Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I think it's going to be a white/ashy Christmas!!!!


Ash falls have been so heavy in Rabaul that like my friends snowed under in the Northern Hemisphere, the locals here have to dig their way out of their drive-ways too!!!

Notice the depth of the ash behind the fence where it hasn't been compacted by vehicles.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

This is something that hardly crosses my mind! Truly amazing!!! It must be a serious problem!

I envy you! Wish I had such a huge tropical aquarium in front of my house instead of the 5 little tanks in my office at home! :-)

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Jules :)

Excellent photos depicting the difficult conditions prevailing there and the never say die attitude of man who is capable of adapting to the most arduous living conditions.

I think the trees are also covered with ash and at this rate they will start looking like ghosts :)

I wonder how much ash the workers doing outdoor work on a daily basis to earn their livelihood will inhale. Will it not lead to chronic problems like asthma,TB etc?

I hope and pray this will stop before Christmas so that the people can enjoy and celebrate the feast.

A salute to the great people of Rabaul!

Best wishes to you, the true Ambassador of Rabaul!

Hilda said...

Oh wow, Jules, that looks bad. I can't imagine living under such circumstances.

Donna said...

I PRAY that thing Never really blows it's stack!!! Stay safe sweetheart!!!hughughugs

Mel Chanel said...

Howdy
I used to live in Rabaul on Wisdom Street, just off Malaguna Road and we took for granted that we could leg it to the pool, walk up Mango Avenue, breathe in the fresh air, be a caddy for Dad at the Rabaul Golf Club right near the airport that is no longer there, head over to see how Mum was doing in her Squash game next door, and then in the evening head to the Kaivuna Motel for dinner, or to the New Guinea Club or the Rabaul Yacht Club for smorgasbord dinner and the flicks under the stars We used to climb into the Rabalanakia crater, climb up the Beehives on the harbor and eye off Vulcan with only a tiny bit of suspicion each time there was a guria. We could never dreamed of constant ash dumps, the prospect of fresh ash turning to pumice every time it rains, the air full of the stuff and the house boi continually having to dust the house.
Kokopo was just a hick town when I lived there. It was where you passed through to get to Tovarua or Warangoi or Vunapope and a good place for eats and drinks at the Ralum Club. We used to do a House House Harriers and Harriets 10 kilometer run that ended on the golf course. The last part you had to tackle were Queen Emma's steps!
All the best for the holiday season.

Kind regards

Mel ;0)

Mel Chanel said...

Howdy
I used to live in Rabaul on Wisdom Street, just off Malaguna Road and we took for granted that we could leg it to the pool, walk up Mango Avenue, breathe in the fresh air, be a caddy for Dad at the Rabaul Golf Club right near the airport that is no longer there, head over to see how Mum was doing in her Squash game next door, and then in the evening head to the Kaivuna Motel for dinner, or to the New Guinea Club or the Rabaul Yacht Club for smorgasbord dinner and the flicks under the stars We used to climb into the Rabalanakia crater, climb up the Beehives on the harbor and eye off Vulcan with only a tiny bit of suspicion each time there was a guria. We could never dreamed of constant ash dumps, the prospect of fresh ash turning to pumice every time it rains, the air full of the stuff and the house boi continually having to dust the house.
Kokopo was just a hick town when I lived there. It was where you passed through to get to Tovarua or Warangoi or Vunapope and a good place for eats and drinks at the Ralum Club. We used to do a House House Harriers and Harriets 10 kilometer run that ended on the golf course. The last part you had to tackle were Queen Emma's steps!
All the best for the holiday season.

Kind regards

Mel ;0)

Mel Chanel said...

Howdy
I used to live in Rabaul on Wisdom Street, just off Malaguna Road and we took for granted that we could leg it to the pool, walk up Mango Avenue, breathe in the fresh air, be a caddy for Dad at the Rabaul Golf Club right near the airport that is no longer there, head over to see how Mum was doing in her Squash game next door, and then in the evening head to the Kaivuna Motel for dinner, or to the New Guinea Club or the Rabaul Yacht Club for smorgasbord dinner and the flicks under the stars We used to climb into the Rabalanakia crater, climb up the Beehives on the harbor and eye off Vulcan with only a tiny bit of suspicion each time there was a guria. We could never dreamed of constant ash dumps, the prospect of fresh ash turning to pumice every time it rains, the air full of the stuff and the house boi continually having to dust the house.
Kokopo was just a hick town when I lived there. It was where you passed through to get to Tovarua or Warangoi or Vunapope and a good place for eats and drinks at the Ralum Club. We used to do a House House Harriers and Harriets 10 kilometer run that ended on the golf course. The last part you had to tackle were Queen Emma's steps!
All the best for the holiday season.

Kind regards

Mel ;0)

Mel Chanel said...

Sorry for posting three times. My MAC has a mind of its own. Real sorry. Mel

Jane Hards Photography said...

It really is another world and a hard one at that. We take so much for granted here that this is a very humbling scene.

Jules said...

Hi All and thanks for your comments.

Joseph - many thanks. I really am not the true Ambassador for Rabaul as I don't live there. The people like my friend Suzie are the true Ambassadors because they live with this ash and devastation every day and are always positive and cheery!!!! I watch guiltily from across the harbpour as the ash keeps falling!!!!

Mel - great to hear from another ex-Rabaulite. Have you been back since the eruption??? I have some photos on my Rabaul Extra Photos blog of Rabaul post-eruption that you may be interested in. If you click on My Profile you can access them there. Cheers!!!

Marie said...

What I like in your blog is that you show us all aspects to life in Rabaul. Very interesting, as always.

Willow said...

Oh my! That is a lot of ash!

I was reminded of your post about the WWII era plane in a neighbor's yard when my son posted about seeing a documentary about recovering old planes and saw the Black Widow that we watched being helicopter-lifted from the top of Mt Cyclops near Jayapura!

Thérèse said...

Oh no!!!
No problem breathing over there?

USelaine said...

I too hope you are truly a safe distance away! The sharp pumice could wear on the tires and shoes, I'd think.

dive said...

Wow, Jules!

Hey, do the kids make ashmen like ours make snowmen?

Yolanda said...

I hope you stay safe. I live about 2 hours from Mt.st helens which continues to puff at times.

edward said...

i am waiting for snow

does the ash make you sneeze ?

Jules said...

Hi All Haven't been able to get online until now - scream!!!! If this is broadband I'll fly to the moon!!!!

The ash does make me sneeze and itch but experts say it isn't poisonous or anything sinister but people with lung complaints would be better off living somewhere else!!!!

I think it would make a good snow/ashman Dive but gosh you'd need a good shower after making it!!!

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