Today’s events built steadily, culminating in an astonishing crescendo on the crater rim of an active volcano. We began with a leisurely morning at sea as we traveled southward past Erromango Island to reach our afternoon destination of Tanna, near the end of Vanuatu’s long chain of volcanic islands. Along the way, Rikki Swenson gave a fun and inspiring presentation offering many creative ideas for sharing photographic images from this and other trips. Yvonne Carillo-Huffman gave us fascinating information about the region as she spoke about “Vanuatu: Islands of Secrets, Spirits, and Pigs.” By late morning we could see the western shoreline of Tanna Island, and the nearly continual belches of volcanic ash and steam rising from the high crater of Mount Yasur near the southeastern end of the island.
We anchored off the mouth of Port Resolution, and after lunch we headed ashore by Zodiac. We were greeted warmly at the shoreline with festive music by the local John Frum String Band, and many other residents from the nearby village of Port Resolution. Soon we were being entertained by dancers, and singing from a large group of local school children. Each different performance was heralded by a boy blowing a conch shell from his high perch in a tree platform arcing over the sandy arena. We then proceeded to a nearby village area where women were demonstrating various handicraft techniques; weaving baskets and mats of thatch from different local plants. There was a traditional Kava ceremony as well, with the chief welcoming us as guests to their island.
Eventually we boarded a caravan of local pick-up trucks for our anticipated adventure up the steep slopes of Mount Yasur to reach the crater rim. Most of this journey was through lush rainforest vegetation with huge tree ferns and taller tangles of trees and strangler figs. Finally the forest gave way to a strange moonscape with steam venting eerily from pockets of remaining vegetation. We parked in an open area of charcoal-colored cinders, and began hiking the final few hundred yards to the rim of the volcano’s crater. Ahead of us, thunderous rumbling sounds preceded views of rising tumultuous clouds of ash thrusting ominously skyward.
The view from the rim of the crater was one of jaw-dropping awe. From the gaping hole of the crater below us we watched pale blue steam and billowing brown ash pulsing skyward in monstrous clouds. Cacophonous explosions launched mighty splatterings of molten rock into the air, the orange embers catapulting many hundreds of feet upwards from the caldera, and then raining back down in thudding percussions on the distant slopes. As the sky darkened, the mountain’s grumbling blasts continued, the bright magma lighting the heaving clouds of ash and steam. The glowing rocks spewing forth from the volcano and dancing in the air gave us all a most memorable and spectacular show of nature’s grandest fireworks show.
