During the break between leg 3 and 4 there was an intense fumigation of the boat to get rid of our much joked about - but intensely loathed - guests the bedbugs. No dinky little spray cans this time, they brought out the big guns and used a neurotoxin of sorts. This meant that everything personal had to be put in garbage bags, especially anything that could get rubbed into your skin. So there we were with all our laundry bags and embarrassing toiletries splayed all over the deck. It also meant that the crew, Anderson family, and continuing trainees were graciously sent (by an anonymous donor…thank you thank you) to the Safari Lodge Resort for the duration of the break. So, poor us, we were sent to this waterfront bungalow-style lodge outside of Lautoka that specialized in all forms of watersports. A group of people learnt how kite surf, there was windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing…and more I’m sure I’m forgetting. The owners were a fantastic Aussie couple with a very cute little girl (who sometimes slept in the lodge’s large Kava bowl...) and would bend over backwards to help us out. It was just what we needed after an intense leg- lots of reading, listening to music, and in general being forced to relax (I might add that not everyone got to spend the whole time there – Jose, Karen, and Tav were in Lautoka and on the boat for the last two days stowing all the fumigated goodness back below. Since no food could be gassed, the arriving Leg 4 trainees got the joy of stowing food on the first day. Welcome to the boat.
After a few days in Lautoka we headed to Waya in the Yasawas (a 4hr motor away); a secluded and remote bay village shaded by a towering green mountain and surrounded by rolling hills.
Some Waya homes; a beautiful village.
Most of the boat hiked up this mountain the first day with a few local friends who set quite a forgiving pace for us out of shape white kids, and kept us laughing with their jokes and comments all the way up. Turns out we were the first foreigners to do this hike – they get very few visiting boats. It was an amazing view from the top where we hung out for a while, and we got a much-needed rinse on the way down at a little waterfall.
A view from the top. You can see the boat in the first bay.
That night we saw the ‘fire dances’ that they perform at the resort on the other side of the island (where many of the villagers work). They definitely played it up for us and we got quite the show (Matt was momentarily caught on fire…). Then came the inevitable part where we are taught to dance, and generally make monumental fools of ourselves. They taught us the Bula dance (the Macarena with a few extra twirls and thrusts…), which has made several appearances throughout the leg since.
The infamous fire dance
We had brought instruments and songbooks so we played some music for them at the end, which went really well. No one had seen a fiddle before so it was neat to be able to play a few songs for them. Oh, we drank kava too…
From Waya we made a brief last-minute stop in Lautoka, then headed off to Vanuatu. It was a rough passage with some awesome sailing. Harnesses on deck again, and rails under. Many were seasick, all got wet (kudos to Loren who took a massive wave directly in the face and still smiled afterwards), and it was pretty much the only sailing we did all leg! We arrived in Port Vila (on the island of Efate) and spent a day exploring. A few people tried jet skis - I got a quick ride on Sarah and Loren’s (my first, and likely last, ever…fun), and there was a grandiose scooter adventure to a nearby waterfall. The trip was wildly successful (except for a small flat, and one crash into the ditch where the only sufferers were Chase’s shorts), and the pools sounded fantastic.
Ambrym was next; an island so renowned for its sorcery and black magic that not only were there very few visitors, but they even have problems getting teachers and doctors to some and stay. The island is beautiful; completely traditional villages that remain very isolated from one another. We had a great soccer and volleyball game with the kids of Ranon village the first day, and got to sit on their devos right before we left (if I figure out how to put audio clips up here Ill post some of the music.)
Photo fun with some of the kids
The next day we were able to see the Rom dance at a nearby village. It was so different from anything else we had seen; so amazing to be allowed in on such a sacred part of their culture, not just something they put on for tourists. There is huge tradition surrounding the Rom dance; the masks are made in secret by a select few, and the dance is for specific occasions only. It almost seems disrespectful to try and describe it as I wont come near to doing it or them justice. Ill try. We walked up to the village (‘walked’…aka got very sweaty going uphill the whole time…) and they had cold drinking coconuts ready for us. The village itself was beautiful mud brick and palm thatch houses, all traditional – no modern buildings anywhere.
This is a photo Tav took with the kids after the dance, I like it.
Most of the dancers were clad in nambas only (namba= penis sheath… tied around their waist… there were leaves on the back too), but others were covered head to toe with dried banana leaves which rustled when they moved, and they had the Rom masks on as well.
Some of the Rom dancers
It was so interesting, and almost surreal to be in that setting seeing it.
Later on in the day a bunch of our guys went on a pig hunt with some of the local guys and after an intense couple hours brought back three pigs. All were exhausted after running full speed through the jungle after the pigs, guides, and their dogs. The pigs were cut up while in the bush so most arrived back on the beach grinning and holding some part of their catch.
