Rabaul, Papau New Guinea
Trip Start
Jan 13, 2009
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19
63
Trip End
May 13, 2009
Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Friday, February 27, 2009
That was the history of the area we were entering. We arose early to watch our entrance into port. We went out on the deck and it was already very warm and humid. There was a mist that hung over the harbor. We could see the closest volcano spewing out a large plume of smoke that hung over the entire harbor. The large cloud of smoke was held over the port by higher darker rain clouds. We were entering the harbor during the rainy season. We did not know if our White Lady's luck would continue. Would we enjoy good weather in yet another port? We knew that the local airport was closed the last few days as the smoke from the volcanoes was blowing over the airport and making flying unsafe.
The White Lady's luck held. Our White Lady kept the rain at bay all of our time in port. As we sailed away from Rabaul; just as we passed the last volcano, the rain came for a short period, but it was too late to interfere with our visiting of the port as we were safely at home and sailing off to our next port.
As we looked around the harbor we could envision the caldera of the gigantic ancient volcano that was now the port. The land seemed to encircle the ship with just one area that was opened to the Solomon Sea. Ahead of us was the small town of Rabual it hung precariously to the side of the tall green mountains that brought the jungle right down to the edge of the harbor. This was where we would dock and exit the ship to begin our adventure here in New Guinea. It is a very small harbor that serves mostly commercial shipping and an occasional Cruise Ship. We are taking a tour of the Scenic North Coast. Scenic is a term that may be open to interpretation, we believe it is an area that is awesome in its own way. There were eight or nine vans waiting on the dock to take us on the adventure. Harriet and I are always eager to start so we checked in early and were assigned to Van #1. This turned out very well for us as the head of the tour was in our van. The vans were several years old but well maintained. Like some of our previous experiences at other port here in the South Pacific the air-conditioning equipment in the van was there but it ability to cool the van was now only a memory of the past. The vans held ten passengers each and were reasonably clean and well maintained. Harriet and I sat in the second seat just in front of the head of the tour providers. He spoke good English and was able to provide us with good descriptions of all of the stops of the tour. The tour providers did not give a narration of the stops but due to our location and questions we were soon getting narrations of stops and answers to all our questions on the area.
We were driven thru the town which consisted of a narrow two lane road of volcanic ash and numerous large pools of muddy water left from the rain that fell the night before. A Cruise ship's arrival is big news in town. The local economy is stimulated by the infrequent visits of Cruise Ships. Although not a school holiday, all of the school children were off school. This was a custom that was overlooked by the local schools. As we proceed thru the town; these dark skin natives of Papua New Guinea were smiling and waving at us. They were very glad for us to visit them.
We continued onto the mountain and up to the Volcanic Observatory. As we drove up the mountain we were reminded of the Second World War; the battle of the Pacific. Rabaul was a strategic defense site for the Japanese both with their Air Force and their Navy. As the American's began their fight thru the Pacific toward Japan; the Japanese dug tunnels into the mountains as protection from the numerous air raids in the area and from what they believed was an impending American Invasion of the port. But the invasion did not occur, as this was one of the islands that we skipped and isolated in our drive to Japan. Up the mountain we saw numerous caves dug into the side of the mountains. They were not elaborate structures; just short tunnels that would allow the Japanese to huddle inside during air strikes. As the local population did not do anything with the tunnels, they were being taking back over by nature. The locals have a respect for nature. They have learned to accept and live with nature. This was a very sensible approach as the nature that the locals lived with was awesome. Volcanoes are awe inspiring in their display of raw power. At the top of the mountain was the Volcanic Observatory. This is a valuable observatory as it was this site that provided the needed warning in 1994 that allowed all of the people to evacuate successfully before the terrible eruption which would so change the lives of the local residents. The view from the observatory is of the entire port of Rabaul. We can see the White Lady docked in town.
The small edge of town below that was cradled between the mountains and the port was the view from the observatory. Looking away from town; we saw the mountains and lush rain forest that make up the jungle. Some of the mountains that we viewed are shorter and spewing large columns of smoke into the air. Although Vulcan was the volcano that erupted in 1994, it awoke the other volcanoes including Turanguman which has been the most active volcano since that devastating event of 15 years prior. It has been bellowing smoke and occasional lava flows since being awakened in 1994. We would go there later.
