Vanuatu: cannibals, bungee and happiest people

OK, you know the drill: Vanuatu used to be French until twenty years ago, but fortunately, it does not really show. English influence is also substantial, although they drive on the right hand side (most of the time, kava sometimes prevents this). It has again a few hundred thousand people (I think), that look completely different than the other Pacific Islanders until know. These are namely very black with wide noses and very curly hear, like the Solomon people and the Papua's (see proof ).. They are namely Melenasian in stead of Polynesian!! Chances are you have never heart of Vanuatu, although it is famous forn othing less than three things: 1. they were the last to stop with Canabalism (like 50 years ago), although I heard they still do it for special occasions (like weddings may be). Also they still eat a lot of turtles and dugongs (you remember, sea sows that I also saw in Florida). By the way, highlight of my trip and very lucky (although I flew solely for this reason to an island called Epi), I saw one while snorkeling (see pictures and video)!!!

. But back to my three points, number 2. Inventors of bungee jumping: to accept manhood they jump from a tower with a kind of rope made from a tree (and most of the time life to tell). Kiwi guy AJ Hackett saw this and then introduced bungee jumping to the world. And 3. they are kind of officially judged as happiest people in the world by WHO or so. Some say because they enjoy what they have (not much money, but great nature and beaches), others say because they are always "stoned" by the Kava. Well, what I can say is that they are very very very friendly (like the Fijiiaans) and they did not try to eat me. Then of course my obligatory chapter on diving and snorkeling. Diving resulted in a crocodile fish; pretty strange animal

and with snorkeling I saw a sea snake

a blue spotted stingray

and an annoyingly small stupid naked snail animal, called nudibranch

Not to withhold from you should be the local transport. The first I used to (very slowly) find the dugong, the second was to provide us with banana's and the third was the pretty scary landing on grass on Epi (after a cow was removed, really!)

I thought the next picture would be a nice last one to make you jealous (view from the swimming pool in a resort on an island with a happy hour beer, just quite your job and become dive instructor is my advice)

To finish off, I would like to share my top 5 bush lessons:
1. A coconut is ripe when you hear its juice
2. Mosquito's are not attracted by light
3. Shave with shampoo (better even conditioner) to save space
4. Do not ask the locals when and why, just wait and hope...
5. Mice eat toothpaste and sun cream

So, tomorrow it is off to the Solomons; I am slowly building to a climax (remoteness, danger and beauty) ending (not my life hopefully) with Papua New Guinea...