VANUATU: Tanna

Being captivated by Tanna last October was one of the main reasons we wanted to return to Vanuatu and spend more time in this fascinating country. Unlike Aneityum, Tanna’s villages are almost completely undeveloped. There is no electricity, all homes are thatched, and all boats are dugout canoes. Our strongest memories of Tanna will be men in canoes, constantly plying the bay for fish; steam vents, associated with the active volcano very nearby; and best of all, the overtly friendly people.

Many photos of the village and the volcano are in a blog post from October 2016, but I can’t resist adding more images…

Tom, pictured above, rowed up not long after we anchored and asked if we could charge his cell phone. Cell phone?! There’s not any service here! It turns out that several people have phones, which they use for taking pictures and movies. (They can call friends and relatives if they take a long and very bumpy truck ride across the island to Lenakel, Tanna’s main town.)

Trading is the norm in Vanuatu,
though we were more than happy to charge his phone for nothing.
Tom traded two of his mackerel for the service. Made for a tasty dinner!

This steam vent along the water's edge is used for cooking--there are plantains and cassava in the pool--
and laundry. It's so hot that one must be careful not to get burned.

Sela cooking food;
note the men in dugout canoes in the background

The results were excellent!

Papaya trees along the trail to...

...this large steam vent

Steam vent with extraneous characters in front

On the way back from the vent,
our guide Willy took us to an area of naturally colored clay...

...which was, and still is,
used as body paint in ceremonies

A typical home,

and a woman walking on the main path between villages

Men fishing,

and women scrubbing pots

Carved statues along the path to the main village in the area

Leah's restaurant by day,

and by night

She made a delicious meal from all local ingredients (eggs, vegetables and fruits). With no electricity, the light was from a solar-powered lamp, which ran out of juice by the end of the meal. But who needs light to sit around and chat?

Food is plentiful. Gardens are well tended...

and paths well groomed

As with our last visit, we brought our instruments ashore one day and played in the 3 closest villages. This extended family was incredibly enthusiastic, laughing and clapping rhythms along with our songs.We also learned the Vanuatu national anthem this year; we start with that, and most people sing along—often an emotional experience.
What a joy to share music so intimately!

We shared an instrument as well as music. Art’s arthritis is worsening and he can no longer play our guitar (thank goodness his beautiful ukulele is less stressful for his hands). Guitars are the main instrument in Vanuatu music and one village didn’t have a guitar, so we decided ours should have a new home.

Art loves playing frisbee with the kids
(and we always leave the frisbee with them when we go)

To trade for the music and the frisbee,
these kids gathered a bunch of fruits and veggies for us

We'll eat very well for quite a while!

We traded a bag of rice for these bananas from one of the men in the dugout canoes

As we were sailing away from Tanna, Mt. Yasur came into view

An extraordinary place! We are already glad we chose to return and immerse ourselves in Vanuatu’s lands and cultures.

After a short stop in Port Vila, where the 3 recent blogs can be posted, we will be island hopping for quite a while. It’s unlikely any of these places will have internet access, so the next photos may take longer to appear…