Tag Archives: vanuatu

Welcome to Anatom / Aneityum

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Anatom also known as Aneityum is the southern most island in the Vanuatu island chain.  It would be a mostly forgotten island had it not had the luck of being the closest island to Mystery Island, a popular cruise ship stop.

Anatom has about 2,000 inhabitants across the entire 35 mile island.  The main village is called Anelghowhat Village which is where we anchor.   We had originally wanted to clear in at this island but you have to time it with the cruise ship in order to have the officials on island.  They fly in to meet the cruise ship which usually comes in 2x per month during this time of year.

We were unable to time it properly, so we ended up passing by Anatom on our way to Tanna to clear into Vanuatu.

The one local airline went bankrupt so lots of locals are stranded.  We help out Ben, the local principal whose uncle, Jack needed a lift from Tanna back to Anatom.  He was so sweet and quiet.  When we arrived, his family gave us a large basket of fruit!  The upper right photo is a picture Ben took of us sailing out of the bay.

After a week in the rolly anchorage of Port Resolution, we pull up the hook and head back south to explore this rarely visited island.

We had a beautiful sail over with 10-12kts of SE wind, full sails, and a 1m sea.  

Anatom / Aneityum

There are no official roads on Anatom, but there are loads of trails or walk ways that have been cleared.  The locals take bamboo and weave patterns for the side of their houses.  It makes them look so beautiful and unique.  We have never seen this done in any other country.

One thing that became very obvious were the shear number of toilets (little wooden shacks) everywhere.  Maybe each person had their own toilet?  Some had “thrones (aka toilet seats” some were just holes in the ground.

I love their game of bowling with canned goods and a tennis ball.

We were so surprised to see a local using a machine to grind their kava.  This must be for the cruise ship guests as I am sure most of the locals use the traditional hand pounding method.

The middle two photos are of a local classroom and the bottom photo is the local Presbyterian church.

We came across the ruins of the once majestic Presbyterian church that was deemed the largest missionary church in the Southern Hemisphere.  This is where Scottish Presbyterian minister John Geddie helped bring an end to cannibalism (as well as kava and dancing and customary ceremonies).  Now it is just a reminder of what once was.

They actually export pine wood and even have a lumber mill.  This was a huge surprise to us.

We spent several days in this anchorage.  There are lots of beautiful beaches to explore, sweet locals, fun paddling, and oh so much more.

We had some of the most spectacular sunsets over the corner of the island.

And of course this gave us an opportunity to visit Mystery Island.

A Walk to a New Village

Matt and I went with our friend Rena on a walk around the island, across the river to another even more remote village.  The locals we met along the way were so very nice!  One gave us 3 oranges, another gave us pompelmouse and they all greeted us with huge smiles!

There were so many beautiful flowers and their gardens were flourishing!  We came across this little make shift house with the most beautiful nautilus shell I have ever seen.  It was all I could do to walk away and leave it on the beach.  I think it is either a burial or something created to honor someone so we did not disturb it.

The first village we came upon was abandoned.  Most likely because it is too close to the fresh water river and the bay.  It probably floods a lot.

This village was really funny to me.  They had a clear division between the kitchen, living room and bedrooms.  They had a separate area for a shower (middle photo) and a large TV that was clearly not connected to anything as there is no electricity or cable.

We crossed the river where they were doing laundry.  It was a fresh water river and was so refreshing!  The man doing the laundry, yes a man was doing the laundry, took us to his village.  He then proceeded to give us fresh fruit!  So kind and generous.

The Supply Ship

The supply ship comes in 1x per month.  This is the only way the locals can go to and from Port Villa on Efate.  We watched dozens of locals return home and they unloaded lots of stuff including 2 new work boats.

Be complete accident, Matt and I stumbled across Jack’s village which is on the east side of the island.  We just happened to be on a beach walk when some kids came running out.  They disappeared and then a few minutes later Jack came out.  It was so good to see him and meet his family.

The Cruise Ships

Antaom is the closest island to Mystery island which happens to be a somewhat popular cruise ship stop.  They get between 2-4 cruise ships a month during the busy season.  Lucky for us, there were no cruise ships while we were here.

What does that mean?  The locals were easy going, super friendly, and always willing to stop for a chat.

But when the cruise ship is in, most of the locals from our village go over to Mystery Island to cater to the tourists.

Be sure to check in with us as our next blog showcases Mystery Island.

Just to see if you are reading all the way to the bottom to enjoy this beautiful photo.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  This blog post occurred in early June.  Did you see the Continue reading →

The Cargo Cult in Tanna

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Unique to Tanna, the John Frum cult or religion believes that an American dressed in a WWII uniform, named John Frum will one day shower their remote island with cargo containers full of untold riches. 

John Frum first appeared to them in 1930’s, then again dressed in a WWII uniform, and is still believed today that he will return to shower them with planeloads and shiploads of cargo from America.  Houses, clothing, food, transportation, entertainment, and coca cola.

They truly believe that if they pray to this mysterious John Frum, he will reappear from the Volcano with which he lives.  Evidently he moves between Vanuatu and America by going down thru the volcano and under the sea.