Later on in the day a bunch of our guys went on a pig hunt with some of the local guys and after an intense couple hours brought back three pigs. All were exhausted after running full speed through the jungle after the pigs, guides, and their dogs. The pigs were cut up while in the bush so most arrived back on the beach grinning and holding some part of their catch.
The pig-laden zodiac, post hunt.
We had a barbecue on the beach that evening and dined on roast pig, taro, bananas, coconut cream, cucumbers, and bread.
I had my birthday in Luganville, Espirto Santo. It included some awesome birthday cards, gifts from home, and an amazing dive (thank you Tav). A group of us dove on the President Coolidge, a liner-turned-supply boat during the war that sunk when it hit two mines coming into the harbour. It’s the largest diveable wreck in the world, and it was my first wreck dive ever so I was blown away. We went along the outside deck (all the guns and ammunition were still in place), down through the promenade deck (where there were still complete rifles and helmets), then through the deck below that and into the cargo hold where you could see the remains of jeeps and other vehicles. All in all a great birthday.
Our passage to the Solomons was very hot with light winds and swim stops. The boys caught a 120lb Marlin and we feasted on fish for days.
The catch
We had fish burgers, tacos, sausages, nuggets, steaks…the list went on. Delicious.
The delicious, hand-made fish sausages(this is another of Tav's photos)
We also had Halloween on this passage (it really wasn’t a long passage…only a few days). Everyone dressed up and there were various games for candy, dancing, and music. We had firefighters, a Princess Leah, angels, tourists, 80’s rockers, Ghandi/togaman, sailors, aerobic instructors, cowboys, and a ghost that looked unfortunately more like a tampon and was accordingly dubbed as such. Very fun.
Honiara (on Guadalcanal) was our first stop in the Solomons, and was our first introduction to Betelnut. Betelnut is this nut/pod that is chewed in combo with a shoot or sorts and lime powder, with the result being a mild high and bright red, blood-looking spit. Chewers (which includes most of the population of Solomons, and Papua New Guinea) spit the juice out onto the ground (which looked to us at first alarmingly like blood all over the pavement/dirt and in puddles) and stain their otherwise beautiful smiles a dark red colour. Due to multiple warnings not to stray outside the immediate town center, most of our goings on were confined to the delightfully tacky yacht club, a great Chinese restaurant where there were so many of us one night that they gave us the whole VIP room, the ice cream shop (that also sold frozen chocolate-covered bananas), and the fantastically air-conditioned ‘Lime Lounge.’ Honiara was one of the only places I had felt uneasy walking around alone (Tav and I got hassled for drugs by two guys tag-teaming, and there were lots of pick pocketing attempts in the market), a difference our other stops thus far.
From Honiara we went to Morova Lagoon where we stayed the first night at Nineveh Bay then moved to a tiny motu-like island for the day.
Frisbee on the beach
Had an entire day on the beach playing volleyball, football, snorkeling, and exploring.
A nice sunset shot from Tav
The whole boat got swing dance lessons that night for Jordan’s birthday, which was hysterically entertaining and very fun. Karen and Katie definitely showed us all up, though some others did put up a good show as well (honorable mention goes to Jose for his swing stepping without music…)
We had a really shallow passage to get to Munda Island (we actually scraped the bottom once, and hovered around 4 or 5 ft beneath the keel for most of the time. Graham (a local carver) came out with his sons and spent the evening with us.
Next came an unbelievable trip through the insanely narrow Diamond passage (sometimes only 40ft on either side of us). We anchored for the night before heading through and Tav, Andrew and I had fun exploring the mangrove-like bays and islands around us in a dory. 
Our dory exploration.
The passage itself went really smoothly (I got to steer while going through which was neat), and though I didn’t get many good photos, Jose got some amazing ones that Ill try to post later. On the other side we found an old patrol boat from the war which we took an hour or two and snorkeled around. Lots of passages to swim in and out of (more than one of us got a bit scraped up, and I almost lost a flipper…), some anemone fish, and two lionfish.
We made a quick stop at Kennedy Island (the island that Kennedy and his crew swam to when his patrol boat PT-109 was hit) for some snorkeling before heading into Gizo (Ghizo Island…weird that they’re spelt differently…) We were immediately surrounded by the little dug-out canoes that seem to be everywhere, and that every child over the age of 4 seems to have in their possession.
