Talimoru Hotel Port Vila

... but would really love to experience the village culture in addition to the city. She asked me if I would like to hire a driver for a private island tour. I thought about it and agreed. She called her daughter, about my age, and had her arrange a cab driven by a family friend for she and I and her little brother.<br><br>We went all around the island and stopped at a cultural village for some insights into village life in ...

Today we went into the town of Port Vila, There's not alot there to see and or do. there is one main street of shops. They sell cheap surf labels, fake handbags and duty free goods. Nothing of much interest here. We visited the markets and bought some items, but there wasn't much more to see. It was raining today and this probably dampened our experience a little.

... is scary. My favourite is the way that if you want to buy something, but someone else offers a better product, they will usually tell you. Here's a more chronological account of the trip, after flying into Vila, we decided to head straight up to the biggest island, Espirito Santo. No advance bookings needed. Beach Resort Santo We stayed In a cute little bungalow facing the "sea" for 8,000 Vatu. We had phoned from the airport (it really isn't necessary to book ...

After ~24hrs of transit time from LA we arrived in port vila, vanuatu and the local PC staff and volunteers threw us a huge surprise welcome. The PC country director was there to shake your hand and welcome you, and you hand off to the staff your oversize, overweight luggages that you are so ****in sick of lugging around, then two girls tie a sarong on you, put flower leis on your neck, and give you a coconut ...

... return to the hotel as I have started feeling queasy ......little do I know that this is the beginning of a nasty stint, bad enough to make me change from a room with ceiling fan to an air conditioned room . I spend the next 36 hours in bed and 30 of those asleep. Was it a bug on the roasted nuts ? was it a heat stroke ? No idea, but one starts burgeoning : is Vanuatu really for me ? To stay would mean looking for air conditioned accommodation to rent ...

... rather than pen since ink doesn't resist the water more than a few minutes). On most days, one dives down to put the cards in the nearby mailbox which is emptied every afternoon. Just the kind of clever gimmick to excite the curiosity of gullible tourists, like us! I had already written my waterproof card to my parents, but hadn't been told of the ink problem until I arrived on the island. I decided to save 300 vatu and just visit the post office and then mail the ...

... other flag.... French gendarmes and British policemen had jurisdiction over the same territory. If a crime was committed, and the criminal was caught by the French he went in to the French legal system, if he were caught by the British then he went before a British judge. Word has it the criminals liked the safeguards of the British legal system better, but the French cuisine was far superior while one awaited trial or served time, so preferences varied ...

... and even decided to squirt me with sea cucumber juice which for those who have not had the pleasure of this creature, it's a bit like being squirted with superglue. Yesterday they covered my wetsuit and hands with it and it took me ages to wash it off! It's a good arrangement I've got with Tim though, he lets me dive for free as long as I pull my weight with kit and guide the tourists around the wreck. Now I've done most of the usual dives but still not yet reached ...

... Well, we climbed a little bit higher and got a better vantage point. There are three lava vents in a huge area that could fit the world's largest stadium, and we were the only tourists of the day. Just the three of us, sitting at the edge, rainforest and ocean down behind us and ash and crater below our feet. We suddenly see a huge explosion of lava, it goes about 100 feet up, the chunks of lava are from bowling ball size to minivan size, and they land on the inner crater ...

... sulphur and black dust blew in tornado like swirls, and only allowed us to stand on the rim for a few minutes. We took as many pictures as Mother Nature allowed and began our descent, joining the others for our picnic lunch! Fraser and Mikkel joined Marita and I on our trek back to sea level and had a quick journey down, only stopping a few times to take photos of the wonderful jungle. Once thanking our guides and bidding farewell to the villagers, we ...