The day before yesterday, we could make inbound clearance. The waves were subdued a bit.

On the satellite map I found a canal through the reef to beach in a smaller bay next to the main bay. That’s were i wanted to try it.

As I couldn’t reach any of the officials on VHF CH 16, I sent an email to the Iau, customs officer I am in contact since a while and told him that we try to go ashore for clearance procedure and that he please keep an eye on us to help us to find the offices. This email also was a safety measure because one can’t go legally ashore without being cleared on.

It turned out that the bay with its canal was just right for us. A local fishing boat was also tied up to a buoy.

We dropped a stern anchor, and pulled the tender towards shore. I sufficiently shallow water Tobias could tie up the front line at the dead coral reef.

When we were almost done with this, a man showed up at the beach and watching us closely. It turned out it was the immigration officier who welcomed us very warmly. We walked to a table under a tree where we also met the lady of biosecurity. “Perfect”, I thought.

Both of them helped us filling in the needed documents again. At times of internet and digital documents, in all countries, all documents needed to filled in twice. Digitally in before arrival and on paper upon arrival. Efficiency par excellence!

Payment need to be done in USD. However they requested almost brand-new bills. So we agreed to pay in Vatu, the local currency and they brought us by car to an ATM.

Bills were paid and they brought us back to the market place area where they asked us to wait for the customs officier. The time indication when the customs was very a lSouthern Pacific style. We agreed to stay here around the market place. Here it is easy for the customs officer to find us.

We strolled around the market place looking for the produce offered. Tobias was very delighted that he saw broccoli, and locally grown carrots. I found fresh lettuce. Thus all on top the this there are all the typical items for these Pacific island. I only was surprised about the many coconuts which are offered. Never saw this before on a public market.

Pretty soon a customs officer approach us and we made the customs clearance just on a kind of shelf under the canopy of a shop. And now we have a cruising permit for Vanuatu.

We walked through the town and the first thing I saw, was the fight between 2 phone companies: Digicell and Vodafone. “Vodafone” is written on each column of the 3 market hall buildings, “Digicell” is written on every house along the street that extends from the market hall.

There are plenty of shops selling food. Sad so, junk food, dominates the shelfs.

Also quite a few shops sell cheap Chinese clothes made from polyester fabric.

Then I saw a sign “Restaurant”. We talked to three ladies on the other street side and they encouraged us to go for a lunch.

It was a good one. Fish, rice, cassava, and a salad. Pretty delicious. I like to explore this local food.

We wanted to go to a temple Tobias found on the map of noforeign land map. It is only 1.5 km outside the village.

On the way, we passed a kind of community area with several of these very big and old trees. ‘Xxx’xxxxxxx there is also a community building constructed of traditional materials: bamboo for the walls and palm tree leaves for the roof. It looks nice and I think it is pretty cool inside.

Cool is also the area under these huge trees. Just nice to be on their shade. There was a group of men under the shade of the tree next by. Curious looks from both sides.

While we took pictures a man walked over and a conversation developed. After a few minutes another one came. He introduced himself as the nephew of the man who started the conversation.

After a while I interrupted because I wanted to have a look at the tender. The tide came in since a while and I wanted to be sure that the bow line is long enough for the rising tide.

On the way to the tender we saw many kids having a lot of fun in the afternoon sun in the shallow water of the beach. it was a good feeling seeing these happy children.

We gave the tender more bow line and walked into direction of the temple but we ended up in the village. A man we asked for the way to the street told us we need to go back. I’m sure there was a direct way to the street from the village but we must likely would have needed to trespass several private properties. To respect this, we walked back as asked to do. We don’t want to be intruders.