Tufi

Wow, what can I say. The fiords of southeastern New Guinea are amazing and the people fascinating. We were tired when we landed in Port Moresby and glad that arrangements had been made to bypass immigration. We breezed through the airport and were given a police escort through town to the National Museum. The museum was closed and but we were given a private tour. We were too tired to appreciate what was shown. After the tour we had another police escort, with blinking lights and all, to our hotel. Even more security at the hotel. Large gates, razor ribbon, and armed guards. All the guards would stand at attention and salute whenever we walked by them. It felt like there were as many security people as there were guests. The hotel was beautiful with excellent service.


The next morning we split into 4 groups: Southern Highlands, Sepik River Basin, Western Highlands, and Tufi Dive Resort. Paula and I took a small single engine plane to Tufi. Tufi is in southeastern New Guinea and is an area of large, deep fiords.


Tufi International Airport



Tufi Airport Welcoming Committee

These kids were gawking at us so I asked them if I could take their picture. They were quick to pose and really enjoyed seeing themselves on the little screen. It was a short Land Rover trip to the resort.



The water behind Paula is over 750' deep. Tufi was a PT base during WW II. The docks, runway and the road connecting them all date from the war. We quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed down the steep road to the dock. We traveled by boat offshore for an hour to the Keikos Reef. The water was warm and crystal clear.



As you can see, the water was very calm even this far offshore. The reef protected us from the large rollers in the South Pacific.



We returned to the lodge and enjoyed large lobsters for dinner. All the seafood was caught locally. The Spanish Mackeral were running and the natives were going offshore in outriggers and catching them with hand lines - ouch! They speared the lobster with long, skinny spears.

The next morning we took an outboard to the neighboring fiord and were met by natives in outriggers.



We transferred to the canoes and paddled to the end of the fiord and up a small stream. We then waded ashore and made a short hike through the forest with our guide, Ramsey, explaining what we were seeing and telling us about their culture.



Our Guide Ramsey



Note the young boy to the left of the tree.



We paddled back to the fiord and took the motorboat back around to a beach where we were greeted with a singsing, barbecue and cold SP Lager. They even had Diet Coke for Paula.



And of course, after any good meal......



a swim.

Jan - we got you a very special gift but you can only have it if you guess what is.

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Location:Papua New Guinea

Raratonga, Cook Islands

Short stay but a good stop. We arrived before 9:00 am to an overcast, blustery day. The island is small, about 30 km (roughly 19 miles) in circumference and just as I'd always pictured a South Pacific island. Traffic was almost non-existent and our driver seemed to know everyone we passed (most were on foot). Only two roads on the island.


Paula and I laid on the beach for awhile but the wind was so strong we considered tying ourselves to palm trees. We felt very nappy but avoided dozing off by walking the beach, wading, and snapping pictures until dinner.


After dinner we were entertained by Cook Island dancers. Interesting because, while similar to the Rapa Nui dance, it was also very different - much more aggressive and war like. The hip movements even more exaggerated - reminiscent of belly dancing. We invited the flight crew to join us for dinner and they all joined in with the dancers. After the dinner we were more than ready for bed. By the time we laid down we had put in a 23 hour day. With the surf crashing on the reef we slept like babies and woke up this morning feeling great.


I forgot to mention we picked up our NG photographer in Easter Island. Cris Rainier was a photo assistant to Ansel Adams and an interesting man. He missed the flight to Peru - he was stranded on Mount Everest for several days. He photographed four people setting a sky diving record - of course, this required that he jump, too. They jumped from 30,000' over Everest and landed between 14,000 and 16,000 feet.


Chris Rainier with Micheline Place on Rapa Nui.

Our flight plan has changed for today. We originally planned a stop in Fiji for fueling. The pilots felt yesterday they could bypass Fiji and make a non-stop run to New Guinea so took on an appropriate amount of fuel; 34 tons. The weather forecast changed which will require re-fueling but we'll be too heavy to land in Fiji due to the additional fuel so, it's on to Cairn, Australia. From there, it's a short hop to Port Moresby.





