Mystery Island, Vanuatu

Mystery Island (or Inyeug Island), part of the Vanuatu archipelago is often referred to as “the Happiest Place on Earth”. I’m not sure why, since no one actually lives there. Ha! This tiny island is barely two thirds of a mile long and a couple of hundred yards wide. This morning we walked on clearly marked trails around the entire island in less than an hour, including my many photo stops. And due to the dense tropical foliage, we were in shade the entire time!

view of Vista from the shore

We had the option of going to another island for a cultural village experience, but we were glad that we chose not to and instead just enjoyed the beauty of Mystery island. Others who did not choose excursions enjoyed hiking around the island, swimming or snorkeling on their own. Mystery Island boasts some of the best snorkeling in the South Pacific. A fellow passenger attested to this, saying that the coral and fish were the most beautiful he had ever seen.

 

As mentioned above, no one actually lives on Mystery island. It has no electricity, running water, roads or telephones. However, we did discover a cell tower and were able to connect our phones to wifi! The island is completely uninhabited and is only used when people from nearby islands come to greet cruise passengers and sell their handicrafts, or offer snorkeling or boat rides to a neighboring island. 

Locals live across the waters on Aneityum Island. They believe that Mystery Island is haunted and don't go there after dark as they believe ghosts come out at night. However, we didn’t see any. They do have facilities, though quite "rustic".

 

Mystery Island got its name because during WWII, Americans built an air strip on the island which could not be seen from the water. Anatom Airport (or Mystery Island Airport) is a small, grassy runway. It still serves as a flight link for nearby Aneityum Island. It is mostly used for small plane flights, typically a couple of times a week.

 

Mystery Island grass landing strip

Mystery Island Airport

We could see several small islands from our ship which was anchored offshore and a huge circular atoll beneath the crystal blue water. I must say that Mystery Island and the waters surrounding it are the most clear and beautiful we have seen so far. This post and these photos don't begin to do it justice.

 

The island itself had all sorts of interesting vegetation, I took far too many photos to share here, but of course I'll post a few. Mystery Island is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen.

 

coconuts galore

 

visitors enjoying an island massage

Can you see the white waves at the top of this photo? Those you normally see near the shore, right? That is an atoll. Remember, an atoll is  a circular or ring-shaped coral reef, island or series of islets that encircle a shallow lagoon." They are typically formed by coral growing around a sinking, inactive volcano.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter to our family and friends from Mystery Island, Vanuatu in the South Pacific! I'm wishing you a Happy Easter a day before you actually celebrate Resurrection Sunday. That's because we're a full day ahead of home since crossing the International Date Line, so we're celebrating Easter today on the ship. Actually, we had "early" church last night with the Lord's Supper and will celebrate again tonight with our small group Bible study.

As far as the ship is concerned, there are signs of the Easter holiday here and there. In the atrium there is a display of edible handmade eggs. There is another display outside the Terrace restaurant and of course jelly beans on the dessert bar. I snapped a representative few to share here. I will add that the displays smell chocolate-y and delicious! 

 

 

 

turtle eggs?

 

Happy Easter to our family and friends!

So there are plenty of rabbits, eggs and candy on board the ship today but we are thankful that we can celebrate the real meaning of Easter.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  1 Peter 1:3

 

Suva, Figi

Our day in Suva, the capital and largest city of Fiji, got off to a rough start. However, once we finally connected with our guide it turned out to be a very good day.

good morning, Suva!

We started out early, only to discover a major mix-up with the tour company. Our guide had planned for an 11 a.m. ship arrival, while we had actually docked at 7 a.m. That meant waiting and waiting - nearly an hour in the heat. As it turns out, our guide lives 4 hours away, so the mix-up was no small inconvenience for him either. Even the port people were confused and sent us to several different locations before we were finally picked up.

While we waited, I made the most of it by taking photos across the street of local vendors selling fresh produce. The market was full of vibrant colors—piles of pineapple, taro and all kinds of fruits and vegetables laid out on the ground. Local markets are an authentic glimpse of everyday life in these places.

woman sweeping

they smelled so good!

 

 

taro - an island diet staple

wild ginger root

 

Once our guide finally arrived, things quickly improved. Since it wasn’t an Oceania-organized excursion, there were only 5 of us - a couple from Canada, a man from Connecticut and Ronnie and me, which made it very personal. The 5 of us climbed into his modern, air-conditioned van and took off.

guide Shaheed (middle)

One of the first things our guide Shaheed taught us was one of Fiji’s most important words  “Bula!” It’s a cheerful greeting that’s meant to be said with enthusiasm. He encouraged us to say it often, and he certainly did! Later as we were coming down an escalator at the mall, Ronnie gave a hearty “Bula!” to a couple of women on the up escalator. You would have thought they were old friends! Thinking they were from his ukulele class, I asked him who they were. He had no idea! 

As we drove, our guide talked a lot about kava (ava). Islanders drink it like South Americans drink mate and like Americans drink coffee. Some make their own but it takes a lot of effort to dry and pound the kava roots into powder, so many just purchase it already ground for convenience. As mentioned earlier, it numbs the tongue. We got the impression that kava is our guide's favorite drink. 

 

Our first stop was a small but interesting museum, where we saw an important piece of maritime history - the remains of the rudder from the HMS Bounty (from Mutiny on the Bounty) along with other ancient and interesting maritime artifacts.

 

From there, we drove past the President’s residence and stopped briefly to photograph the presidential guard who absolutely will not crack a smile during his 6 hour shift (reminded me of the guards at Buckingham Palace) in London. 

 

just try to make me smile

Next we made a photo stop along the bay, where a huge Celebrity ship was coming into port, framed by the recognizable “thumb mountain” in the background.

can you spot the thumb?

Being Good Friday, many people were off work today. However, we still were slowed by traffic in many areas. Fiji loves holidays! It celebrates major holidays of Christianity, Hinduism and Islam along with many other occasions.

As we continued our drive, we passed schools, universities, churches, the U.S. Embassy and a mix of neighborhoods - from traditional village houses with rain-soaked clothing hanging on lines and porches to more upscale areas near government buildings. Suva is the political and administrative heart of the country and has both a president and a prime minister, each serving under the same laws.

Most Fijian men wear skirts (called sulus), which our guide pointed out are much cooler and more comfortable than pants in the tropical climate.

 

 

We passed through lush rain forests as we drove to the city of Nausori and back. The greenery was dense and beautiful.

We finished the day at a large mall, where we had time for lunch in the food court and 30 minutes of shopping before heading back to the ship. I was fascinated by an entire floor of Indian clothing.

 

door greeter at mall

 

Indian clothing accessories - Tappoo Mall

Indian fashions - men and women

entire floor - Indian fashion only

Despite the frustrating start, the day was enjoyable and we felt like we were able to see a good portion of the island. Also, by being away we avoided a lot of the rain. Passengers who stayed in the area were coming back to the ship thoroughly soaked!