- Fremantle and Perth, Western Australia
- On the road to Margaret River, Western Australia
- Rottnest Island, Western Australia
- Back to Broome, Western Australia
- Lacepede Island, Western Australia
- Talbot Bay, Western Australia
- Montgomery Reef and Freshwater Cove, Western Australia
- Hunter River and Mitchell Falls, Western Australia
- Ashmore Reef, Australia
- Vansittart Bay, Western Australia
- King George River, Western Australia
- Darwin, Northern Territory
- Agats, West Papua, Indonesia
- Kokas, West Papua, Indonesia
- Misool, Yapap Lagoon, Indonesia
- Yenwaupnor, Gam Island, Indonesia
- Mansinam Island, West Papua, Indonesia
- Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
- Cenderwasih Bay, Indonesia Supplemental
- Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
- Garove Island, Papua New Guinea
- Duke of York Island and Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — and the trip takes a turn for the worse
- Ghizo Island, Solomon Islands and my health situation is still uncertain
- Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; a 72-hour pause in our trip; and a triumphant return!
- Dravuni Island, Kadavu, Fiji
- Vulaga, Fiji
- Pangai and Nukupule Island, Ha’Apai Group, Tonga
- Vavau, Tonga
- Apia, Upolo, Samoa
- Aitutaki, Cook Islands
- Raiatea, Society Islands, French Polynesia
- Maroe Bay, Huahine Iti, French Polynesia
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia and end of trip
Today was a special day. We arrived in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea (PNG) which is the northwestern part of the country (near Indonesia) and is the capital of Sandaun Province. What made the day special was the fact that we arrived on the 50th anniversary of PNG’s independence. The ship actually received a US State Department advisory that suggested not going to the main part of Vanimo because the celebration could get out of hand (lots of betel nut chewing here that produces some narcotic effects). Instead, we went to the little village of West Sepik across Dakriro Bay. As we have experienced in other communities, everyone came out to celebrate our arrival with lots of singing, dancing, and crafts. What made this different, though, is nearly everyone spoke English (they are taught from an early age). That made communicating a lot easier and we had some very interesting interchanges about life there before and after independence. But everyone was decked out in their 50th anniversary regalia with flags flying everywhere. The other interesting thing was that many other regional tribes joined the celebration and the locals were enjoying the new arrivals’ performances as much as we did. There were a number of demonstrations going on as well. As we had seen in Pulau Yende, the sago palm tree plays a critical role in people’s lives here, providing not only a source of food, but also for construction materials. One difference between here and Pulau Yende is that the men are ones pounding the sago using a specialized tool with a metal end to shred the pulp. I spoke with the man doing it; he told me he was 62. I observed that this must be very hard work and he grinned, showing his betel nut stained teeth. I think I got it! While not a demonstration, we also watched a young woman getting tattooed. Apparently, this is a rite of passage when a girl comes into womanhood. The tattoos are a sign of her eligibility. It was a really great day!
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
