“I'm
off to an island nation where formal wear consists of a leaf tied around a
penis.” ― J. Maarten Troost,
“Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip
Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu” *
Inyeug, the indigenous name for what we know as Mystery
Island, is an uninhabited island that lies less than half a mile from the
larger, and well-inhabited, Aneityum. Both are among the 80+ islands that
comprise the nation of Vanuatu.
Supposedly the reason for the lack of residents is that the
island is reputed to be haunted, with the ghosts coming out only after
dark. Despite the lack of
residents, there was not shortage of people on the island the day we visited.
They come over from Aneityum to sell crafts and operate concessions, such as
renting snorkel gear, giving boat tours, and providing the “opportunity” to be
photographed in the “cannibal soup” pot.
And, yes, there were toilets, as well as plenty of huts for shade.
But this island was all about the beach. Post-card pretty, its sand was perfect
and the water the ideal temperature for an extended swim. (Actually, the tiny
island boasted several lovely beaches—this is just the one that I swam
in.) These waters occupied most of
my time on the island.
The other interesting part of the island was its air
strip. Built during WWII, it is
still in use today, as we watched a small turbo-prop take off just as we were
arriving.
Next up was Mare Island, in the nation of New Caledonia. I
will confess that I missed this one, as I was feeling a bit under the weather
that day, and wanted to make sure I was well for the next day. Mare Island is larger than our little
deserted island in Vanuatu, and boasts a population of about 5,600. The ship had set up only one thing: a
shuttle to a beach. Had we not had
the lovely beaches on Mystery Island and Yasawa, I’m sure people would have
loved this beach. As it was, the consensus from those who went seemed to be
that the beach was fine, but not a stand-out.
Continuing in New Caledonia, the next day was the island
of Grand Terre and its capital city of Noumea. Its population of a bit more than 100,000 comprises 70% of
the nation’s overall population.
The nation is in fact a territory of France, and its people are comprised
of a mix of ethnicities, including French, Vietnamese, Polynesian, and others,
but the largest plurality by far are the indigenous Kanak people.
Noumea itself is a lively, cosmopolitan city filled with
restaurants of many varieties, and a ring of bike paths, exercise and
playground spots, and numerous beaches.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many kite surfers and wind surfers in
one place as there were at just one of the beaches.
An interesting visit was to the JM Tjibaou Cultural
Center. Built by the French
government as a kind of apology for the colonial past, and the abuses that went
with that, the Center offers an expansive history and explanation of the Kanak
people and their culture. Named
for a leader of the Caledonian independence movement, who was assassinated in
the 1980s, the design of the center is meant to evoke the huts that are the
traditional homes of the Kanak, but are egg-shaped in homage to the culture’s
honor of the origins of life. However, none of the eggs are fully formed, just
as the culture is an ongoing, changing thing.
One sign of the changes is that, while many huts still
stand, few Kanak people live in them now.
They preserve them as a place to relax and entertain, but have built
modern houses next door, primarily for safety in light of the cyclones and
other similar weather to which the island is subject.
A fact that I found interesting is that the population of
Grand Terre was about 75,000 just prior to the outbreak of WWII. At the height of the war, the
population was 1.5 million, primarily comprised of Allied forces who used the
island as a base for activity in the Pacific theater.
Another item of note is that the island is surrounded by the
largest lagoon in the world, and protected in turn by the world’s second
largest barrier reef—the largest being the Great Barrier Reef in Australia,
where we will be in another week or so.
Next up: Sydney, Australia
*"Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu” happens to be a selection for the onboard book club.
That sounds like a fun book club :)
ReplyDelete