A Walk on Epi Island

We arrived Wednesday morning at Bauerfield International Airport (built by the US during WWII) in Vanuatu after a relatively uneventful three leg fight from Tucson via Los Angeles and Nadi, Fiji. The only glitch occurred in LA after our 747 had already pulled away from the gate on schedule. The pilot came on the PA system to announce that a passenger insisted on getting off! As a result we had a significant delay as the jumbo jet was towed back to the gate, a search ensued for the passenger’s luggage which in the interest of security also had to be located and removed from the cargo hold, followed by topping off the fuel tanks before we could finally leave. But we made up for some of the lost time in flight and the connection in Fiji wasn’t that tight, so our final arrival was punctual to the minute. Parked on the tarmac to greet us was a gigantic US Air Force cargo plane, possibly a C17, which just about dwarfed the entire terminal. No idea what the our Air Force was doing In Vanuatu that day!

Rod, Mayflor and a taxi driver were on hand to greet us as soon as we cleared customs. A quick drive to the waterfront was highlighted by the unexpected sight of a banner strung over the main highway announcing the upcoming Vanuatu hunter/jumper competition!

We ferried our luggage by dinghy from shore to AVATAR anchored out in the bay, quickly unpacked and changed clothes into our standard cruising attire (shorts and a t-shirt) and we were off. First night out was Havannah Bay where we have been several times before. Next morning we pulled up anchor at 5:30 am (not a problem for Mike and me as we were still on Tucson time six hours later) for a half day’s cruise north to Epi Island. Last trip the weather blocked us from this destination, but this time around the trades are cooperating and we are visiting sights not seen before.

The weather is refreshing – not too hot or cold as here winter is winding down and spring is springing. The sea temperature is inviting as well, a nice combination for the first snorkel of the trip and a shakedown scuba dive to get everyone back up to speed.

Unfortunately for me, I had surgery a few weeks before this trip and am not currently allowed in the water! So while Rod, Mayflor and Mike explored the inviting clear blue waters and accessible reef, I was dropped ashore for a solitary walk on Epi. The beaches here alternate between golden sands and volcanic black sand. A significant freshwater river empties into the sea nearby. A local man was splitting open coconuts with an axe, spreading them out to dry in the sun to produce copra, and greeted me with a handshake and a smile. A herd of maybe seven children played nearby…he thought it quite funny when I asked if they were all his!

A bit further up the beach a footpath cut through the vegetation and connected with a well traveled dirt road that went for miles, connecting villages and homes. It paralleled the coast through a lush landscape of massive trees interspersed with local garden plots, clumps of shoulder high grasses, groves of coconut palms, flowering vines and well-tended homesteads scattered at regular intervals along the way. Dozens of small black and white swallows darted erratically over the meadows and treetops. Rainbow lorikeets squabbled high up in the palms. There is an eye catching species of dove here that has a brilliantly iridescent back of emerald green, called a Pacific Emerald Dove. And of course there are the ubiquitous mynah birds.

Tethered to trees along the track were occasional cows or horses; roosters and hens with their chicks ran free in great abundance. The gardens were planted with cacao, taro, bananas, paw paw (papaya), pamplemousse (giant grapefruit), corn and the usual veggies. A deafening chorus of cicadas rose and fell rhythmically in competition with the surf for background noise.

This road made for a great exercise track and my intention was to march along at a good clip burning a few calories and stretching my legs after the past 48 hours of inactivity. But my timetable didn’t allow for the frequent encounters with the locals, all of whom greeted me with a smile and a handshake, an exchange of names and pleasantries. One man asked me my age (probably precipitated by my white hair) and looked suitably floored when I told him the truth (66). This elicited a low whistle of amazement and a thorough visual once-over as he processed the incongruity of my apparently significantly advanced years with my hiking prowess! I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted.

I escaped from Jeffery with only a moderate load of goodies weighing me down, but not much further on met another man and wife who offered me a green coconut for a refreshing drink. We trekked into the palm grove where he knocked down coconuts with a 20′ bamboo pole and whacked them open with his bush knife. Back in his garden he pressed even more food on me, and eventually I was able to stagger back to the beach with a weighty load of groceries which included a watermelon, a pamplemousse, an abundance of gigantic cucumbers, cherry tomatoes (kept unsquished in my shorts pocket), a regular tomato, onions and 2 coconuts! This, on top of my already heavy camera, created a burden that was definitely contrary to doctor’s orders.

To top off a full day, we had perfect sunset conditions for the green flash, a molten yellow sun sinking into a flat calm ocean with no clouds on the horizon to obscure the setting sun. At the very last instant as the sun disappeared into the sea, sure enough we saw that final flicker of green. I photographed it but the images are less than convincing. They need a little help from Photoshop. However the first photo I ever saw of the green flash was printed in black and white!