Easter adventures...

For photo captions see last paragraph!

Easter was always going to be an adventure. It rained solidly for the 12 hours before we left for camp which made travel and camping plans in question but the roads turned out to be ok and the campsite wasn’t flooded so it was alright!

We started with some extreme big truck 4WDing to get to a village, along this crazy tiny track into the bush. Then, once we got to the wharf we all packed into a boat and headed off into the dark night…still raining and halfway across the channel the driver throttled back, took off the engine cover and had a wee play round to try get the engine working better! I really wished I knew more about outboard motors then! Having decided there was nothing they could do we kept going. The wind slowly came up and we started surfing down the waves, in the dark, in an overloaded boat. But we arrived safely in the end, soaked but stoked to be in the middle of a real adventure!

The next few days were full of eating new and strange island fruits, A LOT of rice and bread (one morning we had bread, along with deep fried bread for breakfast??????) It was awesome to be at an easter camp – singing youth group songs and relaxing around the camp site. Quite similar to a camp in NZ, everyone in tents or in the dorms (bamboo frame covered in tarps with mats inside to sleep on). Big communal bush kitchen where everyone got meals from and they had speakers and activities and worship and talent nights and all the usual camp stuff. I could understand most of the sermons, and I knew some of the songs (not the ones in the local dialect) but I learnt a few more too which was cool. It really made me miss NZ actually, quite a different feel even though much was the same.

I stayed with a family in their house, which was really cool. I took my guitar so at night we sat round and sung songs that we all knew (old church songs) and on Sunday the papa asked if I wanted to climb the big hill behind the village. Naturally I jumped at the chance and off we went, jandals, slashing knives and handbags in tow (one of the other girls)! It was awesome to be hill climbing again! And great views from the top of lots of other islands so that was cool. Then did the most extreme bushbashing ever through thick jungle vines and muddy dirt. We climbed on top of the bushes and just tried to stay up as long as poss without falling through. Halfway down the guy sai we weren’t quite where we were meant to be and I imagined getting to the ocean eventually and having to walk for hours along the ricks, but we ended up not too far away from where we were supposed to me. I asked if the right way was an easier walk and he said no so not sure why it mattered that we weren’t in the right place!! Amazed at the strength of the girls feet who came with us – did the whole thing in bare feet! So when we got to the beach off came my sandals and I walked as long as I could before putting them back on (not very long at all!)

Then the boat trip back was even more crowded than the one there, with no freeway at al. Im stoked the sea was calm! Then we all piled into th back of a truck with our gear, food for the market and us and started the long drive back to town!

I love being in the village! Such a simple way of life and so family orientated – I was glad to eat different food and have a normal toilet when I got back though!

We ran a workshop on sat arvo about HIV/AIDS which was well received so that was cool too. I ate a coconut crab which was super tasty – a delicacy here. One at the market sells for a few thousand vatu ($50) so I was lucky that we found one on our walk and when they found out I hadn’t eaten one they insisted I eat it!

I was given an island name, which is kastom once you have lived here a while – Leiwia (lay-we-a) which means ‘the good girl’!! (Leina's a bit of a rebel so she calls me the good girl!) It was really nice just to be able to relax and understand people and get to know Leina better, as friends rather than boss/employee.

Sorry, super long but so much to say! Just loved being on an adventure and doing things outside of Vila. Straight back into it at work, real busy this week but its great to have had some time away.

The photos -one is making laplap - piling hot stones ontopto cook it. Leina is on the left.
One is sitting in the nakamal (village meeting place) preparing for the workshop. Leina is doing the peace sign!
One is me eating the cocnut crab with the kitchen and the family i stayed with in the background.
One is the truck heading back to vila.
One is the easter camp meeting place.

Alle, mi mas go nao. Mi hop se yu stret mo well. Mimi lok fored long toktok long yu. Bongwio! (ok, I must go now. I hope you are fine and well. I look forward to talking to you, Good night!)