The Santo Story
Our love for Vanuatu is incredible, the people and culture and the pure essence of happiness. This is our raw honest and humble experience of over 3 years of owning land in the tropical Pacific Island of Espiritu Santo
Prologue– 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 –13 – Epilogue
Hunting For Containers
Yesterday’s antics chasing containers proved fruitful on information but still no luck in actually securing one. It was a case of one lead to another.
First to a guy who owns a large motel, who then put us onto a shipping company. We then followed another of our friend Marie’s leads and went to see Kevin at the local engineering business. He had one lead for us, an importing company just down the road (3 bends look for their business of the left) was the directions given.
Speaking with Wayne from the importing company he informed us that to get a container immediately would almost be impossible. However with talking we found that Wayne would sell us a container ex Australia and when it arrived in Santo he could organise delivery.
Kevin also offered us a container should we need one but it was full of his engineering junk and he would have to clear it all out. The price was good at only 1000AUD. however we haven’t seen it’s condition and something tells me that we need to look before we leap.
We were both so exhausted from all the information gathering yesterday the bed couldn’t come soon enough…. 630pm and we were falling asleep.
Our search for containers continues today with our goal to visit the container terminal and make contact with a lady who we saw had a container for sale online. Initially it was advertised as a 40″ container, but with further discussions she informed us it was only a 20″. I would have leaped at it if it was a 40″ as the price was great 4000vt. If I can get it for 2000vt we’ll have a deal.
But with all this talk of containers we still need a back up plan and thoughts turn back to our idea of building a small shed.
We won’t be going to our block of land today as we’ll need to be in town sorting out timber and other hardware if our container search proves fruitless.
When we visited our land yesterday we were met by one of the local villagers who was working on our neighbours property. With discussions we asked him to clear a small area for our tent so the when we arrive on Wednesday our plot will be ready and will save us some time in setting up.
I’m happy we sorted the mobile phone out yesterday as I t proved so useful this morning. First call was to out good friends Jocelyn and Bruno who were excited to hear from us but a little disappointed yet understanding that we won’t be up the road to see them today.
The next call was to the people selling the container on line and as fortune would have it the guy (Kel) who is selling was in town ( as her lives on another island). Within minutes he arrived in a taxi and we were whisked away to look at a container that might just be what we’re looking for. The container proves impressive and was build in 2012, it’s in perfect condition, but as the discussion leads toward the price we find that it’s still too much to pay.
We return back to our hotel room knowing that we haven’t exhausted all our cards yet. Apparently there’s a guy called Wally who might be able to help us. Located at the old cinema that is now running as an importing business Wally has several containers in the back yard. However when we arrive he’s closed for lunch as was the port when we visited. The local taxi driver mentioned that he might know a family in an area called Palm Station, but when we got there we discovered that he was in possession of two containers and the one we were looking at he wanted to keep, damn he had sold the other one only a week earlier.
During all this Kel calls me, he’s come up with a counter offer on his container, yet it’s still a little high. I tell him that I’ll get back to him as we head back to the hotel to start calculating the timber costs from our excursion the the hardware stores.
Now the real fun starts, trying to work out how much timber we’ll need if we can’t find a container in the next few days. This is going to be the most stressful afternoon as I try to explain all my hardware experience to Elena who promptly tells me that my so called experience is pure theory as I’ve never built anything myself. Yes I’m the creative one and she’s the bloody accountant. Through the arguments and turmoil we’ll soon discover if it’s cheaper to have a wooden shed or a container…. Let the arguments begin! …. All this and still no sign of a beer.
This afternoon we’ll go back to see Wally and contact Kevin, hopefully one of these guys will have what we’re so desperately looking for.. Elena’s now worked out the costing for building the shed and it’s pretty much the same as what Wayne the importer said shipping containers go for (around 2000 -2500AUD). If we don’t find a container this week, we’ll have to build.