Epai

Brett and I wanted to do the Blue Cave snorkeling tour combined with some fishing on Wednesday, but due to the full moon (yet again), the tides were too high, which made the seas too rough for the cave. Simon didn't show up, so we went to Epai instead. Epai is a kastom village, which means the villagers have turned their backs on Western ways and continue to live in the tradition of their ancestors. The children don't go to school, and the village is completely self-sustainable: plenty of food, shelter, and water to drink.

The sound of a conch shell announced our arrival and seemed to say, "They're coming! They're coming! Take your places!" Suddenly the villagers all had a job to do: entertain the white folks who are so "evolved" they are amazed at basic survival skills. We were escorted to different stations where we watched demonstrations of kastom life, sampled food (figs with salt, coconut in fig leaves, roasted banana with coconut, and nangai nut, which is the seed of a fruit and tastes like a cross between coconut and almond), and tried their version of archery.

At the end of the tour, there were a few handicrafts for sale. The price tags all had names on them, so the funds would go to the appropriate crafter (lots of whispering whenever we touched something). As far as I could tell, money at this point doesn't buy much more than some dye for baskets. Although as time goes on, I will be curious to know, "How will tourism/money affect a self-sufficient community?"

On the way back to the resort, our driver, Louie, took us down White Sand Beach, past children playing soccer (Like the rest of the world, the people of Tanna are huge soccer fans, and even in the hills of Epai, word traveled fast that Australia had beat Japan in the World Cup) and outrigger canoes lining the ocean. I regret missing the photo opportunity. It was extrordinary.