11th of September, 2025.
The captain is called Edwin, and even though he’s a nice guy, he’s also a bit shy and I think it’s because he’s not very confident about his English. I’m ashamed of using my phone to take photos of the crossing, so there’s none. Well done, Lei!
Edwin offers for me to stay in a piece of land owned by him, some hundred metres away from the village, and where he plans to build some bungalows for tourists. The space is really nice and I’m tempted to camp here, there are a few problems with that idea though. First, I’m not so sure about being alone here; second, I haven’t got any food with me; and third, I would like to interact with the locals from the villages, as I’m curious to know all about their island life style. I kindly refuse Edwin’s offer and he seems to understand completely.
I then ask him to point me on the way of the village chief, so I can ask permission to camp somewhere. He talks with some people and after sometime he comes to me and tells me I will find the chief in the kava bar. Damn it! OK, I try to find the bar on my own but the directions given by Edwin didn’t make any sense. When I ask some locals in the beach, they are surprisingly unhelpful. I don’t know if they are afraid because of some language barrier; if they are afraid of something; or if they simply rather to ignore me. They are snorkeling for some tiny small shellfish. One boy is kind of trying to help, giving me directions, but he’s also a bit apprehensive.
As I walk away from them and try to find the chief, this same boy comes to my aid and point to me where I can find the chief. The kava bar barely has a structure, it’s really just some pieces of wood put together, and I don’t see how anyone who’s not from Vanuatu could possibly identify that as a bar. Well, I guess that’s what kava bars are all about it then.
The chief is a seniour man and he seems very surprised with my presence and my request. But he’s also kind and point me to the community hall, where he says I can pitch my tent. It’s not an actual building but more like a bigger hut, covered with dry grass (or coconut leaves, I’m not sure) where they have their community meetings. As I’m afraid it might be too warm in here, because of the absence of wind, I decide to have my tent under a big mango tree just outside of the community hall.
As I’m still considering this, the boy who helped me to find the chief shows up. His name is Jason and he’s like a character coming out of a movie like Change of Habit. He’s awesome and has an amazing and unique voice. I enjoy talking to him. All of sudden, Trishia shows up. I’m very surprised by the encounter already, when they tell me that they are siblings. No way! That’s awesome!
As I’m pitching my tent and we talk, I ask Trishia if it’s OK for her family to share some food with me. She seems very humble about it and says that’s no problem at all, we just need to wait until their parents arrive from Efate, the main land where the capital Port Vila is located. Trishia missed school today because she has got the flu.
When we are still waiting for their parents, another lady comes to talk with us, and I’m not sure exactly what Trishia tells her but, all of sudden, she leaves saying that she will be back soon. Middle time, and at this point it’s already night time so everything is dark, Trishia and Jason’s parents come back. I cannot see their faces but they introduce themselves to me, together with a young man who’s also part of the family. He’s actually the one who’s nicer to me when doing that.
Soon enough the lady comes back with dinner for me. What? I cannot believe it! How kind! Trishia family goes back home, and I get to know Anne, the chief’s wife, and the owner of the only bungalow for tourists here in Piliura. She’s a bit shy about what she prepared for me at first, but when I tell her that I love eggs way more than any meat, and that I also love rice, I think she’s feeling better about it. It’s actually a delicious omelet with tomatoes that she made, which is amazing! As we talk, she tells me about her bungalow, built only a few months ago, and then we talk about Pele tourism. Or the absence of it. I tell her I can try and help her bungalow to become more well known, just by making reviews online and talking about on my Instagram, and she’s very happy with that. We come there together after I finish my dinner, and I’m surprised in how great it is. I was expecting something more rustic and similar to the local houses, but it’s very westernized inside, with tiles floor, completely sealed against mosquitoes and other bugs, and super clean and tidy. It’s only the two bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with one bunkbed. All the meals are prepared by Anne, and I’m sure they will all be just as great as her omelet.
Just before I go to sleep, as I’m talking with Anne and Trishia, another lady comes over and tells me that perhaps it should be better if I pitch my tent somewhere else, and I though she meant around Trishia’s house, in their yard. The reason, according to her, is that there will be some drunk men around the village tonight because there was a wedding in a nearby island today, many people from Pele attended to it, and the drunk ones can be noisy sometimes. I think about it, and probably if I haven’t pinned my tent to the ground yet, I would have done that, but as I already did, I tell them that it will be alright.
Ah, kava…
It’s soon after 22.00 hours when he starts. A man screaming and making lots of noises by punching and kicking things is walking around the village. What a heck? I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I get a bit apprehensive. I’m not really far from Trishia’s house, and something in my heart tells me that everything will be OK, but being a woman in this world, I guess it’s normal to be alert. He keeps on doing that for some time. Ten minutes perhaps? That’s a lot of screaming, mate! And a lot of cursing too, as he keeps repeating fuck you uncountable times. Then something curious happen. As it seems he’s getting really close to my tent, someone interferes. Another man, in a very calm manner, with a quiet tone in his voice, talks with the drunk guy. I can hear they talking, but I cannot distinguish what they are saying. The drunk guy doesn’t even argue with the other one, he’s just mumbling something. And then they are gone. What I wonder is, was that a real person who talked with the drunk guy, or an angel, sent to save me?
12th of September, 2025.
The plan is to spend the day in a nearby beach called Freemandel. The initial plan was to camp there for tonight, but as I checked in the map and saw only one or two houses there, I think it’s not really a good idea. I talked with Jason about leaving my backpack in their house for the day, and he says it’s alright. Luckily, their parents are not going to work today, what makes things easier.
They don’t offer me any breakfast, and I don’t ask, which leaves me in a pickle, as all I have is one papaya I brought with me from Emua. But I make a plan!
It’s a short walk to Freemandel. The water is crystal clear, with beautiful turquoise and blue shades. There are a lot of corals but they are all mostly dead here near the beach, so not really great for snorkeling by walk. And I’m not in the mood for swimming either. I try to do some sunbathing but am not very successful with that too. Yeah, I know, what did I succeeded with it then? Indeed!
I find a coconut, I open it using only a shell, and then I crack it open and eat it. Yummy! I’m so happy with my achievement. Isn’t that a great survival skill? I feel like Tom Hanks in Cast Away! Almost eight years travelling around the world, and only now I’ve opened a coconut all by myself. Laugh.
In the afternoon, a few locals pass by and say hi to me. They are mostly women and girls. They are fishing and snorkeling for those tiny little shellfish.
I come back late afternoon and this time I decide to pitch my tent inside the community hall. I spend some time talking with Jason and a friend of him. They are very nice and smart boys. And they think I know a lot of stuff just because of some tiny little things I’ve told them about it, like some constellations and a few facts about the world. They are sweet. Trishia gives me some really nice eggs and rice for dinner, and an amazing ginger tea too. I have a much more peaceful night.
10 Years Around the World 