Snorkelling

I love swimming and snorkelling. The water in Vanuatu is very clear and there are a lot of interesting things to see.

Ready to Snorkel

My Dad and I are going out to a good place to snorkel. There were a lot of colourful fish and coral.

At the Golf Course (Nov. 7, 2009)

We are getting ready to go snorkeling from the Santo golf course which is on the Pacific Ocean.

Fresh Lobster

Guess what we ate for supper? Auntie Carren brought fresh lobster back from an island in Vanuatu called Ambae. A friend went diving the night before and caught at least six lobsters for us.

Racoon - My New Kitten

This is my new kitten named Racoon. The colours on her face make her look like a racoon. She is really cute and playful. My other cat Tiger has been missing for a couple months.

Earthquakes & Tsunami Warning (October 8, 2009)

Today we had several earthquakes. The largest was 7.8 at about 9 a.m. The centre of the earthquake was 295 km north-west of Luganville, Santo where I live. There was also a tsunami warning. Schools closed, stores closed, and people moved to high ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre cancelled the tsunami warning two hours later.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/08/content_12192556.htm

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/07/solomon.islands.earthquake/index.html

Hibiscus

This is a beautiful hibiscus flower on the tree in one of the villages we visited in south-east Malekula. Hibiscus flowers are often solid colours.

Friends in Sason Village, Aulua

I had a lot of fun playing with the kids in Sason. This photo was taken on the site where the new Baha'i Centre will be built.

Land Clearing Crew (August 27, 2009)

We cleared most of the wild vines, shrubs, plants and small trees for the new Baha'i Centre in Sason Village, Aulua. The building should be constructed in 3-4 months.

Overgrown Jungle

My uncle is moving a bunch of cut vines that he cleared from the ground. I helped do some cutting too. Wild vines grow all over the jungle and they grow quickly.

Clearing the Land (August 27, 2009)

A group of us worked hard with bush knives and an axe to clear vines, bushes and a few trees off land so that a new Baha'i Centre can be built.

Fish Sale

The fisherman caught the fish early that morning. Our host sold the fish individually to local villagers for 20 to 150 vatu each, equal to about 20 cents to $1.50 U.S. All the fish sold in about five minutes.

Fresh Fish

On Malakula we ate fresh fish most days. I ate tuna and malat in Sason Village and Lemap. I also ate a small shiny silver fish caught and cooked over an open fire on the beach at Sason. Some kids told us it was a mackerel.

Inside the Village Store

This store is well stocked. It just received a shipment of goods from Port Vila. It is the only store in the village. Over five days me and my cousins bought several small candies, chocolate wafers, instant noodles and breakfast crackers. We shared these with other kids and adults.

Shopping in a Village

This is a Cooperative Store also called a co-op. Sason Village did not have its own store so most days we walked to the next village to buy treats. People in the village often watch to see who goes in the store. If the store is locked you can ask a local person to find someone to open the shop.

Walking Back on the Beach

We walked to one village on the road and walked back on the beach.

Friends at Lanfitfit, Aulua

These are some of our new friends at Lanfifit. The large rock in the background is a symbol and a landmark for Lanfitfit Village.

Arrival at Lanfitfit

We rested a little when we arrived at Lanfitfit and talked with some local people.

Tree on Rock

This is a picture of my Dad and Peter.

The tree on the right is growing on top of a big rock along the ocean. We saw it as we were walking from Sason to Lanfitfit.

Walk to Lanfitfit Village

We walked to the next village called Lanfitfit. Walking was the only option to get there during the day. The walk took about one hour each way. We visited some friends.

Some Local Kids in Sason

Here are a few of the kids we played with. There are many more kids but they are not in this photo.

River in Sason Village

There is a nice clean freshwater river that flows through the village. We raced our boats down the river and splashed around in the water with the local kids.

Natangura Boats

Rex made me and my cousins boats to play with. The wood is from a Natangura tree. The boats are light and strong.

Sason Village, Aulua, Malekula, Vanuatu

We stayed four nights in the two-room house above where I am walking with Quentin. The dining house is the smaller building to the right. The larger building on the lower right is another family's home.

Fresh Fish for Dinner

Joslyn cooked us fresh fish for dinner almost every day. The small kitchen house is behind.