Paddling up to take a look
They’re unbelievably rocky but resilient little vessels, and the kids who paddle them have this much practiced skill for flipping, righting, and bailing them all in a matter of seconds. * Highlight: seeing Pop in one of this very small and very tippy little crafts…to his credit, he didn’t flip* Gizo was a bit of a ghost town due to the fact that they had been hit by a tsunami a few months before we got there (the aid tents were still set up on the other side of the island), but the buildings had the same intriguing frontier-like look that Levuka in Fiji had. We had a fabulous night of dancing at the PT-109 (yacht club of sorts). Three hours of dancing, with pretty much everyone from the boat involved, in ridiculous heat = far too much sweat loss, but one of the most fun group nights to date. All over the Solomons and PNG there are relics and sunken wrecks from the war, and Gizo had some really shallow ones. We took a look at a Japanese Zero plane that was in only 2o ft of water just meters off the shore by the market. We looked like colossal dorks in our bright snorkel gear and rash guards mucking around in the murky water trying to find this plane while everyone in the market stood and stared, once in a while trying to direct us. It was mostly intact, with only one of the wings missing. The prop was still fully attached, the canopy was bent all the way back but still attached, and you could wedge yourself into the very small cockpit and see the remains of most of the controls.
A group of us took a dory out exploring on the Sunday and outfitted ourselves with everything necessary for building a sail (canvas tarp, marline, and knot ropes). Conveniently we picked the rainiest day of all time, during one of the windiest squalls we got while in Gizo, and then had to row into the wind (and rain…duh) up to where we wanted to set up the sail.
A group of us took a dory out exploring on the Sunday and outfitted ourselves with everything necessary for building a sail (canvas tarp, marline, and knot ropes). Conveniently we picked the rainiest day of all time, during one of the windiest squalls we got while in Gizo, and then had to row into the wind (and rain…duh) up to where we wanted to set up the sail.
Victoria and I holding up the sail
The rest of the crew
It was ridiculous, but the six of us had a blast (Tav, myself, Noah, Victoria, Andrew, and Tom). We made it out, snorkeled around for a bit (saw some huge urchins), then set up the sail (Tav’s brainchild). It worked like a charm with Victoria and I holding up the oars with the sail tied in between, Tom and Andrew manning the sheets (tied onto the tops of the oars), Tav steering, and Noah being our faithful figurehead and anchor boy. Very fun.
Gizo was our last stop in the Solomons, and from there we headed to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the province of New Britain. Rabaul was a bit sketchy (some of our crew got robbed in their hotel…just kina taken, but still) but beautiful. 
Tavurvur
The volcano Tavurvur exploded in ’94 and almost completely destroyed the town (most people and business has moved down the road to Kokopo now, more of a resort town and a bit safer) by covering it in meters of ash. The town is now mostly a fishing and shipping centre, with not too much outside the main town center.
A very cute kid from Rabual, him and his friends were peeking over the top of this gate and giggling
The landscape is beautiful and ranges from towering green mountains to dramatic black rolling dunes of ash near the volcano (which is still active.) We went up to the volcano and explored the dunes (best described in Lonely Planet as apocalyptic wasteland…), and a few people went right up to the rim of the crater to take a look in.
Ash dunes
Naomi and I made quite fetching ash mustaches for ourselves and had fun sliding down the freshly rained-on hills. * Highlight: Susan running UP a dune and bailing amazingly*. Steam and smoke was just pouring out of the crater, and you could hear it from far away.
Simon, Mom, Jacob, and Sarah at the base by the hotsprings
Rabaul was also a major area during the war; it was the place where the Allies got their first idea of what it would be like fighting the Japanese in tunnels. The whole area is criss-crossed in these tunnels dug by Japanese soldiers and Australian POWs, and there are remnants of the war just sitting rusting all over the jungle. You’ll be driving or walking along the road and see the entrances to countless abandoned tunnels just sitting there getting overgrown. Giant anti-aircraft guns, tanks, and bunkers are in locals’ back yards. We checked out a lot of the relics, old lookout posts and tunnels, and General Yamamoto’s (sp?) bunker. 
Yamamoto's bunker
A guard tower gun post
A gun cradle just siting out there
It really made the large-scaleness of the war hit home for me, and the unbelievable conditions these soldiers not only lived in, but also fought and worked in. All of these massive concrete bunkers had to be built by hand on the top of rocky and muddy hills, in the rainy season and intense heat of PNG. Unbelievable - sobering and impressive at the same time. 
Everyone at the Japanese Peace Memorial
At the entrance to the harbour are these sandstone pillars called the Beehives that apparently used to be big enough to support small populations, but now have sunk and eroded into small pillars. We did a trip out there in the Grace so people could take a look around. The snorkeling was good (although we got ravaged by jellies…by far the worst is the back of the knee or the chin/lip!); we saw lots of coral, anemone fish, and a few sea snakes. We did a bit of cliff jumping, and Chris found a beautiful Nautilus shell (we’re all fairly jealous.)
