French Connection

Well, work continues to be slow but luckily I've got a few VSA contacts in the know at the local maritime college. Theres a Scientific Expedition being undertaken at the moment by a bunch of French Scientists looking at marine, karst, forest and agriculture over three months in Santo. So, after having a tok tok with the head scientist, I've managed to get a little bit of work helping organise open days and writing articles for the Vanuatu papers.

My first french lesson last night brought all the parle francais back, and there's a few people to parle with : ) ... So now its just a case of trying not to mix up the Bislama with the French! haha
Have met a few french scientists, sailors and various other francophones so maybe after two years I'll have picked up two new languages! crazy.

Hopefully will get some pics on here soon... my camera is waiting for me at the customs office, so hopefully not too much red tape (yeah right). The bike is together and most of the gears are working, so am off for a ride tommorrow with the partner of one of the VSA volunteers.

Lukum yu bak agan (see you later, literally look at you back again)

four weeks long Vanuatu!

It’s nearly the end of week four for Vanuatu and week two for Luganville. Work continues to be a fair amount of digestion (ie reading). Although yesterday I managed to accompany some guys from the Provincial Council on a trip to the south side of Aore Island, to look at some management issues related to a boarding school. Travel is always fun: although being a young lady : ) I don’t even need to yell shotgun to get a front seat, rather than riding on the back of the ute. Probably a good thing, as there are some pretty massive potholes and I’d hate to break the other collarbone! After a spel (rest) at the local boat launching spot, waiting for the chief fulla, we caught a small vessel for a half hour trip to Aore Island.

The school is set in a beautiful lagoon with a school farm which ensures that the school is self sufficient: from producing most of the food (kakae) for the staff and students, bullocks and copra (coconut) for cash, and even coconut oil to run generators! The school principle wants to enhance the existing cattle farming and possibly revive a dairy farm that closed a few years ago, so is looking at the water supply. The Provincial Council also provides advice and seedlings for forestry initiatives, so we also went round with a forestry officer looking at the various options for Sandalwood, Mahogany and other varieties. After a big feed put on by the school mama’s, it was back to the office in Santo- a full day in the field!

Although I’ll go into a bit more detail about different aspects of life here, its surprising how busy I am already. Usually there’s a game of volleyball after work with the other Aussie and Peace corp (US) volunteers, and anyone else keen to join in. Then there’s the trip to the market for supplies, or the local Chinese shops. Quite a few expats do the kava thing, although if I head to a kava bar its normally for a Tusker (beer blong Vanuatu). And there seems to be a lot of events down at Unity Park, like movies, music and hiphop. A public holiday was declared on Wednesday when a war ship from New Caledonia arrived in town, although I missed the parade… apparently they love parades here even if the event is pretty much the same every time, so I’ll be sure to get pics in the future. Its also an “early to bed, early to rise” sort of place, with a long long lunch hour(s) so am easing myself gently into island time.

Millennium Cave

There are two other VSAers in Luganville, Maxine (preschool coordinator) and Peter (Navigation Instructor). I met Maxine in Vila and travelled with her to Santo, so was keen to meet up with Peter. After getting in contact, he invited me to go to the Millennium Cave with his partner Margaret, and daughter visiting from Perth.

We pilled into the obligatory Vanuatu Bus (ie mini-van) with a bunch of Aussie tourists on Saturday morning and headed inland from Luganville, along dirt/gravel roads that would be better suited for 4WD and mountainbikes. Still, those van’s just keep on truck’n (and somehow the exhaust pipes stay attached). After cruising over a disused WWII airfield, and then along a road more aptly described as a track, we eventually parked up after the bottom of the van scrapped along the ground one too many times. From here we walked about 30 minutes to a village where we prepared for an hours walk, caving and river experience while being entertained by the obligatory string band.

We ambled through the rainforest, coming to a clearing with bamboo benches. As it was our first time in the cave, following kustom we had the “sign of the swallow” painted on our faces, to protect us from spirits within the cave. Then it was down about 12 bush-made ladders (Occupational Safety and Health would have a field day) precariously attached to the cliff face of a doline leading to the mouth of the cave. It was an impressive entrance, with swallows circling in the cool air from the cave and river inside. It was about a 30 minute walk/wade through the cave which had some beautiful limestone features, as well as nesting swallows. The cave exit was at the confluence with another river and we stopped for a picnic lunch.

