Banks islands hospitality

The Banks islands are at the northern end of the Vanuatu chain. Remote and traditional, and just about off the tourist trail except for a few hardy backpackers who don't mind walking miles and sleeping in basic village guest huts.

We sailed into Lakona Bay, Gaua (14 18 850 and 167 25 902) one afternoon with a couple of other boats, and Chief Henry paddled out to welcome us. He said that he would meet us all on the beach later and take us to his village where 'a little ceremony' had been prepared for us. So we paraded as requested, and were led across rocks and up a steep little path to his village of about 20 people. Amongst little thatched huts with woven panels on the walls, was a meeting place with roof but no sides. Here we were lined up, and the women sang a song of welcome accompanied by the men on a variety of instruments - home made 'guitars' with fishing line strings, drums, bamboo sticks. Then we each received a garland and a handshake and were invited to sit and have coconut to drink and pieces of grapefruit to eat while the children danced for us with much giggling (and were given balloons and sweets for their efforts).

What a welcome, and what a village. Just about everything they have they make or grow. Their only income has traditionally been copra, but now the price is so low that it is just not worth the considerable labour to prepare it. Consequently the copra boat (Chinese run) only calls about twice a year, so that is the only time they get other supplies - not that they have much cash to buy anything. The few visiting yachts are just about their only source of supply for odds and ends like fish hooks and line and clothing, so they trade fruit and vegetables.

It is a sustainable way of life as they have plenty of food - pigs, chickens, cattle, fish and seafood; and a constant supply of fruit and vegetables. They make their own dug-out canoes with outriggers, weave traps for shrimps and crayfish, make oil for lighting from coconut, and have a life expectancy of about 80 we were informed. The traditional organisation of their society is very strong, everyone is looked after and there is just about no crime (any misdemeanors are dealt with locally, usually by some sort of community labour) The children are expected to think nothing of walking for a couple of hours to their nearest school; and adults think nothing of carrying loads of everything from firewood to coconuts on their shoulders.

The next day had another treat in store. The women of this particular village make 'water music' by clapping and splashing with their hands at various depths under water. It is loud, rhythmical, and like nothing we had ever heard before. Also, we decided, very good exercise for the arms but not as easy as it looks.

Every village is different. Our next port of call was on Vanua Lava (13 55 574 and 167 26 809), and here Paramount Chief Godfrey has a radio powered by a small solar panel and a battery; so he called us up on arrival and said that Chief Graham would meet us the next morning. At 6am Chief G and helpers were busy making a bamboo jetty for our dinghy over the rocks. They helped us to disembark, then lifted the dinghy up onto its smooth new resting place. Then another walk over rocks and up an even steeper path to his house which was by itself in a clearing. After a rest (his house had a few photos left by other yachts, and our Danish friends were amazed to see a photo of an Irish couple they last met in Spain ten years before!) we were taken to the small settlement where Paramount Chief Godfrey, with a (much prized)circular boar's tusk hanging round his neck met us. He had a carefully tended garden around his house, with little hedges and flowering shrubs. His battery also supplied power to an LED light that was corroded and not working. Engineer G put it in his pocket for maintenance (we still have a huge stalk of bananas as a gift after he fixed a spear gun in another island).

The next day was Chief Graham's birthday, and also that of his 8 yr old son, and we were invited to celebrate it with him. So I cooked up my last packet of brownie mix, and found some of those birthday candles that you can't blow out. Once again we were welcomed with a song and garlands round our necks. His wife and daughters had produced a wonderful spread using cassava, coconut, local nuts, and cooking bananas; all laid out on banana leaves on the floor mats. Also the village had slaughtered a cow, so there was beef cooked with curry and local cabbage. All very delicious. We were with our Danish friends, and the men went outside to drink kava - which tastes like muddy water, and has a calming effect, making the mouth and tongue a bit numb and the legs shaky if you drink too much. It's a man thing, (thank goodness) and we stayed inside to eat while they ate later. Even the birthday boys didn't get to eat the special foods, just bowls of rice and root vegetables (though no doubt they ate it later after we had gone).

The 30th July was Independence Day, and we were asked to attend the flag-raising ceremony. Unfortunately all the fun and games - dancing, music etc was in the evening, and the main village was not only 30 mins walk on a stony and slippery path, but we also had to launch the dinghy from it's bamboo jetty; not a safe option in the dark. Still, we had fun meeting the villagers, watching them preparing laplap and kava for the evening, an learning how to make woven palm leaf balls by young girls. The population of this much larger village is about 1000, so it has a school (buildings funded by the UK) a clinic, a large church, and a football field. Behind the flag pole were 4 white plastic chairs; in front of the flagpole the whole village were assembled in their best clothing. Guess who the chairs were for. Oh dear! The elderly Paramount Chief and other dignitaries who made speeches, were our side too, but all standing. Quite ironic really that we were guests of honour when they were celebrating the fact that in 1980 they got rid of British (and joint French) rule at last. The flag got a bit stuck at the top of the flagpole, and the loud hailer only worked occasionally, but everyone was on their best behaviour, even the many children. (and Engineer Geoff got to take the loud hailer back to the boat for maintenance)

People walk or paddle their canoes many miles from small villages to the larger ones for these celebrations; and yesterday we were asked if we would take 10 villagers on board 'just round the headland' to their village as there was no path due to the steep volcanic terrain, and they had no canoe transport. So at 8am our passengers arrived and we set off. Put out a fishing line, and soon had 2 large fish which the locals happily dealt with, and took home with them. We had been asked to leave them at a beach (actually a couple of hours' journey and round several 'headlands') where they would then have a 3-hour trek home, but we decided to take them all the way. It worked out well, because a reef in the distance was pointed out to us, and we could see that there were two boats anchored there. A few days of non-village life felt quite appealing. So after unloading our extra crew, and waiting while they went off to their plantations to get fruit for us as a 'thank you' we set off for this uninhabited reef with a couple of little coral islands and lots of white sand (13 38 148 and 167 30 383).