Hitchhiking in Vanuatu: Port Vila and Malapoa
17th of September, 2025.
As I wait for a lift, I look for some coconut. Yes, I’m addicted to coconuts now. Is there a problem? But I couldn’t find any. I find some popos thought, and as I’m poking one, a car passes and stops for me. They seem a bit doubtful at first but end up telling me they can take me until a small town just before Port Vila, a place called Teouma. Before I get in the car, I ask them to wait one minute so I can go and collect my popos from the floor. Yes, plural because I’m taking two small ones.
The driver is a man, I’m calling him R. because I don’t know how to spell his name. He’s with Linda, and they are from Tanna. They are nice and R. has long and thick dreadlocks. They drop me off slightly outside Teouma because they are going to a shop around here.
I am walking when a small truck stops and the driver asks me if I need a ride. Yes, please! They are going to take a family member to the hospital, so they can drop me off in a busy and central area, right in front of USP, University of Port Vila. I ride in the back of the truck.
When I arrive, I look in my offline map for a church. There’s a SDA not far from here, so I walk towards there.
All I need is a place to camp for two nights. Hopefully, with a family around so I can have some food as well.
I talk with a lady in the church. She’s actually from Solomon Islands, but has been working here with the church for many years. She says that Solomon is dangerous and complicated, she prefers here.
The pastor’s house is right behind the church, and we walk there. As there’s nobody home, the lovely lady goes looking for them, while I sit and wait. It doesn’t take long until Pastor Wilson, his wife Delme and their two kids come back from the hospital. Their kids have got the flu, so that’s why there were at the hospital.
I talk with Pastor Wilson and explain everything to him. He asks me a few questions before saying he can help me. They don’t want for me to camp here outside their house because they don’t think it’s safe. Their idea is for me to come and stay with Wilson’s parents, in a village just outside Port Vila. Brilliant! I was not happy to stay in Vila anyway. But I do need to come back here tomorrow, as the only reason why I came is because I have a few things I must do.
We take a truck and stop to buy some fruits and vegetables on the way. The village is called Malapoa, and it takes us about 30 minutes to get there.
Dad and Mum, as they “make” me call them, are the kindest people I would meet in Vanuatu. Together with Francis from Pele, they really make me feel as part of the family, and as they truly, deeply care about me. Their home is still under construction but already looks really nice and tidy. I’m staying in one bedroom, mum and her granddaughter in another. There’s still one more bedroom and the kitchen. Dad stays in another building, a single bedroom just outside the house. Unfortunately, he has diabetes and his right leg was amputated not long ago. Such a sad thing for someone so good hearted like him. Mum takes care of him with everything. They also have a big and wonderful garden, plus the toilet and shower outside, but brilliant!
Mum and I make Simboro. We use the orange banana and rip out of the skin using spoons. Easier than grating like I did in Siviri. Mum then prepares a sauce with onions, tomatoes and ginger. It’s very tasty!
I go to sleep early because I’m super tired.
18th of September, 2025.
Mum prepares a beautiful buffet for breakfast. It’s amazing! The granddaughter goes to school soon after. She’s a beautiful, tall and sweet girl. I’m also going to the school, not the same one though, just to have a chat with the students. I spend some time with dad before leaving, and then one of the neighbors, Johnny, walks with me to the school.
The school is also SDA, so it’s private. There are very few students today because some of the teachers are in strike. Even though it’s a private school, many teachers are paid by the government, and all over Vanuatu they are in strike. The teacher of grade six doesn’t seem very keen to have me in his classroom. Luckily, the teacher from grade five is exactly the opposite, as he’s super excited about it, and talk with the other teacher, so I spend some 45 minutes with the students.
They are extremely shy in my presence. Some of them struggle a lot with standing up just to say their names, age and favourite food. It’s shocking. One of the girls cannot even do it, so the rest of the class has to help. It would be so beneficial for them if they had volunteers coming on a regular bases and teaching them.
We walk back home so I can go to Port Vila.
Mum and Dad want for me to take the bus. I hitchhike and save the money to buy something for lunch. An Australian lady who works in a Casino gives me the ride. She drops me off right in front of the marina.
I use the WiFi for a while and then spend about two hours with Captain Tony. He wants for me to become a long-term member of his crew. He even offers to pay for my Visa to Australia, which costs about 100 USD. But if I was to sail with him, we would depart from South Africa in January 2027, and we would pass by many countries which I already have been. I already have an arrangement with a captain leaving from South Africa in January 2026, so now I just need to get my butts there by then.
Another reason why I came to the marina is so I can leave a parcel for Michael here, with the bracelet which I made for him. They are stopping by here next week, when I will be in Epule already.
I’ve had plans of buying some popcorn (yes, that would be me spoiling myself for the 10 days I will be volunteering: popcorn) in the biggest Bon Marche supermarket, which is nearby the Marina. But because of my stupid wounds, I think it’s better if I go to the one nearby the church (I’m coming back there because Pastor Wilson’s wife, Delme, asked me to, so I could talk with the kids from her kindergarten, and with her too), which would save me some walk. But that’s a stupid plan because, being a smaller version, they don’t have popcorn kernels, of course. So I eat some cookies for lunch and go talk with Delme.
She didn’t go to work today, as her both kids are still sick, so she’s at home. Also, the kids are almost finishing at school, so I don’t go there either. We chat for a while and I tell her about my day.
By the time I leave, I decide that I will catch a lift to the big Bon Marche (yes, all for my favourite food in the world!), and I can catch another lift from there back to Malapoa.
All good and I’m back home soon after 16.00 hours.
We have some Simboro for dinner, and I go shower too. I go to bed soon as I’m very tired of so much walking.
19th of September, 2025.
After another tremendous breakfast, I talk with dad for a while and then get ready to leave. He tries to give me some money for the bus fare, but as Delme already gave me that the other day, I tell him I cannot accept. And I’m planning on hitchhiking anyway. I say goodbye to dad and he tells me that I’m always welcome back because this is my home. How adorable!
Mum walks with me until certain point, as she wants to go to the market, and then we say our goodbyes. She wants to come all the way with me to the main road, but I know that it means she will have to walk much more than she actually needs. I also need to look after her, just as much as she has looked after me for these past few days, so I know it’s not good for her to walk for such long distance, and also under such a strong heat. I make her sure that I will be alright and get to my destination. I tell her I love her and we go separated ways.
10 Years Around the World 