July 16 - 2 weeks left in Lambubu...

Today, Jess and I didn't go to our host families, because we're both feeling quite ill and didn't think we could hack the trek up and down what is now dubbed Jessica Hill.*

Jess and I climbing up the notorious hill, clad in island dresses, baskets of fruit in hand. It's harder than it looks.

Yesterday we did go to Larevet, and saw the man eating caves. (The caves don't eat the men. Men eat (ate) other men, in the caves. Never women. Way to go us.) We are apparently the first white people to have ever visited these caves. Jess' brother Tom and Dave's dad Peter gave us a guided tour. In one of the caves there were fresh footprints that looked like they were leftover from a crazy dance party in the jungle. Peter told us that they see these footprints sometimes, but no one knows who dances there. He also told us a myth of people who used to believe that if they left bananas out here in the caves, they would be replaced with gold, or something like that...again, the language barrier makes it sometimes hard to really get the jist of the stories we're told. My bislama is much better, but not A grade just yet. Just give me a little bit more time...

Inside the caves.

We went down to the "beach", a.k.a. the cluster of sharp, jagged rocks which drop off into the ocean. You could easily lose a foot here, which I didn't, but I did get attacked by some thorny vines on the way back which stuck bloody prickly things under my skin on my ears and on my hands. Tara say that in Australia these are called "waitawhiles", because you have to wait a while before you can get unstuck from them. This is quite true. After lunch, we got to see a kastom bride price ceremony, which was quite interesting, except for the part where a live pig on a stick was dropped right at mine and Jess' feet.

Dave at the beach.

The blushing bride.

Pig on a stick. (That's my mom!)

My brain is clogged with snot. My host mom came to visit me this afternoon while I wallowed in self-pity. When I was sleeping, I dreamed that my mom, my real mom, my Canada mom, was here, and then I woke up, and my host mom was here. I straight up threw myself into her arms and cried, "Take care of me mommy!", but I don't think she knew what I was saying. She gave me some oranges and a pineapples and smiled.

My island crush is married. With pikininis. I am heartbroken.

*We decided we would name this hill after the first person who fell down it. Hence, Jessica Hill.