Tall Ship Soren Larsen adventure sailing for all ages

The 2003 Tall Ship Soren Larsen Pacific Voyage Log

29th August 2003 - Vanuatu Discovery North - Port Vila to Santo, V186.

Austrian adventurer and long term Pacific voayge crew Emil writes of the 10 night voyage north through central Vanuatu:

Almost dancing on a volcano

Port Vila's National Cultural Center was a real good start before we left Efate. A cross-section of artifacts of all different tribes is displayed here: A Rom dancing dress of Ambrym, a Kweriya, the three meter bamboo pole wrapped in feathers of the Tanna Toka festival, a impressive tusk, former gift for the English Queen, war clubs, weavings, rare pottery and terrific masks. We had some talk to the financial minister of Vanuatu, at the same time on this day there was a special presentation of the Women Field Workers Council and therefore a nice buffet of lap lap outside.

We visited the Nakamal, the nearby house of the chiefs meetings, build in traditional style - but with a lot of empty tinned meat cans outside, a clear sign about the changing times even here, instead of a pig killing club they use can openers now.
The enchanted garden of the French artist Michoutouchkine and the Wallis Pilioko is another must in the neighborhood of Vila. On the seaside, they have created a place for their own works as well as for supporting young artists of Vanuatu. A huge collection of art but also of funny kitsch - put together in a unique way outside and inside. Artifacts of the south sea islands mixed up with Tibetan parts and European goodies embedded in a grand collection of plants from everywhere in the tropics.

We got a new voyage crew on board and so we sailed off. And our heartbeat of the journey, the Soren Larsen was again ready to deliver new adventures.
On Emae Island we had a short mission, getting near a telephone for checking our volcano walk on Ambrym. Marita was the lucky one; most of the voyage crew were her bodyguards. The walk to the only phone on our side of the island lasted about an hour. We had a nice companion, who provided us with a plastic bag of coconuts. He was so enthusiastic while shaking the fruits off the tree that we had to watch the droppings around us very carefully.

We found the phone at last. A nice rusty tin hut, 5 minutes behind nowhere with a very proud local operator. Afterwards no connection.
But the deep white sandy beach behind the "communication center" compensated that all. On the way back we got further fruits off the villagers and therefore we returned to the ship heavy loaded.

The next friendly stop was Sandwich Bay in Malekula. The villagers were again warm and welcoming, we visited the school, talked to guys who were working on drying the copra, the main good of island export. Later I was sitting on the shore, when some local men were coming and one of them asked me the three most frequent questions to a tourist: What is your name? Where are you from?, Are you married?. I answered the questions and while more and more men were coming. I told some stories about Austria to them, everybody was nodding and laughing, but after 10 minutes the first guy said to me: "sorry, but they all only understand French…."

After this Babylonian disaster we went to the Maskelyne Islands, collected firewood on an island first, then we anchored near a small inhabited island, Awei, only three boats lengths away off a tiny shore. We had a perfect BBQ on the beach and some locals came with their instruments and played for us all their songs they knew, even Jingle Bells (it is winter here after all). The volcanoes of Ambrym were glowing in the starry sky and I was sitting a long time on the deck to watch this gorgeous lights.
A very nice surprise was the half way party on board for Simon and me on the next day, sitting in the bright sun at noon, watching three different smoking volcanoes ( Mount Marum, Mount Benbow, Lopevi) in front of us with a glass of champagne, that was stylish.

We reached Banum Bay in the afternoon. Jim organized a local dancing and most of our crew was visiting this event. It was a perfect show, a dozen of men and about fifty women and maybe the same number of kids danced in their traditional dresses, nambas, grass skirts, or skin only, it was really convincing, but a hard work was waiting for us after the end, we had to shake everyone's hand, a long funny row of black and white hands.

Then the highlight, Ambrym, the mysterious island of smoking mountains and magic. At Ranvatlam, we got a good anchoring and went to bed very early. The next day we had to go up at 6, it was volcano time. Twelve kilometers through the rainforest, ash plane and rocky former lava flows only to reach after a four hour walk an inferno of swirl winds, heavy steam clouds of sulphur and flying sand. It was beautiful, even the sight inside the crater was open only just for some seconds; it was a real feeling, what the forces of nature are able to do. And remembering that every one of us, covering his body like praying in a mosque on the crater rim, I will never forget. Too early for me, we had to leave this outpost of the interior of mother earth and went back. Tired and smoked we reached the dark sandy shore and some of us took a bath in the crystal clear waters.

But the island was offering us a second highlight- The Rom Dance. This special dance, only presented in August showed us dancers completely hidden behind their facemasks and a costume made by dry banana leaves. The dancers hold special wooden sticks in their hand and pretend to hit people with them. The performance took place in front of the ceremonial house of a village half an hour away from shore. Big statues and a post with an American flag ensured a strange ambience. Another moment for the once in our lifetime photos.

In the afternoon we relaxed at Hot Water Beach. Hot water of the volcanoes is pouring through the sand here and gets mixed up with seawater, so we relaxed as comfortable as in a spa.
Yes my friends, this is paradise here and is still waiting especially for you.

See Noreen's tale of this trip here

Viv and Chris' Voyage Crew comments here
"We had a great trip and nice to know that second time aboard we weren't disappointed..."

Read more of Emil's account's of a Voyage Crew's tall ship adventure.
Auckland Kermadecs Tonga voyage	here
Kingdom of Tonga	here
Tonga to Fiji	here
Fiji to Vanuatu	here
Vanuatu Northbound	here
Vanuatu Banks	here
Vanuatu South- New Caledonia	here