A contact was made in Kokopo with the man who runs Mobil Gas, and his family invited the entire boat to their beautiful house for probably the most extravagant meal I’ve ever had. The house was air conditioned, they let us shower, the drinks were cold, there were cushions on the seats, there were COUCHES, a huge porch with a view all the way out to the Duke of York Islands, and an espresso machine that they let me make coffees for everyone with. The dinner was amazing; fresh pizza for appetizer, steak, prawns, shrimp, saviche, shish kabobs with fish and fruit/veggies, fried rice, pasta, fried potatoes, salad, coleslaw…there was so much more but I cant remember it all. Anyways, it was good…we were happy. We ended up staying in Rabaul longer than we planned due to weather (a byproduct being that we would get hammered by intense squalls every night at around 1am…right when you’ve just fell asleep on deck…)
At the entrance to the harbour are these sandstone pillars called the Beehives that apparently used to be big enough to support small populations, but now have sunk and eroded into small pillars. We did a trip out there in the Grace so people could take a look around. The snorkeling was good (although we got ravaged by jellies…by far the worst is the back of the knee or the chin/lip!); we saw lots of coral, anemone fish, and a few sea snakes. We did a bit of cliff jumping, and Chris found a beautiful Nautilus shell (we’re all fairly jealous.)
A contact was made in Kokopo with the man who runs Mobil Gas, and his family invited the entire boat to their beautiful house for probably the most extravagant meal I’ve ever had. The house was air conditioned, they let us shower, the drinks were cold, there were cushions on the seats, there were COUCHES, a huge porch with a view all the way out to the Duke of York Islands, and an espresso machine that they let me make coffees for everyone with. The dinner was amazing; fresh pizza for appetizer, steak, prawns, shrimp, saviche, shish kabobs with fish and fruit/veggies, fried rice, pasta, fried potatoes, salad, coleslaw…there was so much more but I cant remember it all. Anyways, it was good…we were happy. We ended up staying in Rabaul longer than we planned due to weather (a byproduct being that we would get hammered by intense squalls every night at around 1am…right when you’ve just fell asleep on deck…)
A few hours away from Rabaul are the Duke of York islands. We headed over there and spent a few days on Mioko Island, with the kids from Pulpal village. Had a great music night the first night with most of the village. It poured rain and we were all crammed under the roof of the (in progress) new town hall. The fiddle was a lot of fun, and a bunch of the women behind me gave it a try. Tav and Jose did their drum story as well, and in the end the kids from village sang a few songs for us, which was awesome. There were an unbelievable number of kids on this island and they were so much fun to just hang out with. No sooner had you stepped onto the beach then you’d be surrounded by 50 beautiful kids all staring at you, giggling, and trying to hold your hand.
The next day a group of us headed in and started up a soccer game with some of the younger kids, which soon turned into the inevitable, no teams, no real goals, and rampant mass running after the ball game. Very fun. After a bit, the local guys team challenged us to a real game, referee and everything. So our makeshift (and supremely out of shape) team hurriedly tried to sort out positions, and whether any of us actually had any amount of real skill…we also dealt with the important issues of team name and oh so intimidating pre-game cheer (I wont tell you too much, but out name may have involved the word ‘Vipers’, and our cheer may have had actions and sound effects to match.) Grace team was comprised of Ryan, Jordan, Sean, Sam, Arwen, Tav, myself, Tristan, Becca, Noah, and Tom in goal. We were run ragged by their very fit team (who were, in our defense, USED to running around in 50 degrees Celsius!) for a short half hour game. There were some great shots, fabulous saves by Tom, painful hits, and a lot of sweat. All the kids and the rest of the village were lining the sidelines and would erupt in cheers whenever anyone made a great movie/tackle (the tackles usually got the biggest response), and were quick to laugh at you if you did anything dumb. We managed to hold our own though, and ended up scoring the only goal of the game.
After the game we spent a couple hours playing volleyball with some of the women, football with the kids, and having fun with digital cameras.
After the game we spent a couple hours playing volleyball with some of the women, football with the kids, and having fun with digital cameras.
Fun with the camera
The kids are beautiful, and howl with laughter when they see photos of themselves or each other. Super dark-skinned with big afros of curly brown hair, the tops bleached blonde by the salt and sun.
Really, the most beautiful babies and kids I’ve ever seen. We had a blast, and were all sad to leave that day.
It took us 30hrs to motor over to Kavieng (New Ireland province.) The ‘passage’ was intensely hot, flat calm, and on night watch there were millions of stars. Half way through, whales were spotted, about 20 Pygmy Orcas. They were close enough to the boat that everyone grabbed masks and jumped in. It was amazing; they stayed for over half an hour, making passes by all of us in groups of 8 or 10, sometimes only one or two feet away. A fairly big shark was spotted after about 45 minutes, so we all got out of the water fairly quickly.
