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30. day - 24/06/2014 - , Around Efate: Mele Bay | | Container house | | | With the crew of the neighboring boat |
Tamás with SV Norvik (another Hungarian yacht) is expected on Friday in Port Vila. We do not plan to sail very far away in the next couple of days, because we would like to go back to Port Vila to meet him.
There is a container-built house not far from the beach.
Our aft-cabin could use a cleaning and tidying up project. In the beautiful weather we unloaded everything on board, and managed to pack back all our staff in order. The aft-cabin is currently used as our garage. We have here the paddle boards, sails, generators, outboard motor, etc... We noticed a turtle around the boat. It often shows up in the bay, pretty much always at the same place. Before sunset the crew of the neighboring boat came on board. They are biologists and collecting data from the marine sanctuary. We also had some remaining banana cake we could offer them. They were interested to know how we monitor the weather forecast here in Vanuatu. The local weather forecast is as bad as it was in Fiji (eg local forecast shows the same wind for several days, when the Australian BOM model shows weakening and strengthening wind in contrast and more reliable). Therefore we do not use the local weather forecast.
Yesterday we were notified by an earthquake in Alaska (magnitude 8). We are registered on the Internet to receive the tsunami warnings. |
31. day - 25/06/2014 - , Around Efate: Mele BayThis Mele Bay is a super area. Free show is provided by the locals.
In the morning, we noticed that the post office was lifted from the water for cleaning. Looking at the pictures we took a few days ago, algae was grown all over it. So it was beautifully cleaned. In the afternoon it was put on a boat with a man in it. We were wondering how they would put it in the water without a crane. However, they simply thrusted the post office with the clerk into the water. It slowly sank front of the eyes of the people snorkelling around. It amused the locals and resort guests, not to mention us.
In the afternoon we did a round trip along the coast. The older kids got out of school, and the students began playing football, while the little ones were running around due to a competition arranged by the teachers. The preschool kids were palying at the beach.
The Digicel phone company has a giant screen in Port Vila, where you can watch the FIFA. Now the TVL company is sending messages, because they have installed a giant screen as well. It is all about football here. |
32. day - 26/06/2014 - , Efate Island tourThe settlements of Efate lie on the coast. The inland is not inhabited these areas are used for farming. Therefore, one road leads around the entire island. Like the tourists we took an operator to show us around the island. We drove anti-clockwise along the road with our tour guide.
The road around the island crosses several rivers. Our first stop was a town of Eton, where we could swim in the blue lagoon. Named after the popular water milky turquoise color and mixed with sea and spring water. Further along Pang Pang is a former magnesium mine. Matarisu town is also known as a traditional or Kastom village. The villigares still remember the former war dances with spears. Here, we note that on all the different islands in Vanuatu the locals speak different languages (115 languages or dialects on 83 islands) and also follow different customs and different clothing.
Onesua settlement has the largest Presbyterian school (about 800 students).
Due to previous volcanic activity Baofatu has hot thermal springs and we could sank into the pools.
At the Havannah harbor a 76 -year-old man (Ernest) has a collection of world war staffs mainly coca-cola bottles, parts of aircrafts and other pieces of equipments as well. | | | | Blue Lagoon | For refreshment | Crossing river Ewor | | | | | Banyan tree | From the bottom of the tree | With our tour guy | | | | | At the Matarisu kastom village | Warriors dance | Wit the spears | | | | | The chief and the band | Cannibals | The chief | | | | | A face from the village | Parakeet | Bicycle with tools built on | | | | | Wit the band | Lunch is ready | Baofatu - hot springs | | | | | Bathing | Rusting American machine | Ernest | | | | | The collection of Ernest | Pina colada | Dinner at Beach Bar | | | | | | |
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33. day - 27/06/2014 - , Norvik - Rotor Hungarian sailing vessels meeting in Port Vila | | New canvas on Rotor | | | Norvik approaching Port Vila (parliament at the background) | | | Norvik getting the buoy next to Rotor |
We were awaken by the alarm clock at 6am. We pulled the anchor up and started our trip back to Port Vila. When we arrived the marina was closed, so we picked a buoy in the harbor. We heard Tamás at 7:30 first on the VHF radio. He was heading to Port Vila with his sailing vessel called Norvik and with his Irish crew. They were still very far away, so he could not hear us or the marina office. In addition, the hills were surrounding us in the harbor, which also impedes the radio. When Norvik was 12 miles out, we could exchange a few words with them on the VHF radio. Then Eric arrived with the second part of the cockpit cover, but he had to go back to his ship, because the material was too thick and he could not get through the clips (tenax). A few minutes later Norvik got the buoy next to us in the harbor. There are two Hungarian boats side by side in the marina of Port Vila. Such does not happen often.
