Another island paradise Dobu island

We seem to have fallen into a daily pattern of being taken off the ship for an opportunity to explore a local village with a performance. This is then followed by an opportunity to swim and or snorkel. This makes perfect sense. We arrive on an island at a cooler time of the day usually around 9:00 then as the day warms up we swim. This is what our trip to Dobu island is one of five islands in the D'Entrecasteaux archipelago close to the southernmost tip offshore from PNG mainland.

This this was one of my favorite places so far that we have visited. Landing on the beach we were greeted by a host of school children who clearly had been given the day off. The ceremony was held on school grounds so that probably made sense. We assemble in shade with seating. The island is very small and the sea is to the back of us. The ground is surrounded by school buildings, the area is fenced off with locals watching on from behind the rope. The children and some of the women laugh during the performance as they know the people dancing.

The greeting from the local chief is interesting. They are particularly welcoming and he stresses just how safe their small island is. I can't help but suspect that this is because where we were supposed to go has been canceled and we will be spending the whole day here. The cancellation was because on an earlier visit some guests was harassed by locals and phones/money were stolen. He is telling us this won't happen on his Island. It does feel very relaxed, safe and tranquil.

The dancers come out, we have seen before men and the women have a decoration attached to something which they hold in their mouth. For women that will be a shell and for men the tusk of a wild boar. The drums played are very large and look like they have been decorated on the top. It's another enjoyable performance. After this we have an opportunity to walk around, women are weaving baskets from the leaves of the sago palm. Nothing is wasted with a sago palm. The trunk is used to build the house, the bark and smaller trunks form. The floors come up. Up the leaves are used for walls and for thatching on the top. The bark is also stripped off to make baskets. There is an impressive display of Kula shells, they are not selling anything in this village just displayed them for us.

A young woman accompanies me as I walk along the path through the village. She tells me that her daily routine is to eat and then work in the garden. I get the impression that during the rainy season gardening involves preparing and planting crops. She points out the betal nut trees and the sago palms. She is eating a nut of some kind , it's betel nut. The nut is eaten with two other ingredients, a long pod which I'm told is mustard dipped into a small container of what she tells me is lime then eaten. Turns out this is crushed coral, I have no idea how either ingredient might enhance the taste of betel nut. The effect is a high. Children begin eating the nut at quite a young age resulting in very bad teeth and in PNG there are rising rates of cancer from this. Everyone seems to be addicted judging by the red smiles.

On our walk we passed a young man with what looks like an orange possum on his head. It's a little bit larger than our ringtail possum but definitely of the possum variety. It's called a cus cus. They allow me to take photos, two other girls have joined him, the third is my guideOne of the girls asks me if I can send her the picture (which I do), she is one of the few people who have a phone. There is a medical center on the island staffed by nurses who also have mobile phones. So there is a mobile connection on the island. I am told that a few of the children have mobile phones. There's no electricitythey are charged through solar panels.

In the afternoon we get to snorkel off a zodiac. This is the first time I have tried this, I am a little hesitant firstly getting into the water and then getting out again back into the zodiac. Zodiac. Neither presents any challenge. The zodiac does not go very far offshore but to an area that is much deeper than the beach where there is very little to see. We have just under an hour to again be amazed by what we see below. These reefs are in good condition but the water is a little murky but well worth the effort. I try not to think of the impending election of a crazy, convicted felon to the US presidency. A rough four years ahead.Read more