Day 5 December 5th 2012

DAY 5  December 5th.  Mystery Island, Vanuatu.

Mystery Island is a lovely uninhabited island. People from the villages on nearby island, come over on cruise ship days and run stalls. The ships bar staff walk around, wearing ice cream vendor trays selling cocktails. We sat in the water, drinking cocktails and dodging huge sea cucumbers for a few hours. 

We did a snorkel trip out into the main channel. It was over a reef and you were "guaranteed to swim with sea turtles". We never did work out if the guarantee meant that you would swim in the same ocean as turtles or that, if you failed to swim with turtles, you got to come again tomorrow for free (even though the ship would be gone). We never did see sea turtles - until we were back on the tender boat. Then we saw one swimming along next to us. 

We wandered around the markets and looked at all the bright things and the magnificent lobsters for around $40 each. Just before we hopped back on the tender boat we ran up to the markets and bought a substantial sized lobster for $10 as it was the last one. 

We did take this one back to Andy - dribbling in the bag and all.  When we arrived in our room we rang room service and ordered bread rolls and butter, lemon wedges and mayonnaise.  We then sat on the deck with Andy and stuffed ourselves with fresh lobster - caught that morning in the fresh Pacific Ocean.