." Linda and Jan did a great job keeping the food up to the team" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d27c22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d29c22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALT="James & bikkus stikkus" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d35c8850.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="133" ALT="Bow surfing..." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="d2ec8850.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="133" ALT="up..." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="d30c8850.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="133" ALT="fly, be free..." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="d32c8850.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="133" ALT="ahh crap!!" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="d34c8850.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="133" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="d37c8850.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="133" ALT="How strong are these nets??" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d39c22c0.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="300" ALT="Yeah, yeah, whatever....put ya shirt on." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d3bc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Welcome ceremony, Unape" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d3dc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi all,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>My apologies if you have been hanging out/concerned at lack of emails over past few days.  No problems this end, but simply busy...</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>We left Vunapu village after lunch on Thursday, and after talking to James on sat phone agreed that we would take the crew back to Santo, so we could assist with the second weeks work.  On the way across Big Bay we caught a barracuda, but threw him back as he was too big, and we have a freezer full of Wahoo, coral trout & tuna...</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Another Angel headed for Port Olry as the sun set, but we sailed on into the 15-20 knot headwinds, arriving back at Luganville around 1am on Friday morning.  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Friday was busy with re-provisioning, cleaning etc, and on Saturday we took the Battens (from McDiver), and sailed back around to Palikulo Bay for the day.  We had some great diving, and got to know Tony, Carol & Sarah a little better. Cameron left us to go back to Uni on Saturday morning, and young James flew out on Sunday. </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Sunday afternoon we motored down to Malo Island, which is only 10 miles from Luganville, for the team to carry out their work at Avantari Village.  We anchored off Avunavae village as it is a bit calmer here.  Today the crew travel by car to a village on the south side of Malo, and we have to pick them up again on Thursday afternoon, and they fly out on Friday.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Haley gave her first injection to a patient yesterday.  The team just love having her around, and she has become quite an accomplished dental assistant!!  She comes home exhausted every day, but really loves helping out.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Alistair flies in on Saturday for 10 days, which the kids are really looking forward to.  We are hoping he can smuggle in some tomatoes.....</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d3fc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Haley gives her first injection....unfortunately it turned out to be lethal...oops!! Next!!" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d45c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d47c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Tony Carol & Sarah Batten, off McDiver, run a health education puppet show for the kids. Really well received......" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Hi All,</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Team one has finished up on Malo Island and we are back in Santo, getting ready to send them on their way.  The road trip was a fizzer for them, as was Avanatari village.  Seems there is already plenty of medical assistance available here!!  We anchored up near Aore Academey for the 2 nights that the team were land based, and caught up on maintenance.  We had lunch with Alistair & Jill ??? and the principal & his wife from the Academy.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>It rained really hard last night, and is still showering this morning.  At least it is warm, with temperatures here varying between 24-28 degrees.  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Today we chase up fuel and some provisions for the next couple of weeks before team 2 arrive. Alistair arrives tomorrow, so the next week should be a lot of fun.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d49c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT="Another Angel at the Aore anchorage - one of the nicest we visited. There is a resort being built on the shore just to the right of frame. No doubt it will be busier next time we visit." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"><IMG SRC="d4bc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="The jetty and entrance to resort under consytuction. The buildings are solid teak, and reportedly up to 200 years old. They have been dissmantled and shipped here for re-assembly." ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d4dc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALT=""For sale - ideal handy man nightmare" Old mission boat on the Aore Adventist Academy slipway. " ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> It is somehow discouraging to see development on some of the out-lying islands.  Especially when it will occupy one of the nicest anchorages in Vanuatu, and is totally out of character with Vanuatu's character and architecture.    We expect to see the small basin full of mooring buys next, pay rent or go somewhere else.......  I guess that is progress though, with a few fringe benefits for the locals, and big profits funnelled off-shore.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="d50c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Ancor dragging" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></div> <bR> <div> The unpainted aluminium sloop in the background dragged anchor during an intense squall at Luganville.  It had travelled about 200m when James & I boarded it, and let out a heap more chain which stopped it just behind the French boat in the foreground, which it narrowly missed.  Next stop would have been the rocky shore.  The owners were ashore at the time.  It was amusing to watch them come back a couple of hours later, and stand on the beach scratching there heads, and pointing.  I don't think they appreciated how close they were to a voyage ending disaster!!  They would have worked out that some-one had intervened, as they had a hand operated anchor winch, and would have taken longer than normal to crank it in!!  These people were from some European country....a long way from home, and presumably quite experienced.</div> <bR> <div> This is one reason to have a good electric anchor winch - you don't hesitate to let plenty of chain out, even in a shallow anchorage such as this.  The French boat ended up too close for comfort, so they retrived their anchor and moved away.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><IMG SRC="d52c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALT="Farewell the pomplemousse" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="20" VSPACE="20"></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Pomplemousse were in season during our visit<I>. </I>We know them as grapefruit in Australia, or some resemble a pomello.  The french name has stuck in Vanuatu though.  It seemed that everywhere we went we would be given pomplemousse, and they became the butt of many jokes.  As you can see, pomplemousse has a pleasant effect on people, so much so, that it is used as an ingredient in mens deodorant in France and acheived demi-god status on Drumbeat.  Such are the powers of pomplemousse fragrance that they are banned in many third world countries plagued with uncontrolled copulation explosions.  Here team one poses for the group photo before departure back to Australia.  Unfortunately two of the guys were caught at Sydney airport by the the sniffer dogs, and were forced to hand over the sacred pomplemousse.  No further action was taken though, as the evidence was 'lost' by the incompetent customs officials.  We expect them to turn up on the black market at any time.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>