Before lunch we stopped quickly at Norvik to welcome the crew and give them a copy map of Port Vila. The Irish couple packed up, so we dropped them ashore. Later Eric came back with the finished canvas, then we had our lunch at 2 pm.
Then we waited for Tamás to get back from the city, because they had to clear in.
In the evening, we tried to look for an authentic restaurant, but we only found a Chinese takeaway (where the beef curry rice served in huge portions for only the price of two bus tickets). So we finished our beer on Rotor. |
34. day - 28/06/2014 - , Package arrived | | Package arrived | | | Sausages are almost ready (at the background SV Norvik) |
In the morning we started the day with a quick reparation, because the water-pump stopped. Luckily it was only a faulty plug contact. We cleaned it so the shower is working again.
We got a call from DHL that our package arrived. We ordered a few things from the U.S. (e.g. some spare parts for the engine and new loud speaker instead of the old one. Our package had flown all around America, Europe then Sydney before it arrived to Vanuatu.
We took a bus to DHL, but had to wait until 11 to receive the package. Therefore we took a bus back and met Thomas to buy phone cards and go for shopping (the market closes every Saturday afternoon). Once purchased vegetables and fruits we tossed them into the dinghy. Then again we took the bus to go back to the DHL office. Finally we have received the package. This time getting back to the town we met Thomas at the supermarket. We had to rush because alcohol sales are banned from Saturday afternoon.
We barbecued the sausages with Tamás on rotor. The sausage was very tasty. Here in Vanuatu the meat product looks very good at the counter. And here the beef is really organic. Then we went to the Iririki Island and watched the fire dance again, but now in the company of Tamás. We sat in the first row to see the show.
Daily position:
00:00 17-44.80S 168-18.60E log= 128270.5
| | | | Blowing flame | Limbo | Fire, fire... | | | | | | |
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35. day - 29/06/2014 - , FIFA World Cup | | SV Rotor and SV Norvik from the hill | | | Port Vila harbor |
In the morning we woke up for the shouting of the football fans. Since we were not able to sleep on anyway, we went to watch the game at 7am (local time). Colombia scored 2 goals against Uruguay. We have witnessed the best goal in the world cup (James Rodríguez kicked both goals).
At 9 am we went to see Tamás on Norvik. He promised tartar beefsteak for breakfast. The beefsteak tasted really good. The meat was very tender and tasty, despite it was only once minced. Thomas said the locals were looking for us in the morning, they volunteered again to clean the bottom of our boat. We gave a lift to the man to Rotor, because he was on a distant boat. He scrubbed the bottom of the boat in an hour.
In the afternoon, we built in the USB charging jack and external speaker, which came the previous day. The latter did not really look seaworthy despite it was sold like that. |
36. day - 30/06/2014 - , BBQ on RotorWe started our preparation to leave Port Vila. In the bigger Au Bon Marché (there are two in the town) we bought different types of milk and jam to taste them. We will by a dozen from the best ones. In addition, we also have to buy fresh products, but we will leave these to the last moment prior to departure.
Evening we had BBQ (chicken with onion and sausage) on the boat with our fellow-sailers (the crew of Freycinet II and Norvik). We try to use all the advantages of the beautifully arranged meat in the counter and good quality meat in the town. |
37. day - 01/07/2014 - , Vanua Kava with TamásThe weather maps indicate a mega storm just north of New Zealand. While preparing for to get started, we still keep our eyes on the models because the winds is indicated to be approximately 80 knots (a north and a south low could strengthen each other up). It still can change by the end of this week.
The milk test results: one worse than the other and not comparable with the New Zealand milk. Moreover, one of the milk was too sweet. We have to choose other milk products or stick with the milk powder. The cattle in Vanuatu are kept only for the meat not for milk. There is only imported milk. They say the hot weather is not favorable for the milk processing.
We showed the Vanua Kava bar to Tamás. It became a bit cloudy by sunset time, and therefore the sun sank down behind the clouds. There is still a great view of the bay from the bar. On the way home we went to see a Swedish boat to ask about Papua New Guinea because Tamás is going that way. Finally, we ate the remaining tartar beefsteak on Norvik. |
38. day - 02/07/2014 - , ProvisioningWe went to the Leader Price store because here one can get a lot of imported goods. These are not sold in the local shops (e.g. Au Bon Marché). We bought tonic, preservative-free cans just in case we run out of something. We thought to taste the kava soft drink with kiwi fruit flavor, which surprisingly produced in New Zealand.
Then we tried the local hairdresser. The haircut is cheaper than the prices in New Zealand. We also arranged a pickup car with a driver for our tomorrow trip to the hot springs (5000 vatu). During our previous island tour, we felt that the spring water was to loosen up tight muscles.. | | | Do you like it? | Kava soft drink |
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