Shopping

This is for you, Mrs. Gutpa!

Here in Vanuatu, shopping is very limited. They do not have a Wal-mart or a Publix or anything similar. There is not one mall in Vanuatu. They are currently building a small one but there are only a few stores inside. Since Port Vila is a port for cruise ships they have a couple of expensive swimwear stores. So where do we shop?

Au-Bon Marche

This is the main grocery store here in Vila. There are about 7 of them around town. I would say that all of them except for one which is about the size of 2 Walgreens. The biggest one is about the size of a small Wal-mart. You know before super centers. You can buy almost anything in the stores from food, clothing, schools supplies, and hardware. This is where you go if you want comfort food like taco seasoning, candy, and cheese. It varies on what you find in each one. To make one meal you may have to go to two or three just to get all of your ingredients. So when we are all in Vila, we usually split the list.

Chinese Stores

They are EVERYWHERE! They all have different names however; the locals call them Chinese stores. They are usually pretty small with the exception of a few. It also varies on what you will find in each one. You can find food like tin fish, rice, mix coffee, peanut butter, bread, and eggs. You can also buy clothing, mattresses, pots and pans, toothbrushes and everything in between. I shop mainly at the one close to our hotel.

Wilco

This is the Home Depot and Lowes of Vanuatu. It looks pretty much the same.

Computer World

This is the Best Buy of Vanuatu. It is REALLY small but I found the charger to my laptop.

Uncle Bills

It’s a teacher’s dream on a small scale. This is where you buy school supplies, plastic bins, dog collars, decorations, etc. There are two in Vila. Again, they can carry different things so you just have to check out both of them.

Stret Price

This is a second hand clothing store where all the volunteers go to find clothing. There are quite a few of them in town. You can buy a nice dress or skirt for fewer than 7 US dollars. I have been to some but I have yet to buy any clothes since I have been here.

Others

There are many other small shops as you walk around that is full of random things. I would compare it to any other port where cruise ships go. I have found a bike shop, a music, and French grocery store.

Market

They have a huge market where you can buy local food and handmade items like dresses, mats, and many other souvenirs.

So that is pretty much how it is in Vila.

Shopping on the island.

So what do I do on the island? Well before I start, I will say that this is my experience on my island in my village. It is different for every island and village. So I am only speaking on my experience and how I shop.

The last road in my village!

Stores

In my village there are 4 stores you can go to. Each store carries a variety of items. This is where most of the locals do their shopping to get rice and protein like tin fish, tin tuna, and tin meat. You can also purchase onions, garlic, flour, ketchup, cookies, breakfast crackers, and many other food items. They also carry matches, toothbrushes, soap, toilet paper, and other toiletries.  My favorite snack is the crackers called Shapes. They are almost like Cheese-Its. It is usually a little more expensive because they want to make a small profit for making the trips to and from Vila and running the store 24/7. The store that my family owns has a small refrigerator so I can sometimes get a cold Fanta, Sprite, or beer.

My Aunt and Uncle's store/house

Ring the bell for service!

What it looks like on the inside. 

More Food!

Ice box for cold soda!

My small Papa(uncle) managing the store!

Ice Box

In my village there is one family who owns an icebox, so they sell minced meat, sausage, ice cream, ice pops, and chicken wings. Again, what they have depends on when they go to Vila and what they are able to purchase. Some weeks they have everything and some weeks they don’t. Since I do not have a refrigerator we buy our meat on the day that we want to use it. So it’s always a gamble. Sometimes they have it and sometimes they don’t. Fortunately, I am close to another village that also has one family who has an icebox, so I will go there as well.

Local Bread

Before the cyclone, I believe my village had 3 working ovens. Now we only have two. This is what we eat almost every morning. We will purchase the local bread the night before. Again, this is not always an option. Sometimes they don’t cook or they are off the island. So it is always a gamble as well.

Local Bread House!

The oven that its cooked in!

Gato

This is basically plain fried dough. We buy our gato from two different families depending on who makes it that day. This is an option if there is not any local bread. It is good with peanut butter and jelly.

The Garden

This is where most of the people get the majority of their food. What ever is in the garden is what we eat. So if the manioc is ready then we eat manioc. When it is pineapple season we eat pineapples and etc. It has been very difficult to get a lot of island food since the cyclone and now the sun is spoiling it all. So for right now we are depending on the stores.

Clothing

There are no clothing stores on my island. The Mama’s will purchase fabric from Vila and make things. They also rely on donations from different organizations. When the donations come they set all the clothes out and they come and pick what they want. They do not worry about sizes or colors or what it looks like. If it fits, then they keep it. The only thing I am not sure of is the school uniform, but I will see how that all comes about when the new school year starts.

That is shopping in my village on Nguna. Thank you for reading and Happy New Year!