Wild & Free: Episode 9 - Tanna Island
In Episode 9, for James’ birthday, we surrender to nature on Tanna Island. Tucked away at the bottom of this expansive country lies a place where coffee beans grow and lava flows. Climbing to the crater of a live volcano is not for the weak, especially when it’s spitting lava every few minutes, and like Laurentine says, “it makes you feel so infinitesimal, nature is so powerful…” Especially when we’re dangling on the edge of danger, marveling at its magnificence. But as the smoke billows and the ground shakes, we head down to the sulfur baths below. The natural hot pools, where you can smother your body in mud, have been a healing source throughout the ages. Traditionally and to this day locals will retreat to the sulfur baths to soak in and drink the water.
Waking up the next day in our treehouse home, we head to the beautiful beaches where we snorkel with turtles through hidden caves and bask in hidden coves with pools drenched in sunlight. No trip to Tanna Island would be complete without a lesson on locally grown coffee. The delicious bean is grown by self-empowerment farmers, who work independently between grower, drier, and roaster, to create the most delicious drop on the island. It’s worth taking the extra time to learn from the growers themselves; there’s so much backstory to be shared behind our favorite bean.
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