Pepe is learning to snorkel

Now the first of five months in Vanuatu is over and our interim conclusion is largely positive.

We have a nice apartment in a good location. The weather is great. We have already met many old and new acquaintances. Pepe experienced his first snorkeling tour and speaks his first English words. Anton now has almost both front teeth and also loves the pool. We are definitely looking forward to the next four months.

Last week's visit from our former housekeeper Leiwia was particularly special. She and her daughter Lowra looked after Pepe more often and so I was able to start working again early. Leiwia brought simboro (taro wrapped in cabbage) and we had lunch together. Afterwards she met Anton and he liked her immediately. That was really crazy. We arranged to meet again straight away and visit Lowra's family on their island next weekend. I find the contact with the locals particularly nice and exciting. It will certainly be great for Pepe too, as Lowra has children the same age.

The next day I was registered for lunch and a spiritual talk with a yoga teacher who I also knew from last time. She is originally from Vietnam and cooks incredibly well. She serves delicious lunch every Thursday and then we exchange ideas. We were 5 women and it was a super exciting exchange about yoga, faith, habits, addictions and healing. An absolute me-time that is very good for the boys and becomes a permanent appointment.

Another highlight of last week was Pepe's soccer training.

After the planned tennis training fell through because the course was already full, Pepe was even more excited about the football training on Saturday. From 8-10, 3 fathers train around 50 children on a school sports field. Pepe was still shy but is convinced he will give it his all next week. After training, we had a hearty breakfast and in the afternoon visited our friend Vivi in her new house by the sea, just a 10-minute walk from us. She and her boyfriend both have a car and offered that we could borrow her car. We did that on Sunday and took a day trip to Eratap (15 minutes from Port Vila). Ryan and Ylva, who founded Dynamic Tape and support the volleyball team, live there in a beautiful house by the sea. There you can go snorkeling, swimming and surfing, which is what we did. Pepe quickly got the hang of snorkeling and was really excited about fish and starfish. In the afternoon there was coffee and a sausage in a wrap. Pepe also tried his first coconut, which unfortunately he didn't like. But it was cool to pick them myself, open them and put a straw in them. Now a machete is on the shopping list for the next coconut.

After the trip to Eratap, we crossed the car off our priority list. Anton thinks driving is totally stupid, he doesn't sit in the MaxiCosi at all and sitting quietly on his lap (Vanuatu style) is not his thing and neither is ours. So it doesn't make much sense and we are super happy with the location of our apartment as everything can be easily reached on foot or by bus.