Category Archives: Vanuatu

Seeing the Coolidge’s Lady and Million Dollar Point

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This morning we were surprised to see two more people in the boat when they picked us up. One was diving with us, the other would be snorkeling. Christi and Jaime were going to go deeper into the Coolidge to see “the lady” with the same dive master we went in with yesterday. Eric and Darren were going out with another dive guider to do the promenade deck dive.

Eric and Darren descended from a nearby sand patch and followed a line that runs from shore to the bow, instead of going down the mooring line. Eric is more comfortable starting from shallow water and going deeper than he is starting in deep water. The descent was scary for him since he couldn’t see the bottom, just a nothingness of blue below. He was relieved when the ship came into sight. Eric made it abundantly clear that he did not want to go inside the ship at all he only wanted to swim around the exterior areas. They did the same the same route Jaime and Christi did the day before, except that they didn’t go into any of the cargo holds.

Christi and Jaime and the dive master again descended down the line to the bow. This time they continued over the starboard side of the boat, which is now the top since it is leaning on it’s side. They passed over a long series of portholes with the glass long gone. There was a cluster of colorful, pretty corals of assorted varieties at the edge of all the portholes. There were quite a few small clusters of coral over the top. Christi spotted a lionfish, which are neat to watch.

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They came to a blast hole in the metal hull, where they descended straight down into the relatively dark interior. Once again, only Continue reading →

Luganville and the Traditional Dinner and Dance Show

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Continuation from yesterday”¦.

There were quite a few shops, most selling a strange assortment of random goods, kind of like mini Targets with just a few food items, a few clothes, a few home improvement items, etc. It looks like they stock whatever they can get their hands on to sell. Eric did manage to find a used propeller for Kosmos that he thinks will help with speed.

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We walked the length of town and Continue reading →

Diving the Coolidge and Luganville

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At 0800, we were picked up by the dive company at Kosmos. Jaime is a dive master, but we still went with the local dive shop because we wanted to be with someone that knows the area. It was just the three of us with the local dive master. The boat ride over to the Coolidge was pretty short. From the surface, it didn’t look like there would be anything of interest. We tied to a mooring and went down the mooring line. The visibility was the worst we have seen yet in the entire South Pacific, but compared to San Diego, it was great. We couldn’t see the bottom from the surface, which made Eric nervous. He was already uncomfortable about going to a wreck dive where it would be easy to get trapped into a small space, and the lack of clarity pushed him over the edge and he decided to sit this one out.

Jaime and Christi descended the line, which was tied to a corner of the bow. The wreck wasn’t clearly visible until we got pretty close to it. From the corner you could swim over the top (which is the side of the boat), or continue descending to the foredeck. We continued descending. There were lots of fish around there were a couple of enormous angel fish, a big school of fusilier fish which are dark blue fish with bright yellow split tails, a few silver (trevallys) jacks, a tuna, a few parrotfish, and long nosed butterfly fish, to name a few of the species.

As they descended, the whole front of the ship came into clear view. The ship is absolutely massive. Christi felt like a small speck next to it. Christi and Jaime followed the local dive master as he swam over the foredeck, which still has equipment laying around ready for use. There is an anti-aircraft gun with a pile of large shells still stacked up ready for firing, gas masks and rifles lying about.

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Welcome to Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

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15.35S, 167.08E – We headed out to another island, called Espiritu Santo, yesterday morning. It is located about 120 nautical miles northwest of Efate. Espiritu Santo is the largest island in all of Vanuatu and has a population of 33,000. During World War II the Americans set up a large military base in Luganville, with half a million troops and 100 boats.

During the ride up to Santo we were often protected by islands we were passing, so overall the ride was calm and smooth, though when we were out from under the protection of the islands it got a bit rough. Many moons ago, Christi had written a blog about how the food in the refrigerator jumps out and attacks you while at sea . Jaime had posted a comment saying what she had written was hilarious. His comment must have angered the refrigerator god, because as soon as we got to a rocky stretch Continue reading →

Vanuatu Village Life Cultural Demonstration

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Once it was light out we could get a better look at the bungalows. The floor is covered in woven floor mates, the kind that we watched the lady make on Waya Island. The frame is large bamboo rods. The interior layers of walls are made up of thin bamboo stalks lashed together. The exterior layers of walls look to be similar to the woven mats on the floor. The roof is palm fronts with a relatively tall pitch. The roof extends over the porch. The roof fits snugly at the corners where the roof is lowest, but there is a big gap between wall and ceiling in the center of the little hut. This provides good air ventilation, and with the roof extending so far beyond front walls, no exposure to rain. We have seen this style of construction even in modern buildings all over the south pacific, particularly in the Marquesas. The beds have a mosquito netting over them that you can put down to protect yourself from bug bites. There is a small gas lamp at the bedside.

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The restrooms are separate buildings that are shared by a few of the rooms. There is a small stall with a toilet and a basin with soap and water. There is a second stall with a shower. If you are looking for first world luxuries, you probably wouldn’t like it too much. If you are looking for a unique experience in a picturesque setting, this is the place for you.

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Breakfast was at 07:00. They served Continue reading →