Muschu Island

We had been told this was well worth a visit. So checking with "Lonely Planet" we walked to the beach on Tuesday and looked for George. Asking around, in perfect Tok Pisin, I was told he hadn't come yet. So we waited and eventually George arrived. He agreed to take us to his island after agreeing the price!! But he needed to shop for kaikai [food] first. Off we went in his banana boat. Bit rough but great. One sits on the floor in a banana boat and you tend to have the bow way above the sea so that means that quite often you hit the waves and get quite a bump!! The journey took about 40 minutes. What a place. He has built a guest house which we were taken to, right on the beach. The cove was very big and we had it to ourselves! You'd pay a fortune to find such a spot anywhere else! The men then went off fishing which is what they had planned to do before this lapun meri [old woman] accosted them on the beach!! We were told not to worry about the time when they returned though!

So we spent a very leisurely day, Ken on the verandah and me walking along the shore and swimming. Swimming in a public place is a bit of a pain for a woman as you can't show your body between waist and knee which means swimming is a bore and shorts weigh you down!!! I did cheat and take them off at one point as I'd not seen a soul all day!

Lunch was served by two young women. Now they had gone and sat on the verandah with Ken before I saw them. This is VERY unusual in PNG as sitting near a man sends out a message. I do keep telling Ken he's a safe option as they would not see him as a threat but maybe a catch as he's old and well off and to them won't last long!!!!!!! We've had some laughs at this I can tell you!!

One of the young ladies was visiting and had discovered that her cousin was living there with her new "husband". Well boyfriend as the bride price hadn't been paid yet. And then there was Solance! Very young lady from Karkar Island visiting with a Chinese "missionary [she'd been educated in Derby my birthplace!] who had a long chat to Ken whilst Solance chatted to me. "Oh Auntie I have no mobile credit and can't call my Mum". Use my phone. She did but said she couldn't get a signal, possibly true. Kept angling for me to help her out. No I didn't rise to it. However, later that evening we discovered that "5 kina credit has been requested for phone number ?????? yes Solance!!! ANDshe'd tried Ken's phone number as well!!! As Ken said, "we've inherited another granddaughter!! Only teasing Rebekah!!! It did make us laugh though.

So George wants us to help him with his website and get people to visit his guest house. Wonderful but flights internally are crippling.

Josephine, George's wife met us and she has a new baby girl who was two weeks old and from our conversation she was born on my sister's birthday. The older girl is Leah and this one Rachel. Yes Biblical names and English names are the rage here which helps me remember them easily!

Fellows came back with what they told us was an Asian delicacy, sea cucumber or sea llama. It looked gross. Slimy and like a very large slug. Ken agreed to touch it but not me! Great chat with the men whose English is so good even though they left school after Grade 6 but I reckon that's because they were old enough to have been taught by missionaries in the past. They are concerned about their children and so have built a school using local bush materials and employed a teacher but are still awaiting the Govt to register them. On one hand great that the parents/community are doing this but sad that red tape hinders them even though their member of parliament is the Prime Minister!

So a brilliant day. Will definitely go back! Did dream that Ken had died and I went back to live and to help in the school!!!!