A Weekend to Remember
Posted by Jeri on February 7, 2010
Living in the tropics has its perks. Living in an un-commercialized tropical place is even better. Selfishly, sometimes I’m glad PNG is so far away from everything else. There are some incredible places here you can go and be away from it all.
Hannah on the boat.
Elizabeth is napping in a bilum, a string bag made for carrying things.
Our mission team did just that this weekend. Our three families (Williamses, Reeses, and Fords) jumped onboard Leslie Williams’s boat and headed to Doini Island – about 1.5 hours from Alotau. The boat ride there was a bit rough and a few of our group endured seasickness. From Craig’s perspective, “Everyone needs a puking buddy, right?” But it was well worth it.
Everyone is excited to be off the boat!
We stayed at a guesthouse on the island – all 14 of us (8 of those being children – ages 10 and under!). We had a great time at the guesthouse, which had two double beds and four sets of bunk beds. It was perfect for our team! It was equipped with a full kitchen, so we were able to make our own breakfast and lunches there. We treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at the restaurant on Friday night. The meat was particularly delicious. I would’ve never known I was eating lamb until someone spilled the beans. The guesthouse had a huge veranda where the adults often sat and chatted while the kids used the bunks as a jungle gym. It was like one giant sleepover. All 8 kids were nestled in their beds shortly after 9:00 Friday night, while visions of waves and seashells danced in their heads. The adults enjoyed some good laughs and stories after that. I had no idea that Marcus and Diane could dance the jitterbug!
Pictured above: Leslie & Loopie Williams, Marcus & Diane, Faith Reese
Our little island beauties – Baylee, Rochelle, Hannah, and Hadassah
Caleb enjoying the bunk beds
The kids loved hearing Auntie Loopie’s stories before bedtime.
The island has white sandy beaches, as opposed to the rocky beaches we have near Alotau. The kids were especially thrilled to play in the sand and the ocean. They swam and collected seashells and swam some more. We also got to do some deep sea fishing. Leslie and Loopie are big fishermen, so they helped us out. Hannah Reese (age 10) was thrilled to catch her first fish – a huge mackerel! The fishing trip didn’t last much over an hour and a half on Saturday morning, considering we had a 5 year old, two 4 year olds, a 2 year old, and a 7 month old, as well as seasick 32 and 7 year olds on board for the adventure.
The beautiful beach at Doini Island
Craig helping Hannah Reese reel in her catch. It’s hard work catching a mackerel that weighs 7 kilos!
After we got our feet on solid ground, we took a trailer ride to some Skull Caves on the island. The view along the way was magnificent. Apparently some groups in PNG bury their dead upright. Some skulls have been collected and you can view them after a short hike up to this cave. It was interesting and educational, to say the least. Caleb kept asking me, “Do they have sharp teeth?” (That’s the same question he asks about sharks and other animals.)
The Skull Caves
We didn’t know if we’d be able to leave in the afternoon on Saturday because the sea was a bit rough. We waited for a while, then decided that the entire missionary team shouldn’t miss church on Sunday. We all ate ginger (which supposedly keeps seasickness at bay), then climbed onboard. Thankfully, not a single person got sick on the way back. To top it all off, we got to see a HUGE group of dolphins. They just kept jumping and playing all around our boat. If you’ve never seen a pod of dolphins in the wild, it is an amazing experience. If you’ve never seen a group of children see a pod of dolphins in the wild, it is even more amazing.
I wish I were a better photographer. This is the best picture I got