Coral, Hibiscus, and Kava
After an hour long flight and five minute transfer, we arrived at White Grass Ocean Resort, one of the most stunning places on earth. With all the amenities of a resort (pool, tennis courts, etcetera), it has the feel of a bed and breakfast. Managers, Rod and Bev are kind of amazing, providing authentic experiences for tourists while maintaining a balance of opportunities for the locals without exploiting them. Put away whatever stereotypes you may have about "resort" and "tour." Tanna is not Vila.
The restaurant is gorgeous, and the food was great, though Brett was disappointed that Lobster wasn't on the menu. Blame the full moon. The fishermen spear the lobster from the reef, but a full moon provides too much light. The lobster can see the spears coming. Brett did not give up his quest, and within a couple of days had just about every fisherman on the island hunting lobster for him.
After lunch, we went snorkeling at Blue Hole 2 ("The Good One"). Blue Hole 2 is left at the driveway, down the track, through the cattle gate, past the blue house, and left towards the ocean. And it was incredible! There was so much to see considering how close it was to shore. The reef of coral and lava rock went twelve meters down and visibility was great. Blue Hole 2 is my fantasy backyard lap pool. I could swim up and down and around the reef all day. Sorry no photos. I lost the camera shortly after photographing some clown fish for a certain Nemo fan.
In the afternoon, we hiked up the White Grass Plains to see the wild horses. We got as far as the cows and turned around. The track was overgrown, and we weren't sure if we were actually still on it. We wanted to try again but didn't get the chance.
Around 4:00pm, we walked down the road, past the airport, and to a kava bar. The men of Vanuatu drink kava at sunset. Apparently while drinking kava, your eyes become very sensitive to light. This tradition makes a lot of sense, as sunset is when a lot of people are finishing work. Kava in Vanuatu is made from the root of the kava plant. The kava bars we went to ground it, though up in the hills, there are still places that make it by chewing. At worst kava makes the men tired and possibly a bit lackadaisical in the morning. At best, it makes them placid and laid back, and it's certainly a better alternative to communities who turn to alcohol.
The kava bar was an experience. It was really dark with a bunch of men hacking and spitting around the bar. Two boys poured the kava for Brett (traditionally pre-pubescent boys make the kava). Due to hygiene reasons, we had our own bottle (as opposed to sharing coconut shells) and took the kava back to the resort. By the time we got back, we were so hungry, we had to eat, not realizing that kava does not work (except for the slightest tingle of a numbing tongue) on a full stomach. Oh well. I wanted to get a photo of the men at the kava bar but thought I was pushing it being there in the first place. I did, however, manage to get a shot of the bar in the daylight:
The restaurant is gorgeous, and the food was great, though Brett was disappointed that Lobster wasn't on the menu. Blame the full moon. The fishermen spear the lobster from the reef, but a full moon provides too much light. The lobster can see the spears coming. Brett did not give up his quest, and within a couple of days had just about every fisherman on the island hunting lobster for him.
After lunch, we went snorkeling at Blue Hole 2 ("The Good One"). Blue Hole 2 is left at the driveway, down the track, through the cattle gate, past the blue house, and left towards the ocean. And it was incredible! There was so much to see considering how close it was to shore. The reef of coral and lava rock went twelve meters down and visibility was great. Blue Hole 2 is my fantasy backyard lap pool. I could swim up and down and around the reef all day. Sorry no photos. I lost the camera shortly after photographing some clown fish for a certain Nemo fan.
In the afternoon, we hiked up the White Grass Plains to see the wild horses. We got as far as the cows and turned around. The track was overgrown, and we weren't sure if we were actually still on it. We wanted to try again but didn't get the chance.
Around 4:00pm, we walked down the road, past the airport, and to a kava bar. The men of Vanuatu drink kava at sunset. Apparently while drinking kava, your eyes become very sensitive to light. This tradition makes a lot of sense, as sunset is when a lot of people are finishing work. Kava in Vanuatu is made from the root of the kava plant. The kava bars we went to ground it, though up in the hills, there are still places that make it by chewing. At worst kava makes the men tired and possibly a bit lackadaisical in the morning. At best, it makes them placid and laid back, and it's certainly a better alternative to communities who turn to alcohol.
The kava bar was an experience. It was really dark with a bunch of men hacking and spitting around the bar. Two boys poured the kava for Brett (traditionally pre-pubescent boys make the kava). Due to hygiene reasons, we had our own bottle (as opposed to sharing coconut shells) and took the kava back to the resort. By the time we got back, we were so hungry, we had to eat, not realizing that kava does not work (except for the slightest tingle of a numbing tongue) on a full stomach. Oh well. I wanted to get a photo of the men at the kava bar but thought I was pushing it being there in the first place. I did, however, manage to get a shot of the bar in the daylight:
posted by KrisT at 3:06 PM
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