August 6, 2009

Independence Day
The last news we sent from Efate, Vanuatu, was that their independence celebration was coming up, and that we'd be spending a good bit of time in Tasserikki Village during the weeklong event. It did turn out to be quite a happening, enjoyed by all participants as far as we could tell. For us it wasn't a strenuous as it was for the villagers though. We are like most sailing cruisers; we've come to rule our lives, when not on a passage, by the sun. It's a rare thing for us not to be back on Sequester after dark. That scheduling meant that we missed most of the dancing, the string band performances, and perhaps worst of all, some of the political speeches.
Well, maybe missing the speeches wasn't so bad. We couldn't vote anyway. The interesting thing about the coming election is that it was called to re-run the contest for four of the parliament seats from Efate. In the recently completed main election, four of the winners were judged by a commission to have used financial inducements and favors to influence voters, and their wins were nullified. For an election in any Pacific Island nation to be nullified for such offenses is considered simply stunning. It has been considered business as usual for as long as elections have been held here. As such, the politicians involved were not charged with crimes or misdemeanors, or even disqualified from running again. They just had to run strictly by the rules. There's been a big double take all over Oceania, to see how this works out. And Vanuatu is increasingly being scrutinized by the other Pacific nations, as the economy here has grown at over twice the rate of the neighboring groups. This will be an interesting development to watch, to see if corruption/instability/poor economy is seen as a curable cause and effect sequence.
Anyway, we did get to see such independence day openers as the Vanuatu Defence Force Band doing a medly that included a segment of The Macarena, with several members doing some credible "dirty dancing" in full uniform. There were four yachts near the village that first day, and we were all drafted to march in a short parade with the children from the elementary school. On ensuing days, Karen brought weaving materials (salt cured, dyed coconut frond fiber) and spent hours teaching children and some of the women how the Marshallese braid jewelry cords for bracelets and necklaces. The women started showing us their weaving techniques, and brought out some nice pandanus frond bags.
Meanwhile, there was a soccer tournament under way for us to watch, and I was drafted to do more generator repairs. One of the food stands was selling ice cream, and generators were being alternated to keep the freezer cold. Also, there were at least 3 seperate P A systems churning out sound. Electricity was in high demand. About half the food we ate that week was bought by someone from the village to show appreciation for something we had done. To us, just as good as the food was the commentary on it. We found out about the distinctions between lap-lap (a stone baked casserole based on yams and manioc flour) and tuloc (leave out the yams, so you can wrap the manioc dough around the filling and bake it in banana leaves). Everything, always is seasoned with the smoky flavor of burning coconut husks and wood. It's very nice.
Following the week of the party, we spent a day hiking to the nearest store with the crew of another yacht (one British, one Scottish, one German/Kiwi!) to see if we could restock the dwindling supplies, and maybe get a newspaper. The store was a qualified success, but on the walk back up the road we found an access road to a new resort on the harbor. We'd watched in the distance from our anchorage as the construction was completed, and saw an opening day party a copuple weeks ago, so thought we'd have a look in. I'm not a big connessiur of resorts, but the Australian owner, Greg, has done a masterful job with the planning and construction of The Havannah. The comfort and class are evident without being gaudy or opulent. The decor is varnished native timber and top quality thatching, with cement, stucco and terrazzo are used where appropriate for durability and cleanliness. Everywhere a guest might spend any time, dining, sleeping, or soaking in the tub, there is a clear view of the harbor and the western islands. I have no idea what it would cost to stay there, but the coffee is about $4 US a cup, quite nice, but out of my financial range! Still, for those who can afford it, it's worth consideration. A couple days ago we moved Sequester to the northern-most end of Havanna Harbor, near the village of Sunai. The harbor opens back to the ocean on this end over a large, shallow coral patch. There's a moderate current flow in and out with the tides, the water is clear and the snorkeling pretty good. A half day working in the village has ensured our welcome, and anyway, these folks are all related to our friends in Mitten and Tasserikki. The weather held up nicely for all the independence day festivities, then went to overcast with intermittent rain, and has stayed that way for 6 days now, so we're getting in a good bit of reading, listening to the radio from NZ, Australia and the USA, and starting to plan next months passage to Noumea, New Caledonia. Just before we left Majuro, Spike gave me a book called "Bias" by Bernard Goldberg. It's an interesting read, worthy of another book review. Coming soon. Ted