Kasem 'The Best'

I finally reached the Lini Highway. The Lini Highway is the main road that leads to town so I knew where I was now. There was a pretty fancy bus stop across the road courtesy of Digicel which I recognised.

Tebakor Center Kava bar

Just as I was about to reach the Lini Highway I stumbled upon another Kava Bar. Once you head out on foot you realise that Kava Bars are everywhere in Port Vila and how kava is such a big a part of life for the local Ni-Van.

Grace Store

I thought the Grace Store might be some sort of religious shop but it was just another typical Asian Store selling anything from food to ...well leis for example!

Hari Store

I headed down towards the Lini Highway as I knew I would find my way home from there. I passed a small shop which looked like a Ni-Van store and ahead I could see another store which was obviously Asian run.

Port Vila Dog

As I walked out of the Shepherd Studios I noticed a dog asleep in the grass and I woke him up as I took his photo. There are heaps of dogs in Port Vila that seem to be running around loose. They all look the same breed......mongrel.  

Hand Signals

I had a great time meeting these lovely friendly people. It was time to say goodbye. The Pentecost Islander I had shared nuts with earlier introduced me to her son. He was wearing a Fest' Napuan T shirt as well and he was very impressed to see I was wearing mine and that I had attended the concert the night before. I took one last photo before I left and they posed with some typical Ni-Van hand signals. The Ni-Van use hand signals for communication a lot and they can ruin many photo opportunities with a 'thumbs up' but I loved this shot as they are using a variety of hand signals at once and it was so typical!!

Anyone for Crab?

Ni-Vans, as I have said are a very shy race but they also have a wicked sense of humour. These ladies were very shy to begin with but decided a crab would make a good prop for our photo opportunity.

The Mamas

I guess me turning up was probably the most exciting thing that had happened all week and the longer I stayed the more people turned up to say "Halo". Ni-Vans are generally a very shy race but incredibly friendly at the same time and it is very easy to make friends with them. These Mamas were proud to show off their pikininis to me.

Shooting the Breeze

As I sat there chatting to my new friend an Olfala joined us. There were lots of pikininis running around of course and they were fascinated by the new arrival!

Shepherd Studios

I stumbled upon this lady who was cracking nuts to eat so I struck up a conversation with her. She shared her nuts with me while we chatted. I found out she was from Pentecost Island and that she lived here at the Shepherd Studios. The studio meaning studio apartments I guess.

Kava Bar

I passed the local Kava Bar or Nakamal as they are also called. Kava is made from the roots of the kava plant. It isn't alcoholic, it is more of a relaxant but it can become a big problem just like alcohol if imbibed too much. Vanuatu is proud of it's kava as it is the strongest in the South Pacific especially when it comes from some of the Outer Islands.

Room for Rent

I decided to take a road that was heading in the general direction towards the Lini Highway which is the main road that leads to town.

The Road to Ohlen Village

I decided to take the road towards Ohlen Village. I had been down this road before on my last trip. This was the road we took to go to the Ohlen Village to meet the Mataso Printmakers. The road hadn't changed and because of the recent rain was a bit of a wash out so I turned around and headed back. I passed the Weng Store on the way. There are hundreds of these little Asian Stores around Port Vila servicing the local villages.

Which Road to Take?

The roads in the backstreets of Port Vila go on forever and it didn't really matter which road I took because if I got lost there would no doubt be a bus not far away. Of course a bus is just a van with a few seats in it and a B on the license plate. It feels like the majority of vehicles on the road in Port Vila are buses.

Wood Smoke

The smell of Port Vila is the smell of wood smoke. The local Ni-Van use wood to cook with and it is usually Burao. You can buy stacks of it at the Market. By the late afternoon Port Vila is engulfed in a fine wood smoke which has a nice smell because of the wood they use.

Sweeping Up

I came across this mama and her pikininis sweeping the road and I they posed for a photo for me. It was nice to see this mama keeping her little piece of paradise clean and tidy.

Hanging Out

I met some more pikininis before I went on my way. The pikininis in Vanuatu are always extremely shy but I always carry a bunch of lollies in my bag for moments like this. That is always an icebreaker although I always ask their parents first before I offer one as I always hear the words that we taught our kids. "Don't take lollies from strangers"!

Making Friends

It is very easy to make friends in Vanuatu as everybody is just so warm and friendly. On my walk the local Ni-Van would either wave or give me a thumbs up as I was wearing my Fest' Napuan Tshirt. One person did ask if I was lost as they aren't used to seeing the Whitefella walking around the backstreets of Port Vila. This mama and her pikinini saw me take a photo and came out to say 'Halo' to me.

Mifala I salem Yellow Fin Tuna

Mifala I salem Yellow Fin Tuna long plesia. Which means I sell Yellow Fin Tuna here. I'm not sure if they really did anymore as the sign was ancient. I just love the Bislama language and have a great time translating it as it is a form of Pidgin English and pretty easy to learn.

Tebakor Hill

I love wandering around the backstreets of Port Vila. I like to experience the real Vanuatu and to meet the local Ni-Van in their own environment. We were staying at the Coral Motel which is in Tebakor on the Lini Highway. So one morning I donned my new Fest' Napuan T shirt and with my trusty camera in hand I decided to go head up Tebakor Hill and onto the backstreets.