Vanuatu Snapshots

Internet has been as scarce in Vanuatu as we expected, and our time in Luganville (which not only has electricity, but a couple of cafes even have something called wifi) was cut short by weather. More stories and many more photos will follow, but for now all I can upload are a few of our favorites.

We wanted to get to Pentecost Island in time for their land diving, which ceases in June. Fortunately we made it, and the experience was truly awesome. The above photo is a land diving tower under construction; it is made entirely of vines and bamboo poles.

Women and girls preparing to sing and dance near the bottom of the tower

Some of these boys, trained by the elders,
will jump from increasingly higher levels

Last words and a blessing...

...prior to leaping towards the earth

Encouraged after a successful jump,
the grazing of his head on the ground ensures a bountiful yam harvest

Typical village scene

Large and heavy loads are slung in bags on poles over the shoulder; this is the standard way to transport food and fuel (and almost everyone carries a bush knife, including young children)

A deeply memorable highlight was the "water music" on Gaua Island.

Using just their hands and bodies,
women create extraordinary tones and rhythms in the sea.
Like the land diving tradition passed from fathers to sons,
this feat is passed from mothers to daughters.
(Editor's note: this is worth checking online for a video)

On the island of Espiritu Santo, we took a dinghy trip up a jungle river that ended in a "blue hole".

Art playing Tarzan on his 64th birthday

Our experiences in Vanuatu are even more diverse and enthralling than we expected, so we're looking forward to being able to share more later!