Karkar Island - the third most active volcano after Manam in the world [and we did Manam a few weeks ago!! We, meaning my colleague Ben and I the last remaining Education volunteers in Madang Province. I trust that I can do justice to this exciting trip as to be honest I am now knackered and ache all over. Oh for a deep hot bath with loads of radox! Instead it was a cold shower or none as we had no water at times. Anyway it was thrills and excitement all the way.But photos may come later as I have a slight glitch!

We were late leaving Madang, of course but after our PMV ride we arrived at Kubugam and sat and waited whilst our Education Support Manager, who is from Karkar, negotiated a banana boat. We got talking to an interesting Ghanian but that is another story but he was Dr Ben and is in one of the photos.

It was ROUGH! Imagine pictures of people surfing the waves? Well we did that in a banana boat. Dr Ben , a high official turned white and held on to anyone he could. At one point another man had his hands round Ben's leg! Now Ben doesn't travel very well either and he gradually slid further down the boat, I need to mention he stands at 6ft 6 at least. I then wanted to giggle but didn't think the men would appreciate it but I did take pictures although it is hard to see how high we were riding over the waves.It was amazing how the skipper handled the boat and I actually enjoyed it.

We walked along the beach to our guest house and there are the beach was our Tikitibu Seajay 2, our boat we had sold to the owner of the guest house and Marshall's uncle! As I was hot and sticky I fell into the sea and just floated whilst we waited for the key to arrive whilst Ben sat on the beach looking very sickly!

We cooked half heartedly whilst the men tried in vain to get the generator going. The kitchen was, like the bathroom on the ground floor and as the walls weren't finished nor painted it was very dark.

So to bed. I got up for the loo in the middle of the night, saw a tiny mouse and decided against it! Pathetic I know. Loads of centipedes around as well which hiss!

Agreed we would start as early as possible but it was a tiny moon and still pitch black. we left at 6:40am and were told by our guide that it was 30 minutes to Marshall's village where he'd stayed the night before. Tool us 20 so we were dead chuffed. Remember Ben is tall and I'm liklik!

So the climb began. Straight up through the village causing lots interest, waving and calling morning to all. Walked by some very old creameries that could have been at home! We soon had a long trail walking behind us and I felt good marching ahead. With us were girls from the local Primary school, two grade 8 [last year] and two grade 6. I was very impressed with their English.I think that they had been brought to look after me! After a couple of hours we were told now we start to climb. Ben looked at me and said I thought we had been! Indeed it was straight up and as the path hadn't been used for ages it was very overgrown. And very narrow so that you could only put one foot in front of the other. And not like the Himalayas where the path zigzags up! Twice when I honestly thought I would give up I was told klostu [they don't understand distance nor time I have to stress!]. So I carried on and at times Scholastica, wonderful name, had to pull me up! In the meantime another young lady carried my bag and another my camera! By this time I had drank the juice of4 fresh coconuts [yes me Ken!]

So we reached the top! But it wasn't! Not a volcano in sight. Instead we had to keep walking mainly on the level with a few steep bits but through really dark forest. Then we were at the top. Now at this point I have to say I was disappointed!!! It is odd. Look closely at the picture. You have a big surround a bit like a moat as if it has sunk. But the mist had cleared which was great and there were four different streams of smoke rising up. There had been a small eruption or activity last November but the last eruption had been in 1974.

So we had made it. From Marshall's village, 4 and a half hours [lonely planet says 12 hours up and down].

Loads of photos etc and we were ready to go down. Neither Ben nor I particularly like descending but at first we were fine. The slopes are so steep you can't as I call it, lean back into it. It was relentless. Didn't help that my 4 young ladies skipped behind me barefoot [they hid their flips on the way up!].Tree roots kept tripping me up and the girls would say "sori"!!! Then my legs just buckled under me. They wouldn't do what my brain told them. I was like a new born calf trying to stand. Mortifying I can tell you but my little band helped me all the way down. They were brilliant and without them I could still be up there!!

Then we met up with all the men chewing betel nut and messing around. One went uptree and chopped down nuts. We tried a nut called galip. Soft and ivory in colour but the outside a deep purple shell. So lovely. Much nicer than a brazil or almond.

We arrived back in the village at about 3;30 which was good and a man came from sitting under a tree with a load of others and offered me a mango! My young lady said did I want to put in my backpack so I went to unzip it and crumbled to the ground grazing my knee in front of all these blogs!! I know I was dehydrated and had hardly eaten anything since my jam sandwich for breakfast and I think my sugar level had dropped.

So we got back to the guest house at 5pm. The night before the caretaker of the guest house told me they hadn't been out fishing as they had no fuel and soi had given themK50 to buy and then fish. In a rash moment Ben said to the family come and eat with us!!! The tuna arrived! I asked Margaret to prepare and then said that as we were tired would she like the big one to prepare herself for the family and so it was agreed!!!

Power came on so we thought great. Lasted 30 minutes so we gave in and went to bed but I slept from 8pm until 7am which was great. And the next day no great aches and pains, that has come today!!!!!