Sunday- Santo Day for me, Island hopping for the others
Well not really island hopping. The others were keen on a trip to Aore with some snorkelling and coffee included. I was pretty keen on a sleep in, which I had. I haven't mentioned the nights here..
We are sleeping at Michael and Amanda's place, which has several guest rooms and bathrooms on each of the two floors. Each room has a fan. The whole house is open with slats, so when locked up there's air circulation. While there are screens, any mosquito with anything beyond a grade 1 education could easily gain access, and they did.
I haven't talked about mosquitoes so I will, then I'll get back to the nights. When you think mosquito here you think Malaria, and Dengue. The others are taking malaria prophylaxis, but it's still wise to use repellent as an added level of protection. Michael and I prefer to be outrageous daredevils, so we are flying by the seat of our pants. As long as we look out for mosquitoes flying by the seat of our pants we should be ok.
Michael's rationale... if there's little malaria (only 2 cases in Santo last year, and this is not the malaria season) you can't get it. My rationale... the risk of illness from microbial disruption probably exceeds the risk of illness from malaria when you consider the low prevalence. Who knows if my presumption is correct. Doxycycline is a dramatic microbiome disruptor, and I looked up Mefloquine and found out it does (like any tablet probably) affect the gut microbiome, and the reports of ongoing psychiatric illness in US veterans makes me even more suspicious of this effect.
Dengue.. well you can't do anything to prevent the illness once exposed so the trick is not to get exposed.... cover up or use repellent or both. Most nights I did neither because I am stupid/lazy... but back to the nights.
There be roosters! All night. These roosters have no biological clock owing to their strong sense that their women could be taken away and eaten at any time, as could their hard worked for babies which can so easily become hard boiled eggs. So they stand watch all night and yell out "Be careful" regularly (or the fowl language equivalent) It's enough to drive you to foul language.
There's also geckos. They chirrup. Occasionally.
The mossies have no hum. They are stealth fighters.
Our fan has a knock. Occasionally. For quite a long time it is silent (did I mention it rotates but has no noticeable effect on the air?) then the knock starts. A minute later it's silent again.
All this makes night time an aural experience. I loved it.. not really enough to disturb sleep, but enough to let you know you are in the tropics.
Anyway, by the time I had arisen the others were on Aore, or so I thought. After a leisurely start to the day Michael arrived back from town and told me an amusing story. He dropped the others at the wharf where they found the boat that would take them to the resort on Aore, but no skipper. There were a few people around chatting, including a guy with a bicycle, talking with someone sitting in a tree. After 20 mins the bicycle guy said. "Do you want to go to Aore?" .... "Yes we do"..... "Oh"...... long pause. "That's my boat"...... long pause...... "I can take you". This is Vanuatu time.
Michael and I had a chat and some lunch. Much later people arrived back, reporting wonderful snorkelling, a lovely upmarket resort and reasonable food. I had no FOMO.. I really needed my time and space. I have been surprised and delighted by how well we have all coexisted and worked together. It's been amazing.
Domestic duties and a bit of an easy afternoon, and then we were off for an early evening meal at the "hole in the wall" which is a long building composed of a line of kitchens, with an open window to the market, each one equipped with an outside table and chairs. You sit at the table, order from the attendant and your meal is prepared. The menu is simple... omelette, beef stew or steak, or chicken. After ordering if you are observant you watch your cook or one of their children slip across to the market and buy the ingredients (the market goes 24/7- the stallholders sleep under their tables). I really enjoyed my meal... simple and comes with too much rice, but it was tasty enough. All for 1000 Vatu = 12 AUD. I wondered about the possiblity of food poisoning.. probably a chance, but I decided not to fret too much.
Ednah and Was visited that evening and we chatted and headed for the dorms.
We are sleeping at Michael and Amanda's place, which has several guest rooms and bathrooms on each of the two floors. Each room has a fan. The whole house is open with slats, so when locked up there's air circulation. While there are screens, any mosquito with anything beyond a grade 1 education could easily gain access, and they did.
I haven't talked about mosquitoes so I will, then I'll get back to the nights. When you think mosquito here you think Malaria, and Dengue. The others are taking malaria prophylaxis, but it's still wise to use repellent as an added level of protection. Michael and I prefer to be outrageous daredevils, so we are flying by the seat of our pants. As long as we look out for mosquitoes flying by the seat of our pants we should be ok.
Michael's rationale... if there's little malaria (only 2 cases in Santo last year, and this is not the malaria season) you can't get it. My rationale... the risk of illness from microbial disruption probably exceeds the risk of illness from malaria when you consider the low prevalence. Who knows if my presumption is correct. Doxycycline is a dramatic microbiome disruptor, and I looked up Mefloquine and found out it does (like any tablet probably) affect the gut microbiome, and the reports of ongoing psychiatric illness in US veterans makes me even more suspicious of this effect.
Dengue.. well you can't do anything to prevent the illness once exposed so the trick is not to get exposed.... cover up or use repellent or both. Most nights I did neither because I am stupid/lazy... but back to the nights.
There be roosters! All night. These roosters have no biological clock owing to their strong sense that their women could be taken away and eaten at any time, as could their hard worked for babies which can so easily become hard boiled eggs. So they stand watch all night and yell out "Be careful" regularly (or the fowl language equivalent) It's enough to drive you to foul language.
There's also geckos. They chirrup. Occasionally.
The mossies have no hum. They are stealth fighters.
Our fan has a knock. Occasionally. For quite a long time it is silent (did I mention it rotates but has no noticeable effect on the air?) then the knock starts. A minute later it's silent again.
All this makes night time an aural experience. I loved it.. not really enough to disturb sleep, but enough to let you know you are in the tropics.
Anyway, by the time I had arisen the others were on Aore, or so I thought. After a leisurely start to the day Michael arrived back from town and told me an amusing story. He dropped the others at the wharf where they found the boat that would take them to the resort on Aore, but no skipper. There were a few people around chatting, including a guy with a bicycle, talking with someone sitting in a tree. After 20 mins the bicycle guy said. "Do you want to go to Aore?" .... "Yes we do"..... "Oh"...... long pause. "That's my boat"...... long pause...... "I can take you". This is Vanuatu time.
Michael and I had a chat and some lunch. Much later people arrived back, reporting wonderful snorkelling, a lovely upmarket resort and reasonable food. I had no FOMO.. I really needed my time and space. I have been surprised and delighted by how well we have all coexisted and worked together. It's been amazing.
Domestic duties and a bit of an easy afternoon, and then we were off for an early evening meal at the "hole in the wall" which is a long building composed of a line of kitchens, with an open window to the market, each one equipped with an outside table and chairs. You sit at the table, order from the attendant and your meal is prepared. The menu is simple... omelette, beef stew or steak, or chicken. After ordering if you are observant you watch your cook or one of their children slip across to the market and buy the ingredients (the market goes 24/7- the stallholders sleep under their tables). I really enjoyed my meal... simple and comes with too much rice, but it was tasty enough. All for 1000 Vatu = 12 AUD. I wondered about the possiblity of food poisoning.. probably a chance, but I decided not to fret too much.
Ednah and Was visited that evening and we chatted and headed for the dorms.
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