The building of the Bung

The old market (bung) is falling down around our ears so thanks to the Gazelle Restoration Authority and finance from the World Bank, a new market is being built across the road. It is looking quite spectacular so I went for a closer look.

When you take photos of people working here you cause total chaos, so what with the calling out and the waving, I left before all worked stopped! People assume you are a tourist and call out “Ples belong yu we?” Which literally means “Place belong you where” or “Where do you come from?”

I went back on Sunday when it was quieter and the workers had gone, and took more photos. I will go back and photograph it when it is finished and in operation.

Maus Bilong Tavurvur

This is our local radio station RADIO EAST NEW BRITAIN – RENB. A local painter revamped the front so it is quite a land-mark now. On it you can see some of the local cultural icons of this province, including the frangipani, Bainings Fire Dancers, and the Duk Duks. I will introduce you to these in up-coming posts.

Maus means mouth or voice so the sign reads Voice belong Tavurvur (The voice of the volcano -Tavurvur)

You can also see on the sign, that this building was built by the Japanese. After the 1994 eruption many buildings were rebuilt in Kokopo (which is further around the bay) with aid-money from other countries. Japan also rebuilt the devastated Rabaul airport (to the other end of the bay at Tokua), and many Japanese volunteers and tourists work and visit here each year.

A Rhino on my shoe

Here in PNG we don’t have a lot of creepy crawlies, but what we do have is BIG!! This rhinoceros beetle was downstairs yesterday, so I thought I’d take its portrait!! It is attached itself to my thong when I tried to turn it over. We often only see them around the place when they are on their last legs - this one was on its back and not well!!!

The rhinoceros beetle is the strongest creature on the planet – proportionate to its size. It can carry 850 times its own weight which is amazing. I couldn’t work out why a rhinoceros beetle would need to be so strong – it’s not like it is a removalist…….or is it? This is an interesting link that answers the question.

They are quite harmless and apart from their ferocious appearance don’t bite or even charge, but make quite a loud hissing noise when you touch them. Kids in Asia have them as pets, but here they eat the new growth out of the coconut palms, so are considered a nuisance.

Croquet anyone?

Yesterday in the late afternoon, I played croquet at my neighbours, who live just down the beach from me. They have friends visiting at the moment from Australia, and we had such a good time. We finished the afternoon with what else but a Pimms on the lawn.

How civilised!!

Riven V: Field of Coconuts

Time to head back....... and as we turn to leave, we see this group of coconut trees with interesting trunks. As you drove past they look like they are moving. What do they remind you of?

Thanks for coming to Riven with me; I hope you enjoyed it.

Riven IV: Wave on Driftwood

There are quite a lot of trees and stumps on the beach today that must have been washed down the rivers during the big rains. They actually help hold the sand on the beach and make good subjects for photographs.

He-Who-Doesn’t-Blog is also a keen photographer and is secretly enjoying being dragged off as driver and technical assistant on my photo shoots; and I have to admit this photo taken on Riven Beach, is his.

Riven III: The Beach

We’re there! I hope it was worth the bumpy ride.

The first photo is as you round the corner and see the water – I am on the top of a steep drop so I can't avoid the trees. I am worried the trunks will spoil the photo, but it kinda looks like a view through a window – maybe??

The beach at Riven is not the typical tropical beach you usually see up here. The beach is sand but the sea bed is very rocky and there are some deep channels and dangerous rips. The people in the first photo had to rescue their children from being washed out to sea earlier in the afternoon. The father of the children has bruised and cut legs from the rocks.

The second picture is taken from down on the sand looking back towards the way we came in.

We may have to sit on the beach and have a glass of wine and a chat – it is probably too dangerous to swim.