This is part 3 of my write up of the 4th Vanuatu National Arts Festival, it will probably make more sense if you start from Part 1.
By now I was in a routine, of paddling the SUP ashore at Litslits (litz-litz), to be greeted by the pickininies (which is the Bislama word for children, it is not the racist slur, this word has become in America (the world is going mad)). 
I would give the paddle of the SUP to the bigger pre-pubescent boys for them to use the SUP, with strict instructions to stop when the tide went out, which they inevitably did.
on my walk up the road sometimes I would see the volley ball I had given them on the day I arrived. A cheap $10 soccer ball is not going to last long with the boys from Lamap using it hard.
then I would flag down what passed for buses/taxis here, the back of a ute,
due to the festival a lot were already fully loaded
after a few minutes one with room for me, would come by, for the 2km drive to Lakatoro. 
I was the first off, to get this photo of my ride
then I would walk around to the front, to give the driver 100 vatu ($1.20AUD)
Day 4 was the Presidents turn to spend a day at the festival.
again been led in, by the paramount chiefs from all over Vanuatu
then it was into the Cultural Dancing
they can still get away with black face (a mixture of soot and oil)
the effort they have put into their consumes and dance rehearsals is mammoth
2 days later, I am missing the tamtams
the stand was getting fuller
have to love this guys platted beard
onto the next cultural dance
the next cultural dance
Across from the sports grounds were the Festival was been held was the Lakatoro market, where I would head to for fresh (organic) sustenance 
next up, the boys from Lakona Bay, Gaua, were back to perform some magic
my very good friend Chief Christopher was his usual exuberant self
Christopher and my “bother” Chief John leaving the field
Next up was the Big Numbas (numbers) from North Malekula. In the old cannibal days, these guys would have been well fed
They are the clan of the white eagle, the guy in the white body paint represents the white eagle
It was getting late in the day, and all that tamtam drumming had the crown in need of a group dance
onto the next lot of dancers, some of whom appeared from beside the grand stand
have to love this guy’s use of the colors in the Vanuatu flag
and then another group of Pentecost dancers came out
they do the Punk Pogo way better than my brother and I did it 40 years ago, if only we had of had nut rattles around our ankles then (think of what it would have added to the Sex Pistols’ Anancy in the UK).
and then when I though it was all over another group of dancers appeared
to hold up those massive head decorations they had to bite on a forward support
Day 5
these Rom dancer from Ambrym were better costumed and more authentic than the ones I saw the week before at Olal
I definitely wound not want a smoker near me with all the that dried banana leaf on
it was great too see all the locals crowded around the field
the Big Numbas came back for another dance
as did my friends from Aneityum
Lucie from Vao had come to see the performs from Vao perform
along with Mauna, Frederika and Isane
and then it was time for the closing ceremony, which entailed the host province giving each of the other 5 provinces, a pig, some pandanus mats, some yams and some kava 
as the boys from Gaua, where the only ones from their province there, they got the lot, which Christopher accepted
carrying away the pig
it is great to be in a country, where the police don’t have a gun on their hip, or a taser, plus whatever else they have
Simon the lovely policeman on Lord Howe Island, is a 100% stickler to the bicycle helmet regulation, I would love to see his reaction to this, if it came up the main road there
I have been having an issue with the email alerts that go out when I post, if you have been only looking at my blog post when you get the email, there are now 3 more blog posts behind this one.
s