Le 11/01/14, 10:05
168.14415733333-17.021207666667
Hello,
Let's begin by Tanna island.
I take plane from the capital at Efate island under a shiny sky...
... And I land at Tanna under a torrential rain.
Welcome ! Actually, it is the raining season and cyclones, so I adapt myself.
The time of the transfer in 4*4 car, the sky will turn back to beautiful sky. My sidekicks in the car stopped to pick up mangoes and fill the car with them.
There is no more mangoes on The other side of the island at this time. Next, once we passed on the other side of the island, each time we cross someone, they shout "mangoe" and throw 1 or 2 to the person. Very friendly my buddies.
I have, obviously, to mention the stop at the gas station
And also give you a sight of themisland :
[img width=560]http://www. .com/album_pic-115737.jpg[/img]
After 2 hours on the road (I should say of track because Chinese people didn't build yet the road on the island. It is plan according the news of the day in the newspaper.), we arrive at the village where there is a ceremony of "Bonne Année" ( happy new year). They say it really like this in French for this type of ceremony. !
It is a chorale from neighborhood which come here to wish happy new year and in the same time, the villagers paint them on face, cloth, hair...
You can also look at the video to have a brief sound of the atmosphere.
Chorale "bonne année"
We go on the day with local dances which are usually done during big ceremonies between villages. Here, it's just for 2 tourists...
Oh yes, I forgot to tell that we are only 2 at the guest house. I take the opportunity to show you the place I will stay during 3 nights.
Next, direction to Yasur volcano in car. The Yasur volcano is one of the most accessible volcano in the world at about 400m. But it is also one of the most active, with a continuous activity from 400 years. From the guest house, at 1.5km we can hear explosion regularly. So, now, I am approaching at less than 150m from the crater, things are different... I say 150m, and I am not joking. I let you imagine. For those who can not imagine, I downloaded 2 videos and few pictures ! I mean lot of pictures
.
VOLCAN 1
Volcan Yasur 2
The explosions are gas which is expel from the chamber. ( I know that with coke !). Is it dangerous ? Now, the volcano is at level 1-2, on scale of 5 level (0-4). At the level 2, some explosions can go out of the crater and reach the path where we walk and where we observe, and even reach the park lot at 500m. At level 3, piece of lava will reach 3 km around the volcano.
The first explosions, you have some emotion. With time, you become familiar, and more confident because you see the lava quite far...at 100m from you
The experience stay unbelievable, unforgettable...
I still have 2 nights to see it...cool
I should say almost... Because the day after, I decided to climb to the top with my guide. Fairly at the top, the rain begins to fall, really hard and we won't see anything of the volcano. I mean, we will see something... Some pieces of lava are new on the path or 10 cm where I sat the day before. The lava reach the place during the night !!!
Now, the adventure begins. The guide explain me that we can not stay here in these conditions because of no visibility and if we cannot see the lava coming, it is dangerous.
When the weather is good, you have to look where the lava goes during explosion, if it is toward you...then run ! Yesterday, I didn't imagine that the lava could arrive here. At least, now I know. We wait for the night, but the sky won't be better, on the contrary, the rain is even stronger. We go back by car (4*4) with a new couple just arrived. After 20 minutes, the car is stuck. We lift up the car with hands and after it is fine. Almost fine, because after 10 minutes, the tire blast ! Now, we cannot wait more...if we wait too long the car will never cross the river... The rain is still falling. We have to walk, 2.5km, in the night, under string rain and few pass for the river where we will have water at the thigh. Still lot of fun and experience again. We hold each other to cross when the current is strong. Everything finish well, soaked from head to toes.
The day after, the weather is much better...the plan of the day with the Australian couple just married ... Visit of John Frum and cargo cult village. I already visited the village the day before but I forget to take my Polaroid to let them pictures. And again, local dance, and volcano climbing.
What is the cult of John Frum ?
Is the place where the movement of John Frum was created under the cargo cult during the 2nd world war : the believers of this cult follow the voice of an american soldier who would have met to some chiefs and recommended them to came back to original tradition and chase the European. Following that they could expect without effort, having abundance of food and goods, what they might have believe when they saw the American troop landing.
I let you read the rest on Wikipedia, you will see it it is quite funny. There are lot of details but I am not here to make a lesson on this cult...
Nevertheless, when you think that they are waiting for cargo full of goods and in the same time when the US troop left Vanuatu on a Northern island (Espiritu Santo island) they drop in the water million of dollars of equipment (the place is known as million dollars point by the divers.) We see that some prophecies or miracles were close to happen.
I spent few hours with them, I let them lot of pictures and in exchange they gave me a necklace. Now I look like Rahan (French comics book on the prehistoric time) with my tooth of wild pig around my neck. They also offered me a kava drink. No, no it is not a coffee drink, it is an infusion of the kava root. In Vanuatu, the kava moment is a special moment. Everybody cannot drink kava. You need to be introduced and be "adult"
I almost forgot... As the cargo with iphone never arrived, they use a conch to warn them that tourist arrive !
In their ritual, they dance and play music once a week during all the night. The song are quite rhythmic and close to their adoration of USA. They liked my style of dance also.
After so much experience in 3 days, it's time to go and join the island of Espiritu Santo for diving (if my ear is ok !)