Kavieng is a sleepy little town, with most visitors taking advantage of the good surf in the surrounding areas. The town itself was fun to explore, with the usual assortment of ‘everything shops’ selling everything from school uniforms to plastic shells, afro picks to metal buckets. A lot of our time was spent at the Nusa Resort, a little resort on a nearby island that let us come and enjoy their outdoor bar / restaurant / hammocks even though most of us weren’t guests. We spent many an evening there just hanging out, and many afternoons being laughed at by the resident parrots and taking advantage of the freshwater shower. * Id like to stop and let you know the interesting and ridiculous fact that I’m sitting in an air conditioned room at 27 degrees Celsius and I’m so cold I have goosebumps…I’m going to die in China and Japan winters.*
Our time in Kavieng was a really good break; we spent a lot of time there and did very little. A lot of time was spent on the boat perfecting flips on the swing (the best results seemed to be obtained when three people boost you at the peak of your swing…fun.) There was also a lot of Secret Santa activity in preparation for boat Christmas (more on that later.) On the island next to Nusa it was rumor that there were bomb craters in the bush/scrub, so a group of us took the surfboards and a dory and paddled/rowed over there. We eventually found two craters, a rope swing, and a coconut-drying shack…very neat.
Kavieng is a sleepy little town, with most visitors taking advantage of the good surf in the surrounding areas. The town itself was fun to explore, with the usual assortment of ‘everything shops’ selling everything from school uniforms to plastic shells, afro picks to metal buckets. A lot of our time was spent at the Nusa Resort, a little resort on a nearby island that let us come and enjoy their outdoor bar / restaurant / hammocks even though most of us weren’t guests. We spent many an evening there just hanging out, and many afternoons being laughed at by the resident parrots and taking advantage of the freshwater shower. * Id like to stop and let you know the interesting and ridiculous fact that I’m sitting in an air conditioned room at 27 degrees Celsius and I’m so cold I have goosebumps…I’m going to die in China and Japan winters.*
Our time in Kavieng was a really good break; we spent a lot of time there and did very little. A lot of time was spent on the boat perfecting flips on the swing (the best results seemed to be obtained when three people boost you at the peak of your swing…fun.) There was also a lot of Secret Santa activity in preparation for boat Christmas (more on that later.) On the island next to Nusa it was rumor that there were bomb craters in the bush/scrub, so a group of us took the surfboards and a dory and paddled/rowed over there. We eventually found two craters, a rope swing, and a coconut-drying shack…very neat.
Next we moved to Tsoi Island, where it was so calm that it brought back memories of inside coastal trips. A lot happened at Tsoi. One of the first nights we were there, a group went night spear fishing and returned victoriously back on the boat a few hours later with a plethora of very small fish that we ate the next evening. On the boat we had Sinterklass (Dutch Christmas) with peppernuts and wooden shoes, and Starboard watch created their hyper-masculine code names (our nightwatch list was themed). My watch in general was fantastic. Worked great together, had by far the best dishes music, and generally had a blast. Code-names were as follows:
Antony-Butch
Chase-Diesel
Me-Optimus Prime (I was watch leader this week)
Kelly-Blade
Matt-Rage
Naomi-Spike
Tiana-Bruiser
Tom-Rambo
Yes, we were great; Starboard watch I miss you.
We had some awesome soccer and volleyball games with some of the older local kids, the village put on a great dinner (called a ‘snack’), and we built a canoe! We met up with the local canoe-builder David and he agreed to let us help in the building of our own outrigger canoe. So some of the boys headed out across the channel and dragged a huge log out of the jungle to the shore so the building process could begin. The building was all done by David’s house on Tsoi with many of the villagers watching, and almost all of us helped with at least some aspect of the construction.
Antony-Butch
Chase-Diesel
Me-Optimus Prime (I was watch leader this week)
Kelly-Blade
Matt-Rage
Naomi-Spike
Tiana-Bruiser
Tom-Rambo
Yes, we were great; Starboard watch I miss you.
We had some awesome soccer and volleyball games with some of the older local kids, the village put on a great dinner (called a ‘snack’), and we built a canoe! We met up with the local canoe-builder David and he agreed to let us help in the building of our own outrigger canoe. So some of the boys headed out across the channel and dragged a huge log out of the jungle to the shore so the building process could begin. The building was all done by David’s house on Tsoi with many of the villagers watching, and almost all of us helped with at least some aspect of the construction.
Jacob, Pop, and Antony using our planes on the hull
It was amazing to watch David and the other carvers work; they’re so amazingly skilled and precise with these tools that, when we try to wield them, result in chinks taken out of the side…fascinating to watch.
