Day 9 - Alotau

We snuck into Alotau in the early morning. It's easy to see why the Japanese were so keen to take control of this lovely harbour. After breakfast we headed out into the town in overcast but pleasant weather. Alotau really is a very basic New Guinea town. The people are generally friendly and welcoming. The arrival of a ship the size of the Diamond has a huge impact on a town like this. We walked off ship and down the main street surrounded by locals, both adults and children. A favorite pastime of the locals is to follow the tourists and strike up a conversation. After offering advice they proceed to request payment for guide services. Some are more aggressive than others but we had no real problems.
The photos will give an idea of the state of the streets. I think they had actually tried to have a clean up before the ship arrived as there were neat piles of rubbish scattered around.
We walked down to the Milne Bay War Memorial and spent some time. The Memorial area was very well kept. By this time the heat and humidity had kicked in so we headed back to the ship, stopping at a local store to buy some necessities like hair conditioner and pegs 🤔. Back onboard a dip in the pool and several beers cooled us downRead more