November 13 was a day at sea, which I usually enjoy but the wind was blowing and the seas were a bit rough, so I felt a tad queasy most of the day. I think that if I had been on the Explorer ship, it would not have bothered me much at all, but the Orion is a smaller ship and she tends to bob around more. Not enough to make me sick, but just enough to make me want to lie low. Also, they upgraded us to a higher deck for this leg, and I am wishing they hadn’t because the seas have not been as calm as they were on the first leg and we have had more days at sea.
We reached Vanuatu on November 14. Captain Cook named these islands the New Hebrides because they reminded him of the rugged isles off Scotland’s coast, but the resemblance was totally lost on me. Espirito Santo Island is the largest of the islands and is quite green and forested. There are also lots of coconut plantations and also open areas that looked like meadows with cattle grazing. I even saw a corral with the cattle ready for market (a lot are sent to Japan) and the horses and cowboys standing outside. It seemed a bit surreal on a tropical island.
One of the options today was to take a short trip in an outrigger canoe on the Riri River to a tropical swimming hole called the Blue Lagoon. Here is a picture of me getting ready to swing on a rope over the hole.
Wait a minute, that’s not me! I forgot that I’d had my hair cut and don’t have any tattoos! I also forgot that Mike did this tour and I did something else. I can see the attraction to the Blue Lagoon for him - the water is lovely.
I went on a tour of the World War II sites. During the war, these islands were a strategic stronghold, as a supply and support base, complete with a naval harbor, military hospital, and airfield. I wasn’t all that interested in the WW II sites, but they were spread out enough that it gave me a chance to see the island. At the site of the remnants of the military hospital, I saw the largest banyan tree I have ever seen. It was quite beautiful and very impressive.
I also saw the largest spider I have ever seen! Not so beautiful but equally impressive. The large spider in the picture is the female. But notice the little red guy to the right of her. That is the male.
If she is not attracted to him, she will eat him. If she is, they will mate (Now how does that work? They should have had a shipboard lecture on that.) and then she might eat him anyway, depending upon her level of satisfaction, I guess. So, as in all things, size may or may not matter!