We descended down the mountain and thru the town toward the old airport. As we drove we could see the dark black volcanic ash that was everywhere. The area was once full of sugar cane and coconut trees but now was a scene of devastation. The Coconut trees were struggling to survive and many had not; leaving behind a tall leafless pole that reminds us of what the volcano had done fifteen years ago. The local residents are trying to repopulate the coconut trees as they die off, but this is an extremely poor area and not much concerted effort toward replanting has been accomplished. But with the local population's efforts and nature working to restore order it will return to what it was before the 1994 event. It will just take a very long time.
We crossed what was once the Rabaul airport. The airport has been here since the Great War, but now was a vast desert of black volcanic ash that has covered and obscured all the features that would have reminded us of the original airport. The airport survived the numerous raids of American planes dropping untold amounts of explosives. It had seen the heaviest destruction of man and survived, but that one day in 1994 had completely and for now irrevocably destroyed the Rabaul Airport. They built another airport but farther from town and the volcanoes. Inside the old airport area is the rusting hulk of a Japanese Tokyo Betty Bomber that was damaged and shoved to the side of the airport to become forgotten as a relic of a past war. Now it lies half buried by volcanic ash, a grim reminder that man is not as great a force as nature.
We continued on slowly thru the airport and out toward the Turangunan Volcano. The trip was slow as there were no roads in this desert of volcanic ash. There are sticks periodically stuck in the ash that delineates the road we are traveling. We see a small lean-to beside the road with a small wood fire beside it. This was once the home of a local resident, now it is buried under six to nine feet of ash. This home is now serving as a section of the road that could be a road across the landscape of Mars. Now just a few scraps of lumber and cloth, it is a checkpoint where the residents count the passenger in the vans. They will be reimbursed for our passage by the Tour Company. This is part of the local economy.
As we drive on thru this wasteland, we could see the Turangunan Volcano in the distance. The volcano is gradually increasing in size and we hear the faint low bass-like rumble of the volcano. The heavy rain in the area and on the mountains has washed thru these areas to form dry washes or ravines in the landscape. But these depressions are in black ash and have very little vegetation in or around them. We arrived at our final destination. There was a small shelter about five feet square consisting of four poles and a rusted metal roof lest than six feet from the ground. Around this structure were about twenty natives that had laid tar paper on the ground to sit and display original and authenticate local crafts. There were bead necklaces; wood carvings; caveman like stone sculptures; coconut tree leaves woven into fans and rudimentary hats; and woven cloth purses. There were two groups of small children. One group was singing and another consisted of three young boys dressed in the traditional manner of the natives in this area surrounding Rabaul.
This was at the edge of the volcano. We exited the van and walked toward this awesome display of the power of nature. A low roar filled the air and ash could be seen blowing in the area. We were lucky in that the wind kept most of the ash blowing seaward. The volcano was on the very edge of the sea. As we approached the water across the barren black ash landscape, we could see a section of the shoreline bubbling with steam rising from the water. Behind this site was the volcano. It was barren of vegetation, and had numerous small columns of smoke coming at various parts of the side of the mountain. But coming from the top was a large great plume of smoke that occasionally would be interrupted by explosions and new dark smaller plumes that roared skyward. We just stood and took in this powerful display of the raw force of nature. The natives told us that the sound of the volcano was a good sign as the volcano was most dangerous when it went quite.
Luckily, I was carrying about twenty one dollars (US) and a few Five Dollar bills (US). Although we didn't buy any souvenirs, Harriet was so moved by the natives that she would stop by the children at the stops and give them a dollar after we took a picture of them. Thus we took back memories that no souvenir would evoke in us.
Back we headed across this surrealistic landscape, back to the airport area where we would take a separate road thru the ash to what was once the heart of the village of Rabaul. Our first stop was in the village. What once was a small community of small modest homes was now a community built on the devastation left by the volcano. There is a community water supply and some small signs of electrical lights. The main building in town that had been completely restored was the church. We drove into an open area that had a hundred or more residents lined around the edge of the area that was next to their village of shacks and lean-tos. We came to find that the residents of Rabaul were friendly, honest and well manner. Although they lived in open floored huts and sheds, they were clean and apparently decently fed people. The children mingled among us and the ones in later school spoke good English. If the children appeared to be disturbing any of the tour group, they would be quickly chastised with a single harsh word from their parents.