Some of the kids who gathered around to watch.
I spent a lot of time with a woman named Janet and her baby Willie, just chatting. She had tattoos on her face like most of the women, and I learned that they usually do it themselves with needle and pen ink. She also taught me how to make coconut rice. 
Janet paddling David's wife Melanie across to the island
Our stay in Tsoi ended with a canoe-launching ceremony and celebration with most of the village, which entailed amazing food once again (honorable mention to Karen, who peeled ridiculous numbers of snails, they were delicious), and music form both sides.
Our stay in Tsoi ended with a canoe-launching ceremony and celebration with most of the village, which entailed amazing food once again (honorable mention to Karen, who peeled ridiculous numbers of snails, they were delicious), and music form both sides.
There was as a day and a half passage to Tallasea, but we only stayed the night there before heading on to a bay near Kimbe. There was a dive resort there called Walindi, and since the airport was down and they were pretty empty, they let us use their facilities while we were there. This included a small pool, internet, library (!), and TV/DVD player. Bec and I got an early Christmas present from Mom and Pop and got to go on two amazing dives. A whole group of us (Pop, me, Tav, Kelly, Bec, Brooks, Antony, Sean) dove on South Emma’s seamount, where there was a little swim-through, and thousands of fish encircling us. Lots of parrotfish, wrasse (a big nampolean mouri wrasse too), little three-spot dascyllus in the coral, needlefish, triggerfish, blue-finned trevally, unicornfish, butterflyfish, some hysterical batfish that kept tipping over and swimming on their sides, sponges big enough that I could fit in, and a school of barracuda that kept circling us the whole time, not to mention the hundreds of other fish that I either cant remember the name, or that we didn’t even know. Our second dive was on Susan’s reef, and the coral was amazing. By far the most varied and vibrant coral I had seen yet this offshore. There were hundreds of the delicate and feathery Christmas Tree worms (there’s a photo earlier on in the blog, leg 2 I think), and we even saw two different nudibranchs. Our divemasters were fantastic and brought out hot tea/coffee, ice cold water, and ‘Kina Kokonut Kookies.’
From Walindi we headed straight to Madang, where we spent just over a week for work days and so the cooks and bosuns could do their big shopping for the next leg. Starboard watch went out for our watch dinner at the Madang Club. Very fun; we had delicious Chinese food, and a couple ridiculous games of pool (Antony and I were quite the matching team…). We had three work days instead of two this time, and it worked really well. Overall just less stressful, and with the extra day we were able to start projects and get things done that we wouldn’t have otherwise attempted. Bec, Tav and I did hull again, and this time we inducted Julie and Chris into our Zodi team. Along with Robyn, Brooks, Ryan, Victoria, and Rachael we managed to get the chainplates scraped, sanded, primed, and painted; same with the hause holes; the names on the bow and stern repainted, the entire hull and boot-top (white stripe above the waterline) sanded, primed, and painted; and in our left over time the dories for scraped, sanded, and painted as well. Bec and I managed to emerge with very little sunburnage, not too much paint on our skin/in our hair, and some funny photos. Other jobs that were done during those three days include scraping/sanding/coating the covering boards and bulwarks, blackening of the hounds, greasing the masts, a general tightening of the rigging, a very thorough cleaning of all the seatlockers/cupboards/food bunks, a couple monstrous food shops, and the stowing of these monstrous food shops. Sorry for boring you with the description and list of jobs…but you really should be impressed. Workdays were greatly improved by the exciting fact that at this dock we have access to a massive freshwater hose for showers. It really is hard for me to communicate how big of a deal this is unless you have been here, sweating uncontrollably in over 50 heat, 24 hrs a day, on a boat…its very exciting. You have no idea the excitement that happens when there is a rain squall (away from the dock) and the tarps are up…its chaos while everyone tries to get a spot where the tarp will dump…its so very rewarding to manage a full freshwater shower from rain tarps.
Madang is one of the nicest looking towns we’ve been in so far in PNG. It’s a bit more tourist-centered (which translates to it has a resort, and you might see one white person walking around…might.) We’re docked at the main shipping wharf which is right next to the Madang Coconut Oil Production Factory, so we’re constantly getting wafts of coconut (which I quite like, but which apparently some people think is rank…). There’s the requisite number (massive amounts) of ‘everything shops’, and there’s even quite a few places where ice cream is sold. Internet has been elusive at best (we have finally found it at the University), exorbitantly expensive at worst (as is the case at the resort, which, although its internet prices are ridiculous, has been fantastic in letting us use their pool/bar/restaurant this whole time for no fee whatsoever.) There is a great market where there are beautiful fruits and veggies, spices, ice blocks (which deserve some explanation; 20t – about 8 cents – and deliciously cold…they’re pretty much just freezies, and everyone eats them all the time, kids and adults alike), vanilla beans, baskets, bags, clothing, jewelry, and carvings. I go there so often that the ice block ladies know me, and so does the spice man (who I go to to smell vanilla beans and cinnamon bark…I have bought some as well).
