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"I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific." James Michener |
Notes from a smaller island:
Travels in the South Pacific
Articles
Where leaves make the sun shine - magic in Vanuatu
The Cow Fish - the dugong of Epi Island
The root of happiness? - a night down at the kava bar
Connecting the dots - bringing the Internet to the place that needs it most
Expatriate cookery - a recipe for those on islands far from home
The furthest place on Earth - as far away as possible from Scotland
From the New Hebrides to the old
Letters home from Vanuatu to Gairloch in the Scottish Highlands...
The Hebridean island on the other side of the world
Winter in the New Hebrides
The ghost of distant islands
If Scotland were like Vanuatu...
Vanuatu languages
Bislama - how to pidginise your English
Apma - useful phrases in the language of central Pentecost Island
Sowa - on the trail of a nearly-extinct language
Pentecost Island's languages - a project to document them all
Full diaries from Vanuatu
Latest updates - distantislands.blogspot.com
November 2007 - Students endure rewards and disappointments at the end of the school year, the islanders get glued to the screen, and a white girl is nearly sold into marriage in exchange for a pig.
October 2007 - The coming of the palolo worms, the adventures of a crazy dog, a dangerous trip to the southern tip of the island, and the consequences of drinking lantern fuel.
September 2007 - The ongoing struggle to keep the wildlife of my house under control, the island where everyone is family, and the remarkable stories of a hundred-year-old man.
August 2007 - The honouring of the Japanese ambassador, the village where pig's teeth are money, and the dangers of the devil nettle.
July 2007 - The continuing modernisation of the islands, and the gathering of their schools for a week-long sports extravangza.
July 2007 - The continuing modernisation of the islands, and the gathering of their schools for a week-long sports extravangza.
June 2007 - Reprimanding students for failing to bring weapons to school, and hearing romantic teenagers get a form of education they've never had before.
May 2007 - My parents visit the crazy little country that their son now calls home, and Vanuatu mourns the loss of a beloved figure by getting very, very stoned.
April 2007 - Cyclones and tsunamis pass us by, but the island is struck instead by cruise ship tourists.
March 2007 - A trip into town on the deck of a cargo ship, and living through a national emergency without noticing that anything was wrong.
February 2007 - The struggle to get the school organised at the beginning of a new year, amidst the sweaty humidity of the hot season.
January 2007 - A chilly January summer holiday in Scotland, and the return journey to Vanutau via Malaysia and Western Australia.
Earlier diaries: December 2006, November 2006 ,October 2006, September 2006, August 2006, July 2006, June 2006, 2005, 2002, 2001
Many thanks to everybody who has helped me during my travels in the South Pacific: to the principal, staff and students at Ranwadi who welcomed me to their school; to the various friends and relatives and friends of relatives and relatives of friends with whom I stayed in remote parts of the world; to the family members who listened to my travel plans and only occasionally questioned their wisdom and safety; and especially to Janice Webb, Andrew Chambers (a.k.a. 'Slick'), Rachel Robertson, Hugh Scobie, Sara and all the other volunteers who kept me sane during some fairly insane situations and helped make my travels such fun.
Disclaimer – these articles and diaries are just my personal experience; they aren't travel guides. Details of the places I visited may change over time.