What price a bride?

When Cynthia. from Fortuna Island, married Willy from Efeta, his family had to pay hers: 2 bulls and 80,000 VT (Vatu BWP1.00 = VT12.50; STG1 = VT 125.00) in instalments. They have two children, David and Dephanie. For each, the in-laws have to cough up one pig (with half-tooth) and 10,000 VT. The animals have been handed over but the cash is being withheld because Cynthia's brother is negotiating to marry a girl from Willy's village, in which case set-off will be applied.

On the 80-odd islands making up Vanuatu there are some 300 customary units and so if you're selling your daughter off, don't be too suprised if instead of a half-toothed pig (and that's an interesting story on its own) you receive mugs, plates, calico, axes and iron pots.

Speaking of which, Cynthia thinks that killing missionaries is understandable but baking them is going too far. The family stayed well clear of all that kind of thing while talking to Bryony's camera for the BBC yesterday afternoon. We also pointed dramatically at a rainbow and talked utter, forced rubbish as a "family at the tropical seaside" to link into previous footage of Charles in Hampshire. It rained for both sessions.

If the images I've stolen for today download before I have to hail a bus to meet the team and visit a cultural village, there will be one of Hideaway Island. Great snorkelling and diving. I set out to get there yesterday. 2.5km along the corrugated gravel road from Benjor to the main road; past horses and big trees and property after property with "for sale" notices. Great buys, unless you believe Al Gore. Then about 1.5 km along the black beach. Which took a while. The guys digging bakkie loads of sand should buy licences to do so but "we are local and God gave it to us, you foreigners should pay". The 7 kids (8 to 15 yo) should have been in school but grandad needed help in pulling in the fishing net (the 6 dogs were just there for the fun); Cynthia had her story to tell; a gravestone needed to be sketched; and then, 200 metres from the Hideaway ferry, it was time to walk home for the BBC filming. Now, if that isn't travelling hopefully without arrival, I don't know what is.

The fish in wine sauce at le Gecko was excellent, the drinks effective and staying over at "Room with a View" a far better idea than the trip through Mele to Benjor in the late hours. Breakfast was interesting too - it doesn't look as if these images are going to load in time but one shows that view. Rod is from Darwin but spends his time in Vanuatu and East Timor working on land law reform. See what I mean? An interesting breakfast.

Must go. Must go. I've just had an email from Charles, they caught an earlier bus and are en route to the UNESCO Cultural Village. I don't want to be the tail end davey of the team, do I? There's been some mention of some of us having to fly to Erromango this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning. I've volunteered. That means that I probably won't be near internet access until Sunday or Monday. If you don't hear from be after than ... well, you'll know what was for lunch!