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Location:Polynesia : En-Route to Cairns, Australia

Easter Island

The flight from Iquitos to Easter Island was 6 hours but we had spectacular views of the Andes. When we arrived, the pilot was able to circle the island several times at low altitude affording us bird eye views of the beautiful and stunning landscape. The island is only 65 square miles so it doesn't take long to circle in a 757.




Easter Island is just over two thousand miles west of Chile and the eastern most Polynesian island. We were met by three archeologist: Edmundo Edwards, Claudio Cristino, and Patricia Vargas. It was fascinating visiting the sites and listening to the people that have been studying the Island for their entire professional life. They discussed all the various theories behind the decline of the people and the deforestation of the island. Fun to hear their disagreements and arguments.

We visited Ahu Tahai first where we saw our first moai (giant stone heads) and learned about the history of the island and people.


From there we set across the island to Rano Raraku (the quarry). The quarry might be my favorite spot on the island.





It was a short trip to Tangariki where there are 15 moai in a row. This site was destroyed by a tsunami in 1961. Claudio was the lead archeologist responsible for restoring the site.


After lunch, we continued around the island (bumped and bounced around might be a more apt description) to the Orongo crater and the Ranu Kau, the site of the Bird Man Cult. The Bird Man Cult evolved after the original religion, ancestor worship, and was a warrior based cult. Being selected the Bird Man was considered a great honor but, take it from me, I don't think it is an honor any of us would care to have. After a year of solitary living, the bird man was sacrificed. Along the rim of the crater were about 40 low houses made entirely of slate. Very low, maybe 4' feet tall with small openings about 18" square - no windows. The view from the rim is beyond description. Hopefully, the photo's will convey the beauty.





We returned to the hotel for a shower, a quick drink, political discussions in the bar before meeting for dinner. Before dinner, Edmundo, Claudio, and Patricia each gave a short talk and then we were treated to a Polynesian dance. Paula fell in love with one comely young dancer (Paula is reading over my shoulder and she said "Comely??? He was Hunky!"). Anyway, Paula ended up on the dance floor (not by choice). Again, I think only photo's can truly display the moment.


This morning we had an early start. The airport in Rarotonga, Cook Islands notified us that the airport employees wanted off today in order to attend church. We have to land before 10:00 am to allow the airport workers time to get to church. We took off about 6:45 am and should arrive in Rarotonga by 9:30 am. It is a 7-1/2 hour flight but we gain 5 hours.

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Location:Chile

Photos from Peru

Departing Iquitos, Peru. Oct 20, 2010





On The Amazon Queen, en route to Ceiba Tops Lodge. 10-20-10



Our view from the canopy walkway. 127 ft. 10-21-10



Paula on the walkway, (the 3rd in line). 10-21-10
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Location:Peru

Rain Forest

Today was fun but but exhausting. We were off at 6:00 am on a "speed boat" and traveled about an hour downstream on the Amazon and then another hour upstream on the Napo. The Napo flows out of the Ecuadoran
Andes. From the Napo we took another tributary that I can't pronounce, much less spell. It reminded me of Village Creek. The trip was 70 miles by river. We had breakfast in a raised palapa and then headed into the rain forest. After an hour trek through the forest we ascended a number of platforms connected by narrow (10") suspension bridges. We worked our way up to 127' above the forest floor. Bromeliads and rhododendrons everywhere along with butterflies. From there we trekked another hour and half to a "medicine garden. We were surprised with the amount of topography; we were constantly climbing or descending steep slopes. Added to this was the heat and humidity, think Houston in August. We were very fortunate that it didn't rain but, even so, the ground is always wet, damp, and slippery. Only 10% of the sunlight makes it to the forest floor. At the medicine garden we met two shaman. The garden is a small clearing in the jungle, about 11 acres, where about 245 variety of plants are cultivated. The shaman have begun working with a number of institutions and pharmacist to classify the plants they work with. The shaman were surprising people - they began in there native language, switched to Spanish and rolled smoothly into English. They gave not only the local name but translated to English and gave the scientific name. While they sounded at times like botanist, they never lost the spiritual aspect. Paula and I participated in a ceremony to remove negative forces and to cleanse our spirit. We needed it after trekking for 4 hours. It was a good experience and did make us feel much better. It ended with rubbing an extract of orchids and rose wood on your face - very refreshing. From the shaman it was a short hike back to the palapa for lunch. We were back on the river by 3:00. The Cieba Lodge that appeared primitive yesterday looked like an oasis when we returned - electricity and running water! Paula and I stripped off our sweat soaked clothes and dove into the pool - actually, slid In.



