Yesterday was quite busy getting into port and messing up my routine of writing in the blog and my emails. We crossed the finish line at 5 am and had to wait outside the harbor for light. There was great concern that the charts were off and there was much discussion by the captains on the SSB as to how to make the correction. So with Andrew at the helm and Bill on the nav charts we replotted the waypoints for the rest of the fleet. Everyone got in fine and it turned out good that we waited for the light just to be sure. Lady Ev bravely went through the passage first and led the way.
Crazy Horse pulled out all the stops on our last 12 hours across the finish line. We had some wild waves and the wind piped up to 25 at times. None of us slept much with the excitement of the ride and feeling like any minute we'd be flying out of our bunks. In the end we all got up for the wild ride and across the finish line. After the passage into the harbor we set our anchor and had to wait for customs and immigration and then the health person to arrive on our boat and inspect our fresh fruit and veggies. Some people lost all their fruits and many veggies. But in the end I think it will go for a good cause.
As if that wasn't enough excitement we also visited a village where we had a dance and singing exhibition by the men. It was interesting and they expended much energy and enthusiasm in the process. It was done by all the men and small boys. There was a large 200 year old banyan tree that they danced in front of. It was amazing. Oh, and then one of the men played my favorite song "Amazing Grace" on a pipe reed instrument. They had some carvings for sale after the program.
After that we took an amazingly dangerous ride on open trucks with a rode so filled with ruts I thought surely we would be swallowed up. But the drivers, all of about 18 years old, drove us expertly as we hung on for dear life. We arrived at the most prehistoric site you could ever imagine. Right in front of us was a volcano in angry eruption. We took a long hike up to the top of the rim and watched as it erupted spewing lava straight up in the air. Our guide said it was in an eruption scale of 2-3. When it gets to 5 no one can visit the rim. We all got some amazing camera footage of that volcano named "Yasur".
This island is just where you'd want to be marooned. The soil looks so dark and rich and the trees and plants so green and full. If you ever saw the movie "Avatar" it reminded us of that. The size of some of the trees is just unbelievable. Can you imagine being able to walk along a rim of an active volcano and watching while it erupts? We were all probably exposed to deadly gaseous fumes but, oh well, you only live once. Some of the people from the village spoke of the tourists that got too close to a dangerous area and were killed by an explosion of lava.
We have only been here a day and we are literally being blow away! The people here are so friendly and warm to us. Of course they are very curious of us as we are of them. They all waved as we drove by on that dangerous road. We passed by many villages of huts and cows grazing and pigs meandering around. All this makes the wild ride and the no sleep worth it all. We are truly blessed to meet these people and see their lives so different from ours. Imagine living on an island when you don't know when the volcano is going to blow. (Okay Jimmy Buffet fans!)
One young man said that if the volcano really blows its lid there will be ships to arrive and take the inhabitants to safety. He didn't seem to worried about it though. I think they have adapted to its dangers. And they don't have malls or giant supermarkets, and Walmarts, or McDonald's or fast food and seem ever so happy without it all.
So I don't know what today will bring but I don't know if it can top the last one. We finally did get to sleep last night. We had lots to think about but I think when our heads hit the pillow we were goners. Perhaps the leaky faucet will get fixed or we will clean or ...we will just rest? I think not!
Rosemary,Bill and Matt