Monday 04/01/2010 - Erakor Island

This morning we walked down to the Vanuatu Public Hospital yet again, this time for my ear ache, the ENT specialist told me that my eustation tube was swollen impairing my hearing and giving me a sense of vertigo. He prescribed some multi-vitamins and anti-histamines, he also told me that I was not supposed to submerge my head in water for the next 4 weeks. There was no way, with 3 days left in beautiful Vanuatu that I was not going to swim, I figured that worse case scenario, I could continue treatment once returning to Aus.Hubby called Moses to catch up again. Moses took us to Erakor Island.


Moses used to chef on Erakor at the resort. We drank cocktails on the beach while Moses taught me some sand drawing 'Number One'


and 'Butterfly'


and yes Moses if you're out there reading this I do still remember them - quite well, when I come back to Vanuatu I'll have to get you to teach me 'turtle' and 'sunflower'.



Moses told us about bush medicine, including a plant that is supposed to be great for ear ache, but alas we couldn't find it on Erakor. he told us about fireworks / soccer fruit / nut. The insides of which are removed, the husk is used as a soccer ball by the local children, the nut from within is heated on a hot rock before being touched with water and thrown into the air. We were told it almost explodes and looks like fireworks - very cool. He also showed us a very waxy nut that the indigenous peoples use somewhat like a candle.


Moses had drawn a sand drawing turtle on the footpath. A tourist came by, took a look and commented on how gorgeous the art was. Moses told her that it was a sand drawing. The poor woman obviously got confused with his accent and commented that she'd never heard of a sandurine turtle. Moses didn't correct her, instead I told her it was a Sand Drawing of a turtle, she was very apologetic and embarrassed. Hubby had brought the cheap guitar we'd purchased so that him and Moses could jam on the beach.


A flock of birds flew overhead and one landed on the turtle sand drawing, Moses was intrigued. He later told us that the bird walked the sand drawing then flew to the other side of the island, Moses said that it was the birds way of approving of the drawing and in return for it's beauty he was showing us that the other side of the island was the place to be, so we followed the bird to the other side of the island and watched the sun set as hubby and Moses played music into the late afternoon.


Moses played us a song that was very touching, some of the lyrics are as follows:
Cha chariot, Cha chariot,
Rollem ...
Through, the promised land
Don't need no passport
Don't need no visa
All you need is a strong and loving heart


This song was sung with such raw emotion as I'd never before seen, it brought tears to Moses' eye singing it. He later informed us that this was the first song of the new year, that it held a special place in his heart because we'd written it together with us (so to speak).On the way back from Erakor we decided to walk instead of catching the bus, it was a good move, we walked as the sun rested peacefully beyond the horizon. We learned to walk Vanuatu -style, stopping every few hundred meters to chat with friends of Moses and sing them the new song of the new year. Most of the people we played and sang for were quite impressed especially (I'm thinking) to see white-fellas singing along in harmonized parts with a local lad. It seemed, as we walked back to the resort that everybody knew Moses, he's clap his hand twice and broadcast his name, and low and behold the response would be shouted back "MOSES!".