Has it really been 2 months since my last entry?  Bad, Bren, very very bad.  No, I'm no longer traveling abroad and no, I'm not happy about it.  Yes, I'm behind on blogging and yes, there are plenty of reasons why.  But many of you have been curious about my travels to Vanuatu (where???  yes, Vanuatu).  And no, Vanuatu is not an island in Fiji.  It's actually its very own country!

Known for its cannibalist past, Erromango has no cars and no roads.  When you get there, you will do the Erromango walk just like the locals.  You will walk and walk like there is no tomorrow.  If you want to get anywhere--or somewhere--you walk.  I started my stay in Ipota, and arrived there in a two-propeller "puddle jumper."  Landing on a very narrow, grassy strip, I was relieved to be on the ground, but extremely surprised by my surroundings.  The only thing that is airport-like in Ipota is the crowd of villagers that creep out from the jungle to gawk at the new arrivals.  There is no airport in Ipota and I was the first
tourist the town had seen in a month.

I didn't spend a single
penny during my week on Erromango.  This is an island where true hospitality reigns supreme.  I was befriended by a lady named Jacqueline, who happened to be the principal/English teacher at the only high school on the
island.  She let me stay with her that night, but when I told her I would like to walk around the island she looked at me quizzically and said, "You'd like to do what?"  She kindly arranged for a guide to walk me to South River the next morning.  

South River is a
very long, arduous nine hours from Ipota and the loveliest place on Earth.  Arriving in this small village was like stepping back in time--way back to Adam and Eve.  I had died and gone to Eden. This village, with no more than 40 residents, far from any trace of civilization--connected to real life only by a battery operated radio, was one of the best natural settings I've ever experienced.  

I didn't find surf on Erromango, but I found much more of value there than I ever expected.  I sat around a campfire and drank kava (chewed and spit out) like the locals do.  I ate more roots (taro, potatos, manioch, etc) than I ever planned to in a lifetime.  I also
discovered that Vanuatu has a large population of PeaceCorps volunteers
(the two on Erromango were the only white faces and they were my guides
during my stay).  My list of reasons I love Erromango will go on and on, but if it's the last thing I do, I plan on going back pronto.

Truly heaven on earth--the most memorable travel experience in my life.