Let's begin by Tanna island.
I take plane from the capital at Efate island under a shiny sky...
... And I land at Tanna under a torrential rain.
Welcome ! Actually, it is the raining season and cyclones, so I adapt myself.
The time of the transfer in 4*4 car, the sky will turn back to beautiful sky. My sidekicks in the car stopped to pick up mangoes and fill the car with them.
There is no more mangoes on The other side of the island at this time. Next, once we passed on the other side of the island, each time we cross someone, they shout "mangoe" and throw 1 or 2 to the person. Very friendly my buddies.
I have, obviously, to mention the stop at the gas station
And also give you a sight of themisland :
[img width=560]http://www. .com/album_pic-115737.jpg[/img]
After 2 hours on the road (I should say of track because Chinese people didn't build yet the road on the island. It is plan according the news of the day in the newspaper.), we arrive at the village where there is a ceremony of "Bonne Année" ( happy new year). They say it really like this in French for this type of ceremony. !
It is a chorale from neighborhood which come here to wish happy new year and in the same time, the villagers paint them on face, cloth, hair...
You can also look at the video to have a brief sound of the atmosphere.
Chorale "bonne année"
We go on the day with local dances which are usually done during big ceremonies between villages. Here, it's just for 2 tourists...
Oh yes, I forgot to tell that we are only 2 at the guest house. I take the opportunity to show you the place I will stay during 3 nights.
Next, direction to Yasur volcano in car. The Yasur volcano is one of the most accessible volcano in the world at about 400m. But it is also one of the most active, with a continuous activity from 400 years. From the guest house, at 1.5km we can hear explosion regularly. So, now, I am approaching at less than 150m from the crater, things are different... I say 150m, and I am not joking. I let you imagine. For those who can not imagine, I downloaded 2 videos and few pictures ! I mean lot of pictures
.
VOLCAN 1
Volcan Yasur 2
The explosions are gas which is expel from the chamber. ( I know that with coke !). Is it dangerous ? Now, the volcano is at level 1-2, on scale of 5 level (0-4). At the level 2, some explosions can go out of the crater and reach the path where we walk and where we observe, and even reach the park lot at 500m. At level 3, piece of lava will reach 3 km around the volcano.
The first explosions, you have some emotion. With time, you become familiar, and more confident because you see the lava quite far...at 100m from you
The experience stay unbelievable, unforgettable...
I still have 2 nights to see it...cool
I should say almost... Because the day after, I decided to climb to the top with my guide. Fairly at the top, the rain begins to fall, really hard and we won't see anything of the volcano. I mean, we will see something... Some pieces of lava are new on the path or 10 cm where I sat the day before. The lava reach the place during the night !!!
Now, the adventure begins. The guide explain me that we can not stay here in these conditions because of no visibility and if we cannot see the lava coming, it is dangerous.
When the weather is good, you have to look where the lava goes during explosion, if it is toward you...then run ! Yesterday, I didn't imagine that the lava could arrive here. At least, now I know. We wait for the night, but the sky won't be better, on the contrary, the rain is even stronger. We go back by car (4*4) with a new couple just arrived. After 20 minutes, the car is stuck. We lift up the car with hands and after it is fine. Almost fine, because after 10 minutes, the tire blast ! Now, we cannot wait more...if we wait too long the car will never cross the river... The rain is still falling. We have to walk, 2.5km, in the night, under string rain and few pass for the river where we will have water at the thigh. Still lot of fun and experience again. We hold each other to cross when the current is strong. Everything finish well, soaked from head to toes.
The day after, the weather is much better...the plan of the day with the Australian couple just married ... Visit of John Frum and cargo cult village. I already visited the village the day before but I forget to take my Polaroid to let them pictures. And again, local dance, and volcano climbing.
What is the cult of John Frum ?
Is the place where the movement of John Frum was created under the cargo cult during the 2nd world war : the believers of this cult follow the voice of an american soldier who would have met to some chiefs and recommended them to came back to original tradition and chase the European. Following that they could expect without effort, having abundance of food and goods, what they might have believe when they saw the American troop landing.
I let you read the rest on Wikipedia, you will see it it is quite funny. There are lot of details but I am not here to make a lesson on this cult...
Nevertheless, when you think that they are waiting for cargo full of goods and in the same time when the US troop left Vanuatu on a Northern island (Espiritu Santo island) they drop in the water million of dollars of equipment (the place is known as million dollars point by the divers.) We see that some prophecies or miracles were close to happen.
I spent few hours with them, I let them lot of pictures and in exchange they gave me a necklace. Now I look like Rahan (French comics book on the prehistoric time) with my tooth of wild pig around my neck. They also offered me a kava drink. No, no it is not a coffee drink, it is an infusion of the kava root. In Vanuatu, the kava moment is a special moment. Everybody cannot drink kava. You need to be introduced and be "adult"
I almost forgot... As the cargo with iphone never arrived, they use a conch to warn them that tourist arrive !
In their ritual, they dance and play music once a week during all the night. The song are quite rhythmic and close to their adoration of USA. They liked my style of dance also.
After so much experience in 3 days, it's time to go and join the island of Espiritu Santo for diving (if my ear is ok !)