Back on the ground.

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Location:Peru

Amazon

Iquitos is an amazing city situated in the middle of nowhere, er, I mean the Amazon rain forest. There are only two ways into Iquitos; river boat or airplane. We were ferried from the airport on wooden open air buses that were a hoot - all painted up, small and boisterous. The trip through Iquitos made us truly realize that we were far from Sugar Land. Because everything has to come in by boat (5 day trip to Lima) there are almost no cars in a city of more than 500,000 people. The primary mode of transportation is small motorized rickshaws and motorcycles. Johnny, your Honda 50 would fit right in. The streets are crammed with people selling every kind of fruit and vegetable you can imagine. We caught a small ferry on the Itaya River which flowed into the Amazon about 10 miles downstream of Iquitos. The river is low now, about 30' below what it will be in several months. The water level is up about 2 meters in the last week. I never realized that there is such a fluctuation in the water level. As we move into the South American summer, the glacier melt in the Andes increases and raises the water level. The maximum level is usually in May and begins ebbing in June. We rode the boat downstream for an hour and a half to Ceiba Tops Lodge. It is a lodge run by the natives focused on wise use and preservation of the rain forest. Somehow, we ended up in the Presidential Suite - about the size of our first home. Kind of nice, I'm sitting in an office off the kitchen loading pictures and typing our blog. Paula is in the other room showering and sorting out her day pack for tomorrow. We almost felt guilty at dinner. We were sitting with a nice couple and they commented on how primitive the rooms are - twin medal beds and micro-shower. We didn't feel right describing our two bathrooms, raised jacuzzi or the workout room


Tomorrow we take a smaller boat further down river about 2 hours for a canopy tour and, hopefully, meet a shaman. We leave tomorrow at 6:00 am and will have breakfast when we get there. The boat ride back tomorrow evening will be against the current and take a bit longer. We leave here Friday for Easter Island.


Sunset on the Amazon


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Location:Peru

And we're off

We are on the plane, waiting for lunch to be served, so I thought I would fill you in on yesterdays happenings. We did not get up as early as planned, so we did not have a lot of time for sightseeing, but managed a quick trip on the Metro to the Washington Mall. We walked about 3/4 of the way to the Capital, close enough to snap a few pictures, then decided to take a quick tour through the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. All it did was confirm that we have to come back to DC for a longer stay. The Library of Congress exceeded both our expectations. A beautiful and fantastic building filled with amazing items. The only comparison that comes to mind is the Doges's Palace in Venice.

Today was another early start but the plane is comfortable. Large seats with lots of room to stretch out - there were goodies and little gifts for us in our seats. We are about an hour out of Iquitos, Peru. From there we take a 1-1/2 hour boat ride down the river to our lodge.

Since we have full bellies, it's time to recline and catch 40 winks before we touch down.



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Location:Somewhere over the Atlantic

Day 1, Washington, DC

Our first day has been fun but my feet are already tired. The town car arrived a few minutes before 6:00 this morning and we were checked in, through security and in the Continental lounge by 7:30. We arrived in DC shortly after noon. Our hotel is only a few blocks from the White House so we walked around the White House, to the Washington Monument and part of the Mall. Tomorrow we tour the Library of Congress and have a reception at National Geographic. We leave for Peru Wednesday morning -early - 7:30 am.


I


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Location:17th St NW,Washington D.C.,United States

Packing

We've started gathering and stacking what we need to pack. After a few hours of sorting and trying on clothes, we decided we needed more. We headed to the store and ended up with shoes, shirts, new underwear, socks, one belt, another camera, and two more SD memory cards.

I like the new camera. It's a water proof, shock resistant Olympus. We plan to take Paula's Nikon and the new Olympus.

I think we are in pretty good shape. I just hope it all fits in the bags.

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Location:Legend Park Dr,Sugar Land,United States