Trapped!!!

We are at Blue Lagoon. It is lovely. We have been jumping from ledges and swinging on vines (including me – eek!) However there is no way to get out of here, and there is no food. We are now sitting around waiting for Harvey and Ben to bring some lunch (from a while away). Ashleigh is playing sudoku. Many of the rest of us are eating from the coconuts that Adam has just hunter/gathered for us. He has just brought a pawpaw for us. Harv and Ben are now back. We are eating scotch finger biscuits and papaya and rolls with peanut butter. It's all feeling a bit “survivor” at the moment; it's also feeling just a bit “Lord of the Flies”, Adam is being a bit possessive with his coconut opening. He just said “I have sustained me and my tribe”, and he has just put some warpaint (dirt) on his face Hmm...

OK so what brings us to this point.

Yesterday we had a bit of a touristy day. I didn't sleep very well, and after my coffee we took a bus up the hill to the museum. So if that sounds a bit lazy, I should tell you that a few of the group had woken up early to go and listen to some of the kids at the school read. I did it this morning. The most noticeable thing for me was the range of reading skills. Some kids read so fast and so well that you didn't even have time to put all the ticks on the page. Some kids stopped at almost every word. It was great to be able to read with them. Nerida and Kaye have been working pretty closely with the teachers. Kaye is impressed that the teachers who came over to visit us in Castle Hill have taken the skills they learnt and put a Vanuatu “twist” on them. A few members of the group taught the kids some games yesterday.

Adam has just kicked a seed nest into a tree and unearthed a nest of fire ants. I hope I do not have to move soon. Harvey, Kaye, Nerida and David are over lying down on a grassy area, and Ben, Jono and Adam have just headed down the lagoon.

We saw the museum yesterday in the late morning. There are some cool headdresses there, and the sand drawing was lovely and decorative. There is a hanging set of bamboo tubes which are tuned like a piano. I tried out my favorite piano piece from my recent grade one exam, and the Star Wars theme. Ben (my piano teacher) had a far larger repertoire. All in all, I remember the place being better last time, although a rather seedy story involving Chief Rota and Kava was still there and as creepy as last time.

Last night we visited the cell groups that we ate with on Sunday. As expected it was a highlight. We went to Luli. They live very simply. The houses are put together using materials found around. So this ranges from Bessa Blocks to panels of corrugated iron. There was a lovely fire smell and we sang some songs – some lovely simple ones, and there was a devotion (in Bislama). Thomas and I were asked to say a bit of a word from Australia – so I was saying some things about how warmly welcomed we felt and how we were glad the weather had been good. It was a really nice night. At the end of the night we exchanged email addresses with some of the cell group, and I wrote down the guitar chords to one of the easier hymns there was to sing. Here's the words.

Jesus is the sweetest name I know

And he's just the same

Praise his holy name

That's the reason why I love him so

Jesus is the sweetest name I know...

Jesus, praisem Jesus

I love thy name

I love thy name

Oh Jesus, praisem Jesus

There is no other name I know.

(Footnote 17th July - Since I typed this song, Ben pointed out that everyone else was actually singing "Jesus, Blessed, Jesus" - and I also checked with the guitar player from Luli - so yeah ... my apologies... sounded right at the time...)

After we left there we headed back to the hotel. Ashleigh & Nerida, Nami and Kaye had all been gifted with some of the dresses that the ladies wear here. Especially on Sundays. They are lovely cool, reasonably oversized dresses, with somewhat inexplicable extra material hanging off the sides. I am a little jealous, but none of them were purple so I will cope. I was impressed with the gift they gave us though. As we were getting ready to leave, a kid was sent up a tree to get some grapefruit for us. Watching on with some trepidation, I was amazed at how he got around the tree. I had some grapefruit for breakfast this morning. Yummo.

So … this morning Ashleigh and I went for a coffee. It was a bit overcast. After we'd finished we headed up the hill and did the reading with the kids, and then headed back to the hotel to get ready to swim. This place has been recommended by many of the tourists we had come across, and it is beautiful. It's about half an hour away from Port Vila on some very good road – if memory serves (and I might just check my 09 blog) it is a donation from the Americans. It was just a little unexpected that there would be no place to eat here. I was so optimistic I even brought my power cable for my laptop.

Some of us are starting to count down now. Sometimes saying “76 hours to go” as if being home is the best thing in the world. Some saying “only 75 hours to go”, particularly when something goes well. I take the view that “this trip will be just long enough”. Anyway... I think I want to head back into the water, so that's enough for now. TTFN.

Ok – back on the bus now. Thought I might take this opportunity to straw poll the team on the trip so far.

What is the most essential item you've brought on the trip?

Ashleigh: Aeroguard

David: Water

Ashleigh: Actually – food

Ali: Toss up between the food and the hand sanitiser

Ashleigh: Thongs

Nerida: Undies and bubbles

Kaye: My camera!

Me: Conditioner

Thomas: Sunscreen

Jono: Camera

Adam: Clothes

Nami: Malaria medicine and camera

Best value for money thing you've had?

Ashleigh: 45 Vatu iceblock

Nerida: playing with the kids

Me: Coconut (drink and food)

Jono: Snorkelling

Adam: Stupid beanie hat, and coconut

Nerida: watching the sunset

Nami: Getting the postcards & coffee with Katherine

Me: Oh, and coffee

Thomas: cheap ice creams

David: Hideaway Island

Favourite activity?

Ashleigh: Hideaway Island Beach & Rope swing today

Nami: Cell group

Ali: Hideaway Island Snorkelling

Kaye: Hanging at the school

Me: Chatting to the kids about what they are getting out of the trip.

Okie dokie – everyone fell asleep after a while, so that was a bit difficult. But anyway we are back now, a great day. Off to Elder Johnny's for dinner tonight. Should be a good night :)