The afternoon began with a pseudo rockclimbing/clambering mission down the river, which was carved through limestone, in the form of a now collapsed cave system. After getting to the beginning of the navigable (by inner tube) waters, we were each issued with our buoyancy device (consisting of a made in china children’s blow-up life-ring, complete with slow leak). Then it was into the water to float through limestone gorges, with stops to reinflate the inner tube. The gorge was absolutely amazing, really beautiful clear water, water carved limestone and calcite features fringed with rainforest. At a particular spot the fish are feed with coconuts so are tame and expecting to get a meal! Luckily I’m not that tasty : )

To get back to the village we clambered up a calcite encrusted waterfall and some more bush ladders, eventually making it back for afternoon tea and grapefruit. A very cool spot and definitely one for the more adventurous.

Home sweet home

Well, it’s the start of my second week at work! Once my camera arrives, hopefully I’ll be able to send pics of my life here on Santo.

I have a great house located in the “fresh wind” area of Luganville, overlooking Segond Channel and Aore Island. I’m hoping the name is reflective of the climatic conditions, especially as it gets hotter! I’m even closer to work than I was in Tauranga! Only about 100m up the road at the Sanma Provincial Council buildings.

The first week of work was the classic orientation, consisting off a lot of reading! The reading continues…. There are two other volunteers from Aussie here: Jess and Jen, as well as Marie (Ni-Van from Santo). Am still to find out what I’m actually going to be doing, but hopefully that will fall into place! Have arranged a site visit with one of the guys from the water and wastewater division, so at least will be able to get out into the field!

Last week’s death of Steve Irwin (the crocodile hunter) was particularly relevant to Wantok Environment Centre: Apparently Steve had done some work here, there’s pics of him on the wall (at first I thought there was some sort of memorabilia to remind the girls of home!). There’s also a “Steve Irwin’s International Crocodile Recue” poster which is classic. For those interested in Bislama it has the following:

- No swimswim witem ol crocodile
- No kiven kaekae long ol crocodile
- No ko long solwota o riva long naet
- No spolem crocodile o mekem hem I kros
- No ko klosap long haus blong mama long crocodile.

*kaekae means food

If we had a flag it would have been at half mast.

Contact Details Blong Me

Sarah Flavall
PO Box 149
Luganville
Santo
Vanuatu

Phone: (678) 51284
email: sarahflavall@gmail.com

My access to the internet is fairly limited, so will be using snail mail... Postcards, letters and care packages will all be greatfully received.

Hope to see you in the friendly Isles!!!!

Red Tape, Vanuatu Style

Welcome to customs.... I thought it would be easy. My unaccompanied luggage went straight to Santo. However, yesterday I got my first real taste of the red tape to clear my bags.

1. Go to post office. Himia telum me go long airport.
2. Go to airport. Pickup wan form belong me.
3. Go to wharf customs. Himia telum me go long wan customs agent ia.
4. Go first fulla customs agent. Himia closed.
5. Go segond fulla customs agent. Himia open, but computer blong him, himia broke.
6. Go third fulla customs agent. Himia open, computer workum slowly tumas. Gettum wan stamp after 1 hour.
7. Go to wharf customs. Himia telum me go long post office for custom office manager.
8. Go post office. Himia require wan letter telum him me stap 2 yia long luganville, me workum long Wantok Environment Centre. Me require luggage belong me.
9. Me writem wan letter.
10. Go to post office. Give letter, pay money.
11. Go to wharf customs office. Give stack of paperwork. Pay money.
12. Go to airport. Give stack of paper work. Pay money. Recievem bags belong me..


Whew!!! So that was my first afternoon of work.
But, I met a frenchman in the morning who is helping with a biodiversity expedition in Santo... so went to a meeting to hear about what they're doing and will try and get more involved with that.

Have finished unpacking and am settled in... mosquito nets and all!

kava

Well, I thought it would actually be a while until I had kava (me smoll fraid) but I went back to the village and decided that when in Rome (or Vanuatu).... Plus it was as fresh as I'ld be able to get, ground from the roots rather than powder (although not ground by using adolescent boys I might add!). My hosts have a kava bar at their garden so although I was a little apprehesive, I had a couple of shells....

It sure is better than the fiji kava we had in Whangarei before I left!

Although its definitely not the beverage for a big knees-up. More a chill-out kind of thing...