Day 122, Year 2: Back To My Roots Arts Festival, Day 3
Date: Friday, August 24, 2007
Weather: Mix of Liquid Sunshine and Real Sunshine
Location: Nebul (Rodd’s Bay), Ambryn Island, Vanuatu

I think we have reached the level of cultural overload, at least for a day or so. The Back To My Roots festival has been so fantastic. The Rom dance today was the culmination of the festival and it was spectacular. It is really hard to describe what we have been seeing. You need to see video to really get the picture, but I will try to paint the best picture with words that I can. The Rom dance is definitely the most striking of the dances we have seen. There were ten to twelve people dressed
in the Rom costume–a high conical mask of banana-fibre that is brilliantly painted in shades of red and green and a body costume of dried banana leaves that totally covers the body from neck to toes like a oversized sack dress. These figures stomp and sway to the beat of the large tamtams for almost two hours as the dance progresses from one area to another. All the while the group of men dressed in kastom-style are singing and dancing with their movements building to an almost frenzied-level.
It truly is one of those things that you have see to truly appreciate, and again today, we felt so privileged to be here to witness this. There were so many local people in attendance today and it was fascinating to the young children. They sat and watched, almost spell-bound by the dance, but as soon as it was over, they jumped up and started playing. I would love to know what they were thinking.

As Principal Norbert promised, the winds did not turn to the north and west. That would have made this anchorage a bit untenable. The winds stayed in the northeast and will continue in that direction tomorrow. That should nicely carry us back southwest to the southern end of Malecula island. Paul’s infection seems to be under control and he was able to attend the festival. He and Marie will sail along with us to South Malecula where we begin yet another Vanuatu cultural experience. Every island and every village is so very different from the last.

070824 Day 122 Ambrym, Vanuatu–Back To My Roots Festival, Day 3