Plastic bags/purses for sale in the market
Oh, and...this is fantastic...I was walking through the market and I saw a woman with a possom on her HEAD. On her head! It was just hanging out there in her afro...fabulous. Really, how often do you see that...a possom on her head! Anyways, there is an unbelievable number of fruit bats in Madang as well; you’ll be walking and see trees with hundreds roosting in the top branches, or huge swarms of them in the sky that are so big and numerous that they look like flocks of birds…very interesting (Tav and I saw one up close when a few locals shot one out of a tree to eat, they’re amazing). As per usual in PNG, the people are beautiful, they’re very friendly, and everyone carries purse-like woolen bag on their faces (slung over their foreheads).
Its amazing how much weight these woman can hang off their heads (this is in the market)
The boats everywhere are loaded to sinking (it truly is uncredible how many people can be fit onto a small boat), as has been the norm all over PNG.
The local ferry system
There are PMV's everywhere, which are the PNG equivalent of African matatus - 15 seater vans that careen around as public taxis. I love them, and though I often end up positioning myself so as to be the least injured in the event of the surely inevitable crash, they're amazingly cheap and we've been safe (ish) thus far! I feel safer in Madang than I have in the other PNG towns, which is odd considering I have had a couple scares while being here. Someone sliced the side of my bag open while Tav and I were walking by the market, but when nothing fell out and we both whipped around, the man turned and left pretty quickly. Still, kind of scary. Its totally fine during the day as there are unbelievable numbers of people everywhere (who are quick to yell at people who try to bother you), but a group is definitely an order at night. Since the police force is so corrupt, almost every building has at least one security guard, its like Africa like that. Tav and I had a scare at night with dodgy people running after us, but luckily there are security guards everywhere (and one of the guys running after us turned out to be a security guard chasing the first man…) and one was willing to walk with us back to the wharf. That night Tav and I had had, quite possibly, the best dinner Ive ever had; I had fillet mingnon with mushroom sauce, crispy potatoes (those of you who have been on the boat understand the significance of crispy potatoes), steamed brocolli and cauliflower, carrots, salad, mango, and cheesecake for dessert. Tav had calamari curry served in half a coconut, with rice, potatoes (yes, crispy potatoes), veggies and salad…cheesecake too. It really hit home how much living on the boat totally destroys any table manners you may have previously possessed; I sat there crunching my ice cubes, we almost overturned the table twice, I dropped my napkin on the floor three times, we spilled drinks and food…really who cares, we had a fantastic time.
On the 24th we left the dock to spend Christmas and Boxing day in a bit more of a secluded and quiet spot. Even though we only went 45 minutes away, it served our purpose perfectly. I helped the boys (Jord, Tav, Scott, and Chase) make Christmas Eve dinner (aka I chopped veggies and stuffed potatoes…my culinary skills are somewhat nonexistent Im sorry to say). It turned out fantastically: cream of carrot soup for an appetizer, then T-bone steak, very creamy and cheesy double baked potatoes, baked tomatoes with cheese and salt/pepper, and garlic and butter broccoli. Delicious. Christmas eve was also the night of our talent show and pants competition culmination. Oh yes, the pants competition. For the past month or so, certain ladies on the boat have been hand stitching a pair (or pairs) of pants for themselves out of material they have found somewhere along the way. The talent show was the time where these creations would be showcased. So we had quite the fashion show…music and everything. Quite impressive pants were made by Karen, Gill (who actually made two pairs), Susan , Julie, and Tiana, and they all had fantastic walks. Other talent show acts included a song each by Tom, Kelly and Sara, the female crew, Jose and Caley, Julie and Susan; a funny trick by Tristan and Sam; the All Blacks’ hokha (yes, I realize that’s spelled wrong) dance from Matt and Brooks, an interpretive version of Twas the night before Christmas by the crew, and a performance of Barretts Privateers from Tav and Jordan.
Santa going down the chimney and Barretts Privateers.
We had a midnight Christmas caroling service to usher in Christmas morning. It is hard to remember that its Christmas when its so intensely hot, and most of your energy goes to sweating profusely…Karen, however, did quite a good job of decorating the boat up and having enough Christmas projects going as to keep us in the spirit.
Our Betelnut Christmas tree...
