Day 5
Throughout the cruise, we were given the chance to sign up for on-shore tours. We decided on horse back riding around the island and a snorkel out at the coral reefs.
We set foot on shore to a sickeningly humid day but pumped for an adventure filled afternoon. We had a slight dilemma upon arriving at the horse tour meeting point in which Marion brought out the wrong tickets. She made a mad dash back inside the cruise and came back out just in time for them to begin ushering us into the mini buses that would take us to the stables. Crisis averted.
We set foot on shore to a sickeningly humid day but pumped for an adventure filled afternoon. We had a slight dilemma upon arriving at the horse tour meeting point in which Marion brought out the wrong tickets. She made a mad dash back inside the cruise and came back out just in time for them to begin ushering us into the mini buses that would take us to the stables. Crisis averted.
We were assigned horses and had a quick 10 minute brief on how to control them before we set off. Chrissie's horse was so small and cute it was borderline pony size.
We trekked up some hills and grassy terrains. At one point we went through a small forest to reach up a hill overlooking the sea. We paused for a photo opportunity before trekking back to the stables. My horse was extremely greedy for shrubs and grass and would constantly jerk his neck down for more food despite my hold on his reigns. The horses also enjoyed walking nose to butt, pooping at will and a few horses were prone to snapping at his horse pals which would cause a minor kerfuffle. It was, for the most part, pleasant and an interesting experience.
We were assigned horses and had a quick 10 minute brief on how to control them before we set off. Chrissie's horse was so small and cute it was borderline pony size.
We trekked up some hills and grassy terrains. At one point we went through a small forest to reach up a hill overlooking the sea. We paused for a photo opportunity before trekking back to the stables. My horse was extremely greedy for shrubs and grass and would constantly jerk his neck down for more food despite my hold on his reigns. The horses also enjoyed walking nose to butt, pooping at will and a few horses were prone to snapping at his horse pals which would cause a minor kerfuffle. It was, for the most part, pleasant and an interesting experience.
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For the grand finale of our tour, the guide took the saddles off our horses and let us ride them bare back into the lake. The horses made strange moo-ing noises while walking deeper into the lake. I'm not sure whether it was out of displeasure or whether they enjoyed the coolness of the water.
I would probably rate the experience at 8/10. I've never ridden a horse before and apparently it's very rare to be able to ride them without the saddle. My butt had an inside bruise for a few days after this tour and it would hurt every time I sat down.
We had a few hours gap between our tours to do some exploring of the island and the tourist markets. The food market had an overwhelming fish smell because they had to lay out dried fish on the tables and other ocean catches. There were bananas still on the stalk, coconuts and dried vegetable chips. The tourist markets more or less sold the same things every store. Ukuleles, sarongs, fridge magnets, passport stamps and much more. We each bought a flower crown to wear to that night's Island Cruise Party. The little girl being held by Emily was smiley and chatty until a camera was pulled out in which she immediately became shy, only to go back to normal after I took the photo. So adorable.
Then it was finally time for our snorkeling tour. It was more of a drop off and snorkel activity. There was no tour. We all agreed that it probably would have been better off not paying for the activity as we saw just as much coral ourselves back at Lifou. On the plus side, we were given bread to feed to all the fish. I'm very jittery about non fur animals, so honestly, I was squealing inside when I felt the fish pecking at my fingers while feeding them bread.
I would give this activity a 5/10.
Definitely save the money and snorkel for free elsewhere.
We wrapped up our adventuring for the day and went back to the cruise for a quick shower before getting ready for the cruise party. We also went for a bit of karaoke, the non-asian way. Let's just say it was an extremely fun night and thank god for room service.
It was really interesting to see how different island life was. I had an impression, before arriving at Vanuatu, that everything would be tranquil and scenic. I imagined little inviting beach huts lined along the beach. Instead, what we saw were make shift booths out in the middle of the road where phone plans were being sold and unkempt front yards with dilapidated homes. You don't get to see this side in all the advertisements of Vanuatu, do you? There is much more to life here in Vanuatu then sun bathing and snorkeling. This is why I enjoy travelling. You get the opportunity to view all aspects of life in a country and truly appreciate the experience. I realise that I do tend to write and ramble a lot. But, for the sake of memories I want to be as detailed as possible.
Our cruise took us back to Brisbane in the next 2-3 days. We more or less relaxed on the last few days so there really isn't too much to report.
I will wrap up the cruise posts here then!
I've yet to finish my New Zealand holiday as well. I also recently went to Melbourne, Sydney and been to a few scenic places around south east Queensland.
I want to also add, that I am in the midst of planning a trip to Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan at the end of this year. Which means more blog content! Super excited.
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