When you are in Port Resolution and you need cash to pay for a trip up the nearby volcano, there isn’t much choice but to make the two-hour truck trip (each way) to Lenakel. The main town on Tanna Island is home to a whopping 1,400 people, and three ATM machines.
My bus ticket said seat 18C. A window seat with air-conditioning.
The first thirty minutes of road was dug through the jungle by Vanuatans (is that a word?).
I was immensely pleased when they unrolled the roof tarp. My body was not meant to sit on tiny wooden benches with my knees somewhere near my ears. Standing up made the ride so much more enjoyable. I just had to keep my eyes up ahead so as not to decapitate myself on the overhanging branches.
After half an hour, the Chinese took over the road building. Vanuatu has accepted China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and in exchange for this impressive feat of engineering, all they have to do is constantly reiterate their government’s firm upholding of the One-China Principle. And of course, promise that if China ever needs a favor of them…
The market in town, where 1,300 of the 1,400 people seemed to be hanging out.
Big news in Vanuatu a few days ago was the sudden bankruptcy of Air Vanuatu. One day they had a bit of a tourism industry (~40% of GDP), and the next day they didn’t. There are still a couple of international flights from other airlines into the capital, but these outer islands are cut off.
First I waited next to an ATM at the bank. It was 15 minutes before the bank opened, and the ATM was blank. I thought maybe the power hadn’t been turned on, so I waited a while. It never came on. The shattered screen should have been my first clue that it wouldn’t ever come on.
I walked back down to the market and found another ATM. This one had a nice long line, so I knew it was working. I waited thirty minutes, popped in my card, and a few seconds it spit it back out at me like, “Blech, what is this crap?” I tried our backup bank card and got the same reaction. At which point I got a tap on the shoulder from the guy behind me.
“This is more of a local bank. You need to go to the other bank machine. I’ll take you there as soon as I’m done.”
As we walked up the street he introduced himself as the Chief of Port Resolution. That’s not just a nickname here, he really is Chief. He introduced me to his wife as well, and we made our way together up to the backside of town where the town’s third, and last, ATM stood. I held my breath as I inserted the card. If this didn’t work I would have taken a four-hour roundtrip in the back of a pickup truck for nothing. And I wouldn’t be able to pay for the truck.
Fortunately, it worked. And for good measure I popped in the second bank card and it worked, too.
Flush with cash, I was ready to hit the town. I had 100,000 Vatu and four hours to kill.
After loading my bag with everything I could get my hands on I had 99,400 Vatu and three hours and forty-five minutes to kill.
Some nice dresses, but nothing in my size.
After wandering around town counter-clockwise I was hungry. Fish, rice, fat slices of cucumber, and one of the many root vegetables they have here. Now down to 99,200 Vatu and three hours to go, I made my way back to the parking lot, found a shady spot, and plopped down in the dirt to wait.
After a bit I thought, “That’s a long ride in the truck, and I’m pretty sure there is no bathroom onboard.” With a couple hours to go, I figured I’d go find myself a place to relieve myself. I figured the market, with all those people, must have a bathroom, but after peeking around all the corners I couldn’t find it. I walked up the street and eventually spotted a sign: Toylet 50 Vat. I inquired within and was met by a blank stare, before eventually being told to go to the market.
So I headed back. This time I spotted my new friend, Chief. He didn’t know about a bathroom, so he turned to his wife who just shrugged. I was feeling a little silly by this point, being the only person in Vanuatu who apparently felt the urge to pee every eight hours or so. But the chief didn’t shame me, he just told me to follow him as we set off across the market to a small office where a security guard sat eating lunch in the dark with his feet on his desk. Words were exchanged. The only thing I heard was “…white man…” at which point the guard clambered up out of his seat, grabbed a ring of keys and indicated for me to follow him. He led me back behind the building through a small warren of corridors and unlocked a door.
I swear I didn’t need to go that bad. I just thought it might be a good idea before we set off on a bumpy two-hour drive home.
Nobody seemed concerned that we would have to back up this impossibly steep narrow strip of road to let the cement truck back up.
I had managed to send a message to the family telling them what time I expected to be home. So I was reasonably confident someone would come to the beach to pick me up shortly after I arrived. Half an hour later I was feeling a little forgotten. Fortunately some friendly Australians came back to the beach and offered me a ride home. When I got there I found the boat covered in cruisers, kids bouncing around on the front, and dinghies streaming off the back. I leave for a few hours and a party breaks out. It almost seemed like my wife didn’t care to hear about my exciting toilet adventure, or that the kids were excited to see the big bunch of bananas I’d brought them for their Cheerios. At least I had my pocket full of Vatu.
14 Comments on “ATM Run”
Fantastic read to start my Monday morning. Thank you!!
Great post! Reminds me of riding the chicken busses in Africa 40+ years ago! Your photos of the market & toilet bring back such memories-also the wonderful people! Thanks for taking me along for the ride! Happy trails!
Too funny….but glad your excursion was a success……Take care….
So glad to meet you guys after following your adventures for 20 years. You helped me stay sane while I waited my turn, which finally arrived two years ago. You saw me sailing from Lenakel to Port Resolution while on your truck ride, and I arrived to find the party well under way on Bumfuzzle. Thanks for joining the group of adults on my boat the next night. Having crossed paths again in Port Vila and yesterday here in the Maskelynes, I hope our paths cross once more in Vanuatu before we inevitably go our separate ways. Hugh on Sea Change
Hi Hugh, So great to have spent some memorable moments in Vanuatu together. What an adventure we are having!
oh you white men always wanting to pee in a toilet! 😉
haha – the funny thing was when he heard our boat friend (a lady) was thinking of going on the truck too, he said maybe I should go instead of him. I was like no thank you, I had heard about that ride (and my friend didn’t go either in the end).
By now you will have worked out that local Vanuatuans are called ni-Van. We did that ride in 1998, and the road was basic all the way. The memorable part was crossing the lava flow/plain at one point, and stopping at roadside market stalls in the hills, luckily we already had vatu then.
I love your stories, such a great sense of humor. You made me feel like I was right there with you 🤓
Locals are called Ni-Vans for short.
Long time reader of your blogs here. I saw the following in this morning’s Guardian (US ed) and thought you might find it interesting:
Stat of the day: Vanuatu cuts plastic waste from 35% to 2% by banning single-use
Small island nations, such as Vanuatu, face unique challenges on plastic pollution because
they often rely on imported goods. In an attempt to drastically limit waste, in 2018 the
government outlawed the sale and distribution of certain single-use plastics. Now-banned
items used to make up 35% of Vanuatu’s waste, but now make up less than 2%.
Thanks for all the great posts! We’re there with you, even if only in our dreams.
Yes, we saw billboards around town talking about it too. The butcher uses cling wrap for the meats, which we all know to have a special bag ready for that stop (we know as I had blood dripping on my foot walking from shop to shop). 🙂
The woven frond bags will be making a come back then I hope, if plastic bags are banned. They used them until the world started to use plastic bags. Renewable and biodegradable.
Yes, they are popular at the local fresh markets. Luckily for us cruisers we always bring our own reusable bags to help.