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Our sincere thanks to
Danny Kennedy of Gizo Adventure Sports,
and
Keithie Saunders, U.S. Consular Agent
and her husband Bruce!!
May 15, 6:30 a.m.
Yesterday afternoon we left the port of Honiara on Guadalcanal and are now on a 45-hour crossing to the island of Misima where we will clear PNG customs. Then we head to Yela, a remote island at the eastern end of the Louisiade Archipelago. Honiara was hot and dirty, and we were glad to be gone (although not before we all had several latte and cappuccino fixes at the Lime Lounge). While in Honiara we attempted to visit the site of the Berende Plantation where Caroline and Margaret had spent time, but an impassable road and a flat tire thwarted us. We used that opportunity, however, to experiment with betel nut chewing, with Dr. Andrew Moutu as our guide. It was certainly a unique experience, and we both went through two bottles of water getting the glue-y stuff out of our gums! The highlight of our stay was a reception given in our honor by the U.S. Consular Agent, Keithie Saunders, at her home in the hills behind the city. Keithie was instrumental in setting up radio and newspaper interviews with us as well. Thanks Keithie.
Before we wrap up our reporting on the Solomon Islands, we want to acknowledge Danny Kennedy, owner of Gizo Adventure Sports, who was an invaluable resource to us during our journey through the Solomons. A resident of Gizo for 20 years, Danny seems to know everyone, everywhere throughout the islands. Besides showing us some tremendous dive and snorkeling spots, Danny was instrumental in helping locate the descendants of the man in “Marovo Lagoon Family.” Without his knowledge of the people and the area, it’s doubtful we would have made such an important connection. Danny’s knowledge of the local language, and his indefatigable energy and good humor aided our travel through the region, smoothing our passage and allowing easy communication. Thanks Danny!
We are now beginning our second leg — our guests have flown home, and we’re down to our core team and crew. We had a spectacularly beautiful passage last night running south from Guadalcanal. A bright crescent moon reflected off the Pacific waters, lightning flashed occasionally far in the west, and the night sky was brilliant with stars.
And to the three Nancys - we miss you!!!
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Thursday, May 12, 2005
Michele & Karen wish to extend our regards to the members attending the Triennial now going on in Savannah, Georgia!! May 12 – 15, 2005
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Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Since our last entry a major breakthrough occurred. Two nights ago we located descendants of a portrait subject in one of Caroline’s paintings. In the town of Patutiva (current spelling) in Marovo Lagoon, we stopped to talk with the headman and show copies of Caroline’s paintings from the area. She and Margaret had lived across the lagoon in Seghi, and used to paddle across to Patutiva to paint portraits. After asking around we found an old man with the same last name—Maike--as the young man in “Marovo Lagoon Family.” There are no other families of that name in the area, and the dates all matched up. The old man was one of the children. We also met a younger brother Terry who looks very much like the man in the portrait. We spent a wonderful evening talking with them about their father. Their recollections of their father’s skills (carving, singing) match the description in Caroline’s book. We were thrilled to have discovered a living link to Caroline’s time here.
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This morning we traveled further into the lagoon to the island of Telina to meet wood carvers and to talk with one of their important men, John Wayne. John spent a considerable amount of time talking with us about his tribe’s heritage. They are all now Seventh Day Adventists, but they have great pride in their past and their ancestors. We talked about headhunting and the power of chiefs, of gods old and new. Then John led us up a steep jungle path on his island to show us a special shrine where the old artifacts are kept. It’s interesting to note that when they became Christianized, they did not destroy all the old items or skulls, but rather secreted them away in a jungle sanctuary.
May 8, 2005 (Mother's Day)
It’s mid-morning and we’re steaming through the Morovo Lagoon area towards Seghe. We spent the night underway from Ghizo through New Georgia Sound, or “The Slot,” a critical sea area in World War II where the allies hampered the Japanese re-supply to Guadalcanal. As was the case during our passage from Rabaul, the seas were a bit rough, but not nearly as bad as that previous longer crossing. After several cloudy nights, the stars were out in full force early in the night and many of us saw our first sighting of the Southern Cross. Of course the night sky down here is completely different than in the northern hemisphere and this has been a source of wonder to us first-timers. This morning we made a quick stop near Nduhiri where some of us went scuba diving and others caught up on reading and quiet time.
The last couple of days have been filled with new experiences, not the least of which was a very wet ride in a Solomon Islands war canoe. Yesterday at the village of Mandou on Parara Island (New Georgia group) we were treated to the spectacle of 18 men carrying their black canoe—at full running speed--into the water and then paddling off to the bugle-call of a triton shell horn. With whoops and cries they muscled the large canoe across the waters. Of course we photographers and filmmakers were shooting like mad. Then it was our turn! The two of us had the bright idea of shooting stills from mid-ships, assuming our plastic bags would keep out the occasional splash. After the first 30 seconds aboard we realized that more than splashes were involved. We banged off a dozen or so images quickly before putting our cameras back under cover, for we were being doused with water! It was a wild and exhilarating ride, and we were impressed by the strength in all those arms and backs. To think of how men would traverse hundreds of miles in those vessels many years ago was exhausting to contemplate.
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On Friday we had the privilege of visiting “Skull Island” in the same vicinity. This very special place was a kind of open-air mausoleum for the skulls of both chiefs and victims. As we approached the island, local men fishing from canoes met us and escorted us to shore. They helped us to understand some of the meaning of what we saw. But like so much in these islands, meanings change over time and what might have been important in the past is different now. A coral “altar” or table had been created to house the skulls. Chiefs’ skulls were housed in a triangular shaped and carved wooden box. The skulls of the purported victims from other tribes were nestled in pairs among the coral stones. A very large and apparently aged iron bowl nestled among some small trees held rainwater. Apparently if any water is taken out of this bowl a large storm will develop. Based on the squall that blew up the next day, someone must have dipped a bucket in!
Em tasol olgeta ino longtaim mipela wrait gen long yupela.
(This is Pidgen, meaning "All for now - we will write again soon.")
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May 2, 2005
Finally, we’re on the boat! As we wipe the last layer of pumice ash from our skin and equipment, we’re ready to set sail on our first leg. We’ve been three days in Rabaul, a town in East New Britain located in the cusp of an ancient caldera surrounded by volcanoes, one of which is still very active. Once considered the most beautiful town in Papua New Guinea, Rabaul was virtually destroyed by an eruption in ’94. Most of the town now sits under a cloak of gray dust.
Friday we had our first “taste” of pumice and sulphuric air when we photographed the belching cone of Turvavur. That afternoon we visited an Arowe village near Kokopo where we documented the villagers dancing and singing, and we learned about headbinding customs that were practiced until the mid-60s. Saturday we got a different perspective as we shot aerials from a helicopter of Turvavur as well as scenes of coastal villages and palm plantations. Later that day we met Ken, an elderly man who lives in the shadow of the volcano. Just this morning we were extremely lucky to locate one of the few remaining elders of the Arowe tribe who had his head bound as a child.
These early days of the expedition have been extremely busy and full of administrative and logistical arrangements. It sometimes seems that the photography is a secondary activity. Our film crew has been working overtime to document our activities, and numerous planning meetings have been necessary to establish the story line and the tone of the documentary. So we are more than ready to shove off now on our voyage to the Solomon Islands. Next stop—Ghizo in New Georgia. Our real journey begins now in earnest.
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To hear Arowe Tribe Chant recorded on this trip CLICK HERE
