Experience Vanuatu immigration and life in Vanuatu: Located in Oceania, northeast of Australia, Vanuatu consists of over 80 islands and features a tropical marine climate. The island's natural and cultural landscapes are unique among South Pacific island nations.
In 1606, after a long voyage, Spanish navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós arrived at Espiritu Santo, the largest island in Vanuatu. Much like Columbus mistaking the American continent for India, this gentleman perfectly inherited the Spanish navigator tradition of calling a deer a horse, believing he had discovered the legendary "Great Southern Land," and thus named it "Australia" (which means "Southern Land" in Latin). Over 100 years later, Captain Cook visited again and, feeling the island's scenery resembled the Hebrides in Scotland, renamed it "New Hebrides" (it was renamed "Vanuatu" after independence in 1980, meaning "Our Land Forever"). Most newly discovered South Pacific island nations were named by navigators after their homelands, such as New Zealand and New Caledonia. Perhaps due to long periods of drifting at sea, they had an inseparable attachment to land and a deep sense of homesickness. I often wonder, if Zheng He had been overcome by nostalgia during his voyages and named the islands along the way, perhaps some place on the map today would be called "New Shandong" or "New Henan."
The people of Vanuatu are Melanesian, known for their simple and kind nature, and generally possess an optimistic gene. Coupled with the abundant produce on the tropical island—coconuts, papayas, and cassava are inexhaustible—people have no worries about food or clothing. Therefore, although Vanuatu is one of the least developed countries in the world as recognized by the United Nations, it has twice been rated as one of the happiest countries in the world. When people encounter even the smallest bit of joy, they gather to dance at any time and place. Once, we encountered a wedding in a village near the capital, Port Vila. People were dancing so enthusiastically that the road was blocked. My colleague, Lao Tian, could not resist and joined the crowd. Perhaps due to his experience with domestic square dancing, he actually brought the atmosphere to a small climax.
Vanuatu is famous for a drink called "Kava." It is made by grinding the roots of the kava pepper plant into juice and mixing it with water. At dusk, after a day's work, men usually gather in "Kava bars" (grass huts where tribal ceremonies are held) to drink Kava. It is served in a bowl made from a halved coconut shell, costing 100 Vatu (about 1 USD) per bowl. When I first arrived, there was no white liquor, so I often frequented Kava bars on weekends. The first time I drank Kava, the taste was terrible, like drinking pesticide. After two or three bowls, however, it felt like consuming an elixir, making one want to drift away with the wind. Seeing such a heavy-drinking foreigner, the locals were always enthusiastic. Every time I left, I was usually bleary-eyed and light-footed, as if I had been struck by the legendary "Smile Half-Step Stumble" poison. Once, after drinking too much, I returned too late and was blocked at the door by the big boss demanding a report. I looked back with a charming smile and said, "That's nothing!"
In Vanuatu, the most unmissable experiences are the island tour and volcano viewing. The capital, Port Vila, is located on Efate Island. On a sunny day, setting off counter-clockwise along the island loop road, you can enjoy coconut groves, sandy beaches, and the blue sea and sky. As the car drives out of the city, the exquisite seascape becomes magnificent.
The best place to view the sea is around the White Sand Beach. The view here is wide and secluded, the sand is pure and fine, and the seawater transitions from turquoise to deep blue. Standing on the reef, looking out at the endless South Pacific, one instantly feels the isolation of the lonely island, evoking the sentiment: "I contemplate the vastness of heaven and earth, and tears fall in my loneliness."
At the end of the island tour, there is a Black Sand Beach. Unlike the white sand beach, volcanic activity is frequent here, and volcanic rock has formed black sand through weathering and seawater erosion. The seabed here is gentle, without reefs or deep pits, making it a natural swimming pool. The Black Sand Beach is also home to the world's only underwater post office. Tourists can buy waterproof postcards, dive to the post office located 5 meters underwater, and hand them to the postman. Regrettably, the postcards I sent back home through fire and water have, for some reason, remained unheard of to this day.
Near the Black Sand Beach is Mele, the largest village in Vanuatu, with about 2,000 residents. Hidden in the deep mountains of the village is a waterfall. After heavy rain, the waterfall is spectacular. The point where the waterfall falls forms a natural swimming pool, which is perfect for listening to the roar of the waterfall and contemplating life. The village's traditional delicacy, Laplap, is famous far and wide. Women grind cassava into powder, bake it on stones over a fire, sprinkle it with coconut milk after it is cooked, and serve it with roast chicken, fish, or beef, wrapped in banana leaves. It tastes excellent.
During World War II, the Japanese army had reached the Solomon Islands in northern Vanuatu, and the US military landed on the Black Sand Beach in Port Vila overnight to establish a base. During this period, about 100,000 US troops were stationed in Vanuatu. After the war, much of the military supplies were not removed. In the Havana Bay area in the north of the island, there are still abandoned US military supplies, and the abandoned airport runways are overgrown with weeds. In the shallow bay by the road, tanks are vaguely visible above the water. Clever people on the island excavated the former US military landfill, dug out Coca-Cola glass bottles, washed them clean, and sold them as souvenirs for more than 5 dollars each.
On Tanna Island in southern Vanuatu, there is the world's safest active volcano, Mount Yasur. The temperament of this volcano is just like the people of Vanuatu—very gentle. The erupted magma goes straight up and down and rarely splashes outside the crater, so tourists can watch the spectacle of the volcanic eruption from a close distance. The mountains here are usually lush and covered with vegetation; only this volcano, due to its year-round activity, is covered in volcanic ash and devoid of grass.
Trekking from the foot of the mountain, thunderous sounds came in bursts, making one both excited and weak-kneed. By the time we reached the crater, it was dusk. Looking down, the orange-red light emitted by the magma was vaguely visible. First, there was a rumbling sound—this was the volcano accumulating energy. Suddenly, with a thunderclap, the magma splashed upward and then fell like scattered flowers, tracing beautiful trajectories. Then, everything returned to calm. Afterward, it was the next accumulation of energy and eruption, repeating over and over again.
Unlike the capital, Port Vila, the villages on Tanna Island have not been much eroded by modern civilization and still maintain their primitive appearance, with the authority of the tribal chief still intact. Because food is relatively abundant and easy to obtain, men do not need to do heavy physical labor, and women play a leading role in daily life, holding a relatively high status in the family. When we went to the village for a photo shoot, my photography-loving colleague was very excited. However, the villagers were quite reserved when they first saw strangers. My colleague's daughter carried a "Polaroid" camera with her. When the camera ejected a photo, the whole tribe rushed over to watch. We quickly used up dozens of films and distributed all the photos to the villagers. The atmosphere became enthusiastic, people began to dance happily in a circle, and they prepared food for us. Both host and guest were delighted.