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06/20/2008: "Vanuatu adventures"

Away Away! Chaotic Harmony sailed the deep blue at the start of June and crossed Fiji to Luganville, Santo, Vanuatu. It was a direct downwind sail, often wing and wing with 2-3 metre seas and 20 knots true wind. Bliss after two years of windward work! We averaged 7.6 knots and the only drama was the midnight arrival in Luganville in a rain squall, the C-map navigation a half mile out and coming in under radar and depth sounder. We arrived safely, settled into Vanuatu pace and looked at our cruise plans. Our reason for coming to Luganville was to be closer to Pentecost so that we could catch the land diving (the original bungee jumpers). To our dissapointment we were told they had finished for the year and then on Friday morning discovered that it would be on once more - the next day. Unfortunately Homo bay, Pentecost, was 64nm direct to windward in 20-25 knot winds and 2-3 metre seas...
Regardless we made the run. So much for sailing like gentlmen and ladies. We backed to Ambae, ran down Maewo, stopped overnight at Asinvari and then were up at dawn and sailed to homo bay. We arrived at 11.30 and ran into the jungle along the marked track. What a spectacle! In the thick steamy jungle, sprinkled with rain and us all covered in mud, this huge tower rose with NiVan dancers chanting at the base and young men preparing to leap into the air with vines around their ankle and soft earth 35 metres below.
The dress was also one of the most unique we have seen - the men wearing only a penis sheath and the women grass skirts. The event lasted well into the afternoon and the memory will last forever.