How did the Cargo Cult Get Started?

The “cargo cult” started in villages in the South Pacific during World War II, when hundreds of thousands of American troops poured into the islands from the skies and seas.  Which makes sense why they believe more Americans will come in the same manner.

They celebrate John Frum day in February which is a huge celebration spread over 6 days.  With much dancing, singing, eating, and kava.

We Visit the John Frum Village

They are known to perform one-of-a-kind song and dance that is extremely rare to witness.  The John Frum village is located in Sulfur Bay which is just one bay over from Port Resolution where we are staying.  

Dances are held on Friday nights, when songs of praise are sung to the tunes of American battle hymns.  Unfortunately, we were not able to attend a Friday night celebration, but we did organize our own celebration.

We asked our tour guides to organize a visit of this very unique village.  They don’t get many visitors here, so when a truck load of white show up we were entertainment for the children.  

The Village

The homes are very modest, home made with thatch roofs.  Their dinner roams freely including tons of chickens and pigs.

Their loved ones are buried in their yards as is the custom in Vanuatu.  The kids of all ages play freely outside with lots of laughter echoed through the small village.

The Hardly Heard Song of the John Frum Villagers

As dark descends upon us we are called to the center of the village where a few elders and the children gather.  They tell us that they will sing for us but because they were not prepared they cannot perform their dance.  With much disappointment we manage to put on our smiles to encourage them to sing.  It was really lovely to hear them harmonize with each other using a simple guitar.

Check out God is American video all about the John Frum movement.

I know this is not for everyone and you may have to suspend your beliefs, but it was truly wonderful to meet these villagers whose beliefs are strong.

They are a very loving and welcoming tribe full of joy and happiness.  They may not have much but it doesn’t seem to matter because they have one another.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  This blog post occurred in early June.  In our last blog post we share our adventures across Tanna.

Touring Tanna: Part I

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A group of our cruiser friends decide to take a tour of Tanna.  This beautiful island is famous for several things:

  • Mt. Yasur which we will dedicate a blog post to
  • The “World’s Largest Banyan Tree”
  • Tanna’s Baha’i House of Worship
  • John Frum’s cargo cult village (separate blog post)

We start our tour by driving below the majestic Mt. Yasur active volcano.  This is the world’s most accessible live volcano and we plan to visit it up close and personal soon.  It was so very interesting to see the change in the landscape.  It went from lush green foliage to desolate lava land.

I was in awe of the volcano and its surroundings and cannot wait to share our adventure as we hike to the caldera.

The Fresh Market

We stop in Lenakel which is the “main town” in the southern tip of Tanna.  We pick up some fresh produce at the market, local currency, and some SIM cards.  I love how they make their baskets out of leaves and everything is locally harvested.

After a leisurely breakfast and shopping we hope back in our Ute and head to what they claim to be the “world’s largest banyan tree.”  I will say it truly is a massive tree which spans across 200 meters and stands 80 meters tall.

World’s Largest Banyan Tree

Our guide walks us down a small, dirt path into the valley where the natural surroundings and undisturbed ecosystem send chills up your spine.  All you hear are the birds in the trees, you smell the flora, and see the beauty.  

The tree is located near the Leitouapam villages (there are two and they take turns giving tours) which is about 15 minutes from the town of Lenakel.  You pay a $2000VT fee for the 30-45 minute tour.  

Nobody really knows how old the tree is but rumors are that this tree was immense long before Captain Cook arrived in 1774.

Interesting enough, there are male and female banyan trees.  Male trees grow as one large trunk whereas a female has one main trunk which then grows branches that grow out and descend to take root in the ground.  These air branches can grow hundreds of meters wide, like our beauty below.  

It looks like a lot of unique trees in the photos, but in reality it is one beautiful, old female tree with thousands of air branches that have embedded themselves into the ground to feed the entire tree.

Tanna Baha’i House of Worship

Baháʼí Houses of Worship are open to both Baháʼís and non-Baháʼís for prayer and reflection. All Baháʼí Houses of Worship have a round, nine-sided shape and are surrounded by nine pathways leading outwards and nine gardens. Baháʼí literature envisages Houses of Worship surrounded by a number of dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits.  There are currently 14 Baha’i Houses of Worship as of 2023.

The Tanna Baha’i House of Worship has no windows and now walls.  As is custom, it has 9 doors (entryways) and 9 paths leading to unique gardens.  It is truly a peaceful and breathtaking setting.

They select the locations based on peace and spiritual settings.

There are no priests and they welcome all religions into their sanctuary.  It is said that only one house of worship is allowed in each continent. They also believe in total equality for men and women.

Here is a website for the Baha’i House of Worship in Vanuatu.

Our last stop is the very unique john Frum Cargo Cult Village.  This required it’s own blog post so stay tuned and learn why they believe an American WWII veteran is believed to bring untold riches to this tiny village on Tanna.

Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.  This blog post occurred in early June.  Learn more about the beautiful island of Tanna from our last blog post.