Welkam long Vanuatu
Posted on Sunday 14th March 2010
Bislama for “Welcome to Vanuatu” and what was sung to us as we arrived Port Vila last Wednesday. It signified the start to our holiday there for the past 4 days, mostly to attend the wedding of some friends, and partly to get away from Adelaide to an idyllic paradise.
The country couldn’t have been a starker contrast to Adelaide being a lush verdant rainforest. The sheer volume and vibrancy of the flora constantly surprised … pleasantly so, of course. Of less desire was the constant rain. To start with, and having arrived dessicated by the South Australian climate, it came as a blessing. But after a couple days of non-stop drizzle, interspersed with downpours, it wore increasingly thin. Mostly as it impaired our ability to go out and partake of the cultural and visual riches. However, it did explain how and why everything was quite so green.
And it still didn’t get in our way completely, as a small break allowed us to climb up to a waterfall in the hills. Fed by clean rain, we swam in the plunge-pool and then walked through some of the most beautiful bush I’ve ever seen.
Also an opportunity to try Kava. This mild narcotic is relatively unknown outside the West Pacific, but has many of the desirable effects of alcohol with near none of the undesirable. It is a strange substance, initially the drink tastes vile … like dirty water. After suppressing one’s gag reflex a mild numbness of the tongue occurs. Then, a feeling of calm detachment without a loss of mental acuity. I’m not normally one to try “drugs”, but there seemed too many pros to miss out. Nor did Regan.
Unfortunately every silver lining has be contained in a cloud. Mine being struck low by the worst case of Traveller’s diarrhoea I can remember. Which naturally put somewhat of a crimp on the rest of the holiday. Fortunately a case of physician-heal-thyself came to the rescue, and Western medicine is making everything better again. A great pity in many ways, but it won’t diminish some great memories of a pleasant break away. A chance to leave all the pressures and hassles of life behind, albeit it temporarily.
Remainder of the photos here.
hi rick
the kava stuff sounds very interesting “calm detachment without a loss of mental acuity” – a bit like how i feel on itu! Hope you’re well mate.
Mansoor