The Fury of Mt. Yasur

[Wednesday, November 3, 2010.]

Today we were going to pack in a visit to a Kastom Villlage and a trip to the Volcano, Mt. Yasur in the evening, but after yesterday's jarring and long road trip to Lenakel, we did not have the stamina for another all day road trip. I don't think the drivers of the village's truck (Robeson and Mr. John) were up for it either. So it was only to be a visit to the volcano for us.

Kastom means custom in Bislama, and they are villages where the chiefs have rejected modern ways. Somehow, they have managed to retain their centuries-old traditional lifestyles, dress and religions. The men wear nambas, penis covers made from dried, dyed pandanus or banana leaves, and the women wear only grass skirts. Their religion includes the practice of sorcery for both good and evil purpose.

Even in non-Kastom villages, the belief in magic is prevalent despite the simultaneous practice of Christianity. While taking about our journey with Stanley, I casually made the comment that while we could not control the weather, we could adjust our sails. He jumped in, before his cautiousness could stop him, and said, "Oh, we have people in the village who can change the weather; bring rain or stop the rain." I responded about how fortunate they were, but he didn't mention it again. I don't think it was out of embarrassment, rather it was out of an experience that foreigners cannot understand these things. Later, when I gave his village food from our boat that Australian Quarantine would not allow us to bring into the country---perfectly good rice, pasta, flour, coffee, etc.--he nodded in complete understanding when I said, "White people can be really crazy."

Locals believe that Mt. Yasur (which means Old Man) is the originator of the universe and the place where souls go after death. Followers of the John Frum religion (see Jon's earlier post, Sons and Daughters) believe that Frum and his army live in the volcano. After my first encounter, it was easy to understand how primitive people who lacked the knowledge of science could believe that gods resided in volcanos, displaying their power, fury and mercy. For me, the actual geology is more accurate and more exciting, but, given that our science indicates the Earth was formed by the Sun's gravitational pull on the primordial gases and debris from the Big Bang, perhaps their religion isn't too far off after all.

We arrived at the base of the crater at about 5:30 in the evening (having left the village at 4 and traveling a mere 15-20 kilometers) The photo above shows the ridge we had to hike (about 150 meters) to get to the rim. The ash is like a very fine sand, and probably due to the precipitation it was not powdery. The rocks you see were ejected from the Earth's interior and left there to cool and act as reminders that even a hard hat would not do you much good if an eruption got serious. In fact, a tourist and guide were killed by molten rock a few years ago. Though there were no legal waivers to sign warning us of the risk, it was with some trepidation in addition to the excitement that Jon and I hiked up to see one of the most accessible active volcanos on the planet.

While the intensity of its activity can fluctuate, the volcanic activity pretty much runs 24/7. We smelled the sulfur and heard the gurgling well well before we could see any signs of molten rock shooting skyward. The volcano has 3 vents which erupt in rock and smoke. When I first heard the largest vent blow, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the deep earth-splitting sound and the shuddering I felt beneath my feet. Our guide was one of Stanley's younger brothers. He laughed and seemed quite at ease with the seeming fury occurring below us. After an eruption, the Earth seemed to gasp for air and then calm briefly. The volcano let us see our planet as a dynamic, breathing entity recycling itself to sustain life, which geological time does not often let us appreciate.

Here is a brief video of our experience:

It was so cool. Not hard to understand why they let you send post cards from there. By 7 we were headed back to the village along the jarring roads and once again arrived at our boat both exhausted and thrilled. Having visited volcanic islands across the Pacific, it was rewarding to actually see one in the process of doing its thing. It was an unforgettable experience and one I'd repeat if ever given the opportunity.