On the way, I asked Phillip to stop on the roadside at a random place to take in the huge waves. Look at the distinct blue color on the crests!

There are patches of Vanuatu when you drive around, you will see a lot of coconut trees witch their heads gone. Like each one of them has been struck by lightning. Turns out they all got affected by a foreign pest – CRB Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle – when one of them accidentally got transported from Papua New Guinea in an excavator!!

The distinct red color of the barks is genetic to the local variety though. The raw coconuts themselves apparently can be bright orange to deep red.

The skeletal remains look beautiful though.

The taro roots, the kava roots and then the all important pig – the highest status of currency in the island!

The men simply lined up and started passing the taro roots from one end to the other!!

As Phillip was driving me to our first destination, we suddenly came upon this scene. Clearly, some kind of festivities were underway.

We stopped.

I asked Phillip what was going on and whether it would be alright for me to take a few pictures. He smiled and explained.

Apparently, in Vanuatu, circumcision marks a boy’s transition into manhood. Traditionally, the procedure is performed using sharpened bamboo, after which the boy spends a few weeks in strict isolation while he recovers. Emerging from that period is a major milestone, and the family celebrates it in style.

As you can see, everyone turns out in vibrant colors and traditional bamboo skirts. And all their faces smeared with brilliant colors. There is music, dancing, laughter, and no shortage of kava being shared.

You might also notice the piles of gifts. Instead of gift cards or kitchen appliances, the presents here are taro roots, yams, and kava roots. And then there is the pig.

A pig, as I was told, is one of the highest-status forms of wealth in Vanuatu. Suddenly, the phrase “bringing home the bacon” took on an entirely different meaning.