As we walked down the line of natives who were displaying their wares for hopeful sale to us, Harriet was intrigued with the children. She talked with them and even distributed all of the sugarless gum she had to one group and proceeded to try and teach them how to blow bubbles. This was amusing as Harriet is not well versed in blowing bubbles especially with sugarless dental gum. The residents eat a food made of various plants that acts like coffee does for us. It gives a little pick up like we can get from caffeine. But it leaves a reddish residue on the teeth. As per its claim, the gum quickly removed the reddish color from the children's teeth and they were happy with it especially since it tasted sweet. Harriet had to tear the gum in half to supply as many of the children as possible. She met one girl that was fourteen and spoke especially good English. From Harriet's talk with the young girl you soon realized that she was a bright articulate girl. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she replied, "Married!". Harriet then asked if she also wanted to have children and she smiled brightly and looked downward.
We boarded our vans and slowly moved out from the village. The day's heat and humidity was great but the experience we were having distracted us from the weather. Some of the children ran alongside of the van. They ran in the field by the road so they could watch us as we left the village. This was an exciting day for them. Not only were they able to make some additional and much need money; they were just happy to be able to share some time with us.
They are a poor people but they have a natural dignity that comes from accepting nature and having the tenacity to stay on the land that has been their heritage since time was. They are an honest people that need the money we bring, but would not be aggressive in trying to encourage us to buy their crafts. We have heard stories about crime and robberies being frequent here in Rabaul; but from our experiences with these people, we always felt safe and comfortable in their villages.
We proceeded pass the airport area to a large stand of barely living coconut trees. In here on the edge of the airport, we stopped again. This time we were met by about 30 local residents who again lined a small area and presented many of the numerous crafts that we had now seen twice before. In the center of the area was the rustic remains of an old Japanese Bomber that was a casualty of war and now laid half buried in the dark black volcanic ash that permeate everywhere. Harriet took a picture of me and our guide by the ruins. He said, "Here are two war buddies checking an enemy plane crash". As Harriet was walking thru the small shopping area she spotted a marble that was lying on the ground. She retrieved the marble and found that a small group of ten boys were playing marbles on the edge of the clearing. She quickly returned the marble to the boys and began talking to the boys about their game of marbles. Instead of shooting marbles like we do; they would throw the marbles like a small bowling ball into the circle. Harriet's teaching experience and fondness of working with children quickly had Harriet on her knees in the black volcanic ash showing the boys how to shoot the marble, American Style. I was able to quickly position myself for a quick video shot of the activity. We both were very impressed with the children; they were friendly, well-mannered and those who were in the later grades of school; spoke very good English.
The time was 12:00PM and we had been on tour for over four hours, enjoying the people and sights of this special port. The vans again departed and headed us slowly back to the dock area. The ship was ready for sea and waiting for the tours to complete. As we were on a Princess Tour, we knew that we would be back in time for the ship. And so it was. We returned; went up and ate lunch. After lunch we linger on the back open deck and watch the ship depart Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Out of the harbor, past the volcanoes and out to the Solomn Sea, the White Lady took us. The term White Lady was not a completely accurate way of describing our ship as she left the harbor. The ship was a dull grey from a layer of volcanic ash that had fallen on the ship as she waited in the harbor. The ship’s company would spend the next few days bring back the beauty of our Beautiful White Lady.
We again prepare for a few days at sea before our arrival at Guam. During our sea days we will past several important sites of the Pacific War. There will be a memorial for Iwo Jima as we pass in the vicinity of the island.
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Where is Harriet? Hunt
This hunt for Harriet has her in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. The hint is that she is in the village at the edge of the airfield.
Harriet was found first by Linda with her post:
Linda Ferguson on February 28, 2009
She is to the left of the picture standing among the children. She has on a bright yellow shirt that really stands out among the crowd. This sounds like a very interesting port.
