June 7-10
Hi All,
Well….the bad weather never really materialized until I BBQ’d Sunday night. It threatened all day…dark, stormy looking, rain in the hills but all we got was a lot of humidity and a little wind. This is one of the most protected anchorages in Vanuatu….yeah!!!! So, we had another snow day because we were convinced if we went ashore for a walk about we would get drenched…..so a leisurely day of reading. We decided to BBQ pork chops for dinner…..another good cut from Omak butcher…about 1″ thick….yummers…..and as I went up to the flybridge to start the grill the heavens opened up….yep, our God does have a since of humor….so, I donned a cap and just had to laugh…..I then threatened to break out in song and viola it stopped…..hmmmm, we are in Vanuatu and the locals all believe in magic…..maybe we are on Magic Moon:))))!!!!
The next day we left for the 40 nm passage to Rano island on Malekula….we fished, tried many different lures….and we fished, fished, fished and nada, nothing, zilch…..whaaaaa!!!! We are now pretty convinced that either the cyclone chased the fish away or the Asians have fished out the area. As a confirmation, the next day when we went on a tour, w/o any suggestions, the guide said the same thing……arghhhhhh!!!!!
That night we had a lovely seafood dinner….our first seafood other than a restaurant in Vila on Mystic this season…..we had a large crab we bought at Lutes…maybe 2-lb and all the lobster legs and antenna….a feast….yummers!!!
There are 2 small islands here maybe 1/2 mile offshore from the mainland of Malekula. We anchored off of Rano…you have to get very close to shore as it drops off pretty rapidly…..but it is all sand and we got a good set…anchor buried. There are several villages in the area and off the other island 0.5 miles away, Wala island, cruise ships sometimes come and there are many cultural events performed. Well….we learned we are the fist boat this year, the resort on Wala is closed due to a land dispute, and no cruise ships are planned….bummer. It seems the world press has really done Vanuatu a disservice with too many accounts of damage and too little coverage of areas like this and north that were not effected that much!!! Once again we have been warmly greeted and we have had many offers for tours, Namba dances et al. We learned that this area by the coast had a lot of wind but not much damage. However, in the mountains and on the west side many of the villages were damaged (the stronger winds were from the west) and many crops destroyed. However, the people seem to be optimistic and very industrious and are working hard for alternative income sources since tourism is practically dead for now.
We went on a Cannibal tour with Erima (Rima) and David on Malekula. Wow, wow, wow….just outstanding!!!! Rima does tours into the bush, up to the mountains and her husband’s village, people stay overnight so they get very immersed in the local Kustoms. She was such a delightful guide and took her time in the rain forest to describe all sorts of plants and farming. The main sources of income are from copra (US$23 per 120 lb bag) and cocoa (US$100/bag). We saw a lot of both and were showed how they harvest and dry the cocoa beans….very similar to Central America. It was hot and humid and while we brought plenty of water, David and Rima would find green coconuts and we would drink the coconut water…yes, the same water being sold in the US for $$$$$. Rima is not sure how old the cannibal site is and when the practice was stopped…..many 100’s of years ago she thinks. The missionaries came in the late 1800’s and many were killed, mistaken for slavers, called blackbirders here. The missionaries unfortunately destroyed much of the culture and histories so the people really only know what is verbally passed from one generation to another. The tour cost $25pp and David even gave us 3 large pamplemousse (grapefruit) and gave me a souvenir war club made by his grandfather…..it is only a small replica but the generosity was very endearing!!
We did talk about kava…..David drinks every day….whoa….we were warned as a white man I should only drink 1 large bowl…..good advice!!!!
There is a large French Catholic mission nearby started in 1950, right after WWII….has both primary and secondary grades. There were no military bases in this area but she said her grandparents talked very fondly of the Americans sharing/trading eggs, tinned meats etc for the local produce.
Here is how this tour is described in the Cruising Guide published by Eric and Anne on sv Reflection and other than our English guide being Rima, I think their description is right on:
It’s an eerie feeling traipsing through the bush following two
men you have met scarcely minutes ago being led towards
a cannibal site. The silence around us is only broken by the
occasional lorikeet bursting into song as we pass or by the
hail of persons unknown and out of our sight. We have just
traversed past yet another trail leading elsewhere, far past
the copra and the cacao (cocoa) plantations, here the undergrowth
is thick and the trees stretch far above us. Would we
find our way back to the road alone? I’m not so sure…
However we know are in good hands, David, the Kastom
owner, a quietly proud gentleman whose family is 4th generation
to the old chief who ruled here, with his trusty sidekick
Jonnie, who speaks excellent English and is an entertaining
guide, together they make an excellent team to show us
some of the secrets of this amazing site, along with the brutal
yet somehow logical history belonging here. As we walk they
explain how the cacao is harvested, likewise the copra, evidenced
by the several families we pass early on, pikinini and
parents involved in collecting the coconut flesh destined to
provide the invaluable coconut oil. As we near the old nassara
site, Lawar, their voices become more reverent and the
respect they hold for this place becomes evident, emphasised
by the sidelong glances into the bush as though they
expect the ghosts of their ancestors to appear.
