Friday 27 September 2013
Melanesian Hotel, Port Vila, Efate Island
After much planning, preparation and anticipation, 30 excited Aussies flew into Port Vila on the 3:10pm Friday flight to be greeted by a very active string band playing live music in the arrival lounge … a standard feature it seems of all planes arriving in Vanuatu.
For most it had been a very early 3:00am start, in order to catch the 7:00am Sydney flight from Melbourne, so by mid-afternoon that dazed, compliant … tell-me-what-I-need-to-do … look was in evidence.
It was then onto the Melanesian Hotel where room keys were handed out, credit card details taken and bags lugged up stairs and along corridors.
Six o‘clock and it was time for the Welcome Dinner which was accompanied by an amazingly talented string band, who apart from playing nearly non-stop all night, (wearing the briefest of woven cloth around their waists) but also did Kustom dancing and demonstrated sand drawings.
By 9:00pm the look on many faces showed that whilst the lights were on, no one was at home and everyone slid off to bed for a good nights sleep
Smooth seas, fair breeze and go the Supporters Tour!
Rob Latimer