Christmas day was hot…shocking. Most people swam before breakfast (which was delicious), and Sarah and I did Coffee House for everyone in time for present opening. Sarah had made biscotti the days before, and our drink line-up included everything from hot apple cider and almond lattes to vanilla steamed milk and peppermint mochas. Very fun. The process of opening presents took almost three hours as we did it one by one. Sarah and Karen had made a system for who would open presents when – there were riddles describing everyone, one would be chosen from the box and the group would have to figure out who it was, the described person would then get to open their gift – and it worked like a charm. Secret Santas came through in fine form; there were some amazing gifts. I received a pair of hand-knit socks from Sara – perfect for leg 5 and 6, and I made her little curved pendant out of mother of pearl for (we got each other!) Antony fashioned an amazing lure for Chase, Naomi made Tav canvas an fleece moccasins, Karen and Susan made pajamas (they had each other as well), Noah got a great slingshot from Gill, Scott made Tristan a marlin spike from the bill of a marlin he caught, Pop made a great necklace out of a coin for Ryan, Andrew made Katie an intricate little wooden box, and there were a few beautiful ditty bags and knitted goods. One of the best gifts was a tiny brass and wooden capo that Tav made for Pop’s mandolin, wonderfully intricate, and in general just esthetically beautiful. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, and Bec, Tav, Jord, Sarah and I made up awards for dinner.
The crew and cooks in particular pulled all the stops for Christmas dinner. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce…we even had brussel sprouts! There was fantastic salad to start off, and delicious tarts and pie for dessert. Everyone was dressed up (as dressed up as we get on the boat), and there were many funny photos taken.
The crew and cooks in particular pulled all the stops for Christmas dinner. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce…we even had brussel sprouts! There was fantastic salad to start off, and delicious tarts and pie for dessert. Everyone was dressed up (as dressed up as we get on the boat), and there were many funny photos taken.
This is us dressed up...boat dressed up that is...
We had watersports olympics on Boxing day which was hilarious. There was the anchor chain dive, dory race, ropeswing tricks extraordinaire, exotic swing diving, and the zodiac pull (Noah won by reaching an epic 14kts while being pulled behind the Zodiac on his chest!) Bec, Arwen and I joined the crew as dressed-up judges (I think it should be noted that Tav and Antony put on long spandex and shell bras…), and everyone had a blast. By the way…Starboard Watch won. That night Jose and Tom presented their leg-end slideshow, which was enjoyed by all.
We motored back to Madang the next morning so people would have time to do last-minute errands before they flew out early on the 28th. Its always sad to see the hold and focs’le during the packing stage; helping Tav get all his things together was definitely depressing. Bec, Tristan, Tav and I went to the Madang Club for dinner, then the evening was spent finishing up last minute details, saying goodbyes, and relaxing.
Eight people (Tav, Naomi, Tristan, Victoria, Kelly, Julie, Tom, and Sam) flew out the next morning on the 7:15am flight and Bec, Arwen and I took the shuttle with them to the airport to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes. It was not fun seeing that plane take off. The three of us were a mess on the shuttle-ride back; its going to be a big change having people you’ve spent the entire past seven months with be gone for so long.
This past leg has been really good all around. Everyone was a lot of fun and worked really well together. Amazing people, places, lots of really good conversations, and very fun watch times. Oh yes, I haven’t given the rat update yet. We have a rat. We acquired this fine rodent in Honiara, and he has successfully survived all our assassination attempts. There have been many a nightwatch spent with headlamp on and deckbrush in hand, stalking the deck for this troublesome vermin. We must look like total loonies, tiptoe-ing over sleeping peopleon deck, in minimal clothing, stopping every so often to listen for rat noises (whatever those are), or to poke the deckbrush into some hole that surely the rat must be in. He seems to mock us by continually running right past us, pooping on our pillows, and munching on our wheat. He’s been dubbed Houdini Sylvester – Houdini for his aforementioned talent for evading capture and fitting in small places, and Sylvester because Sarah and I were writing a poem and needed a rhyme.
Im currently at a Dive lodge/resort with my entire family for a day before leg 5 starts. Its fantastic, it has running water (even a freshwater shower!), a fridge, and air-conditioning (I think I already mentioned how cold I now am at 27 degrees…). Unfortunately since it’s Christmas week there are no spaces on any of the dive boats, but its still so nice to be off the boat for a bit and to be forced to relax. Ive been getting lots of writing done, and general mooning around! Meals are fantastic (I ordered a delicious kids meal last night…a third of the price, and still the same amount of food…score), the grounds are beautiful, and the sleep is much needed. We’re heading back tomorrow morning so as to have some time to set up our bunks (we got laundry done!), and get ready for new trainees who will be coming the day after already. This past leg was amazing; it went much too fast, and everyone will be very missed.