Finally at Lawar, the old nassara where people brought their
families to seek allegiance and land with the paramount chief,
by killing a pig and presenting their family for approval, Jonnie
shows us the huge flat stones that the Chief and his assistant
rested on as these would be land registrants sought approval.
He tells us how the Chief would then name each family
according to the behaviour of the applicant and accept
them into his fold, which consisted of three smaller Nakamals,
granting them land within his tribal boundaries.
Of course there is always the darker side, where men would
be brought before him and his chiefs to determine their fate,
possibly they had misbehaved or perhaps were from warring
tribes. Regardless they would stand before the chiefs on the
stone awaiting the proclamation as to their being good or
bad, the good being kept as slaves while the bad were led
away to the “company kitchen” where they were killed and
prepared as dinner, often a bougna type meal where the
searching for cannibals
prime cuts were presented to the Chief before the rest of the
men ate. The “company kitchen” can still be seen today as a
huge pit where the cooking took place, close by is the place
where the Chief ate alone with his smaller nakamal chiefs
and his bodyguards. The consummation of human flesh a serious
and deeply respectful affair, only men were permitted
to partake and then much care was taken to ensure the spirit
from the deceased could not pass into the person eating. To
this end an eating utensil in the form of a stick was kept in
the hair was used, to ensure that there was no external contact
with the body parts, thus allowing the spirit of the dead
to pass to the living.
Today, behind the nassara, all that can be seen is the old
cooking pit’s remains and nearby an accumulation of bones
leftover from the Chief’s dining – you get a real sense of the
past here and we are all speaking in hushed tones as we
move onto the cemetery beyond.
Here Jonnie shows us where the Chiefs’ families were buried
and then we move into the area where the 13 chiefs’ remains
have been buried. Each Chief has been buried standing vertically,
with their head left above ground, a week or so later a
small fire was lit to burn around the neck for a month before
twisting the head off. The head was then left for any remaining
flesh to be removed, then with fragrant leaves placed in
the cavities the skull was then placed above the body protected
by a stone mantle along with the Chief’s prize possession,
usually his bubu shell used to summon his people.
While to most of us this is the most macabre of traditions it is
impossible to ignore the power and reverence that pervades
here, with the coming of the Missionaries cannibalism and
the kustom burial rites have long since ceased, but standing
here today it’s easy to believe the spirits are nearby and
watching. We make sure we tread carefully and ensure that
every move and photo is approved by David, the current
caretaker of this awe inspiring site.
There are not many places in our world left today that we can
experience first-hand and close up such kustom and tradition
and as we move back through the bush to the road we thank
David for sharing such a special and unique place. This is a
great tour, easily done in a few hours and it gives you a real
sense of the brutal yet fascinating history of the cannibals of
Malekula.
Wednesday June 10:
Today we did another Cannibal and village tour with Simon on Rano island. The nassara, a ceremonial place for the Chief to receive invited and uninvited guest as wells as to present pigs and gifts to the Chief, was even more impressive than on Malekula….bigger, in better shape and more preserved. Simon was delight and great at history:
– His grandfather tells stories of being taken by his dad to the body of a cooked man and then tasting the flesh. This probably dates in the mid 1900’s which coincides with what we have read that the last official recorded ceremony of cannibalism was in 1969 on Malekula. The tribes on Malekula were always at war and Simon’s people escaped to Rano island for protection and survival 100’s of years ago. Only men were eaten, never woman….Kathy was so happy….and almost always the men were killed in battle from a rival tribe. Only the Chief could eat the brain and women were not allowed to participate or even see the ceremony. The “event” of eating a killed enemy took 7-10 days and involved many dances and ceremonies. While this practice does seem brutal we think in part it was a source of food/meat as there are not many other sources.
– We saw a commemorative cement stone placed in 1999 for the French Catholic Mission of 1888.
– The nassara we visited had 22 generations of chiefs and they have a stone that marks the location of 16 burial sites in the Chief Crypts. That means this site was 600-800 years old.
The villages on Rano were some of the cleanest and neatest we have seen…..most decorated on the outside with colorful woven mats. We even saw a 2 story cement house. The island had a lot of wind from the cyclone but not much damage. We have been given so many oranges and grapefuits/pamplemousse that they will last for several weeks!!
OK….I think we maybe done for a while on cannibal tours. Tomorrow we head to the island of Espiritu Santo and the 2nd largest town called Luganville.
Hope all is well!!
John
Mystic Moon
