highplanesdrifters

UP NEXT Ambryn Island, Venautau Unlike Espiritu Santo with its raised coral reefs and white sand Ambrym is a volcanically active island with dark sand beaches. Ambrym is known as the island of magic and is the source of five local languages that all evolved on Ambrym. This handful of languages contributes to the well over 100 languages of Vanuatu. Some of Ambrym’s magic takes place in the lush greenery of the local community of Ranon. Here the people perform a very special and traditional ‘Rom’ dance. Participants prepare their masks and costumes in secrecy and the dance is reserved for special occasions

The Sponsor decides who jumps and in what order. Each jumper spends a good 15 minutes of pre jump tower theatrics. Or in the case of newbies, sheer fear. We have all seen thus on the TV machine. But hearing the thud when they hit the ground when the vines break or are too long has a different impact in person. Yes, serious injuries do occur. We are told the dive is either a fertility rite or insures agood yam harvest. You decide.🤣 And....think about those dancers and singers. This went on for and hour and a half in the bl azing sun. They never stopped This fellow is clearly the master of the tower. Sound up for full effect. VID_53560619_184846_211.mp4

VID_53560618_054447_774.mp4 This was one of the early dives. His first time, from very low on the tower.

Pentecost Island, Venautau Home of the Land Divers. This event was HUGE. There were more locals from surrounding villages than people from the ship. They came by boat, truck, or walked. I was the last on the island [for obvious reasons 🤣]. It afforded me the chance to sit with one of the hosts, Jeffee. Her 13 old daughter begged her to come. She works at a local school and was pressed into service when she arrived. I learned much from her. The Dive was "sponsored " by the previous Cheifs daughter. The fees from the ship are shared throughout the village. We were thanked profusely. This is the first time for Diving at this site. We are the first ship post covid. Many of the children have never seen white people. They were agog, curious, and even a bit scared. For most it was a giant circus of joy, running around and new things. The Dive site from the ship. So much jungle was cleared. Landing The new infrastructure up to the dive site. Such thought and hard work went into this. Getting close. 20230429_092510.mp4 Some of the dancers. Jeffee, one of our hosts. I'll try and post videos next.

Lol, one of my delirium thoughts was wondering if I could take my Blue Turtle Gin on Medjet.

Friggin Djibouti!

SLIGHT DELAY OF GAME If this is TMI, just move on. Travel God's did a U turn on me. I've been in quarantine. NOT Covid, whew! Three negative tests. Doc is chalking it up to some Acute Gastro catch all. Aparently quite common on cruise ships. Fever shot over 102, wouldn't leave. Delirium, wild dreams. Had visions of a Medjet pick up in Venautau. Out of quarantine and on the mend. Your regularly scheduled programming will resume shortly.

We travel for so many reasons. One is to learn about other cultures and meet interesting people. Meet Fineau, our driver to the Port of Lautoka. She has 7 brothers and sisters. There were 47 children at their Easter celebration. She owned 3 cows by the time she was 21. She now has a house, successfull taxi business, 13 acres with 33 cows and too many pigs to count. Her goal is to go live in Americe for 6 years. On her last day she wants to go to New York, the city that never sleeps. She was delightful. And most, importantly she helped us find this!

I think he is on safari. 🤞

Before I forget....Shout out to those on Seabourn Sojurn. Glad you are all safe. @Sharkb8 Hope this includes you.

Is there a Doctor in the house to help administer Twilight Anesthesia?🤣

Lois -Thanks for all the tips. We will be there in November. Very helpful.

You are so kind! And I can now vouch for the Kava ingredient with first hand experience. The only question is how many bottles to buy before we get on the ship? Different Coals to Newcastle?

So sorry to hear about your internet issues. Itnisnour loss. Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip.

OK, so we had two moments of Zen.

OASIS FOUND! We booked our stay in the Adults Only section. After exploring the area we found these mostly empty delightful beach cabanas and made our camp. During the day staff would randomly arrive with cold water, refreshing drinks, and little snacks. There was a nap taken the likes of which I have never experienced before. A most pleasant Twilight Anesthesia is the only way I can come close to describing it. A VERY HAPPY HOUR....ish. We transitioned to the pool around 4:45 to order up Blue Turtle Gin and Tonics. This shot was take in the morning, hence the lack of Holiday Makers crowded around the pool bar. To our surprise Complementary Happy Hour went from 5-6. Delicious concoctions and appetizers were plentiful and delicious. We have thrown our lot in the the Holiday Makers and have forgotten what a computer screen is. Your moment of Zen. 20230425_173420.mp4 20230425_173420.mp4

Where is our next Oasis? Great news! We were in our room before 9 a.m. The Sofitel is your typical beach resort with two sections, Family Friendly and Adults Only. Family Friendly offered up what looked like a decent Kids club. Lots of screaming and crying. Joy from grandparents coaxing the young ones to jump into the pool without water wings for the first time, and screams from those who had just lost a toy to a rival. Happy for them, but not my idea of a jet lag recovery zone. The Adults Only side was chock full of Holiday Makers, Corporate Incentive Trippers, and chair hoggers looking to make the most of their short time away from their computer screens. I do not begrudge them their mission. But also not what I had in mind for transition to the ship. There must be somewhere for us to hide!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes. You have kept me sated in-between our little adventures. I hope I can return the favor.

I've got your back.😉 we are taking a taxi to the ship and the driver knows we are on a Blue Turtle Gin mission. It is delicious.

We had great success emailing LF for specific instructions on what we could and could not pack. We put our air tags in the luggage.

Thanks M. Wish you were here! Today I will be searching for the famous Blue Turtle Gin. Only found in Fiji.

Yes the pools are heated. I've had a swim in them in the Arctic. And, I wasn't alone.🤣 It's the transition one needs to brave.

Find a good Travel Agent. The most important advice. Consider an Expedition Ship. It will be more active. Seabourn and Silversea are at the top of the food chain. You sound like you could have fun wherever you go. You'll find fun and interesting people no matter what their age.

LOOKING FOR THE OASIS We transited through The AirPit also known as LAX. Nine hour layover. Grabbed a decent room at the nearby Hyatt and prepared ourselves for what was billed as Horror at TSA. Fiji Air does not participate in TSA precheck. Clear was there, but not open. We endured the indignities of removing shoes and multiple pieces of clothing surrounded by screaming rugrats. Oh the horror. But all was not lost, a new line opened up and we slipped through quickly. OASIS Fiji check-in was empty. Ahh, the delightful Fijians are even as happy, kind, and welcoming in LAX as they are in Fiji. We were tipped off to a hidden Rooftop Terrace in the Star Alliance Lounge by our check-in agent. Complete with firepits and waterfall. Oh my, who knew I could enjoy waiting 3 hours in an airport. Gentle coastal breezes wafted in with a hint of the travelers aphrodisiac smell, jet fuel. Fiji Air delivered an excellent product. The wonderful sincre Fijians made us all comphy for the 11 hour flight. I even slept for 6 of them. Cheers mates. We would be happy go this restaurant for breakfast. Sunrise welcomed us to Fiji. Sea level moist air. Ahhhh! Empty Immigration, double ahhhh! Now we face the big question. It's 6:30 am. How long will we have to wait for our room? Sofitel Denarau Island Oh right, Sofitel is French, duh. While we wait, pastries and coffee spot on. And some fresh blend tropical fruit thing which was inhaled immediately. And yes, we did get another Pain au Chocolat. Stay tuned for the answers to the "Will our room be ready mystery".