Champagne Bay, Espiritu Santo Island

Due to the absence of a dock, we were ferried ashore by "tenders", ie. three of the ship's 90-person lifeboats. Espiritu Santo is covered in a verdant afro, the water is azure, the sand is bone white.

Setting foot on land for the first time in days, we were serenaded by a Christian youth band (it's how they raise money for schooling). Along the back of the beach were 20-30 covered market stalls.

I waded in the shallows, then explored the goods'n'services for sale. Had a bottle of Tusker beer (5% alcohol, top flavour) for $5, got talking in pidgin to a fella who was selling it for $4 and had another.

While Vanuatu has its own currency - the vatu - they accept small Aussie notes and coins, so there's no need for exchanging. Large bills/cards can be locked in the programmable safe in your cabin.

Waiting for the return tender, I was caught in a tropical shower more intense than any I remember from Darwin. As the giant droplets ran down my grinning mug, it was like feeling rain for the first time.


Fillums:
* "Inside Man" (2006) - all-star NYC bank-heist baloney. Still more engrossing than...
* "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End" (2007) - stupidly convoluted, borderline tedious, vulgar display of budget. A trilogy seriously weakened.


Also: Questions about cruising - however trivial - welcomed. Lemme know what you wanna know!