Tab Island

Week 3. Saturday, June 7, 2008. So much has been happening and I am exhausted but I want to get some of my thoughts and latest adventures down before I forget the details. I tried taking a nap this afternoon in my hammock but I was distracted by #1 the heat, #2 the noises, #3 the guy next door climbing to the top of a buai tree! It amazes me how they can climb those small but tall, very wobbly trees so quickly. Maybe I’ll have to try it one day-it’ll help me get over my fear of heights. I am certain it’s a high risk activity that VSO is sure not to endorse, but so is walking alone and diving.

Today I went out on a boat to Tab Island for some snorkeling and swimming. The views of the mountains and islands were incredible. The sea level was high from the storm a few days ago and the continued high winds. Last night while at the Lodge for the ritualistic Friday evening yoga, swimming, and fish-n-chips, the sea came crashing over the wall. Today the swells were big and the waves were crashing over the reefs. We headed out of Madang past the Coconut Oil Factory; its aroma fills the air. We dropped anchor between two islands, Tab Island Wildlife Preservation and another small island with a few bamboo houses. There is an amazing reef between these two islands. While some went diving the rest of us snorkeled. This was my first time to snorkel and I felt like I was in the middle of a Microsoft screensaver! There were so many vibrant colored fishes. I was surrounded by blue, yellow, pink, orange, and purple fishes. The coral was a mixture of colors including a bright blue. It was nothing like I expected. I was simply amazed and once I grew comfortable with my snorkel and found a regular breathing pattern I never wanted to climb back onto the boat. I was a bit nervous at first about kicking the coral with my fins or sinking down a bit too much in the shallow areas and cutting my stomach or thighs. Thanks to Tristen, a guy from London who is here working with World Vision who was my snorkeling partner, I saw an angel fish and a scorpion fish—which I later learned is poisonous. When we needed a break we would swim up to the beach and to avoid damaging the reef we had to swim til our stomachs touched the sand. Once we were on the island we walked inland into the forest. Caution: Beware of falling coconuts, they could knock you unconscious or deliver a fatal blow. Death by falling coconut, now wouldn’t that be tragic? The forest was so green and lush. I saw the breadfruit tree that Willie was telling me about during Tok Pisin language training. My barefeet sank into the rich, moist soil of the forest similar to the wet sand along the beach. If only we had a bush knife we could have drank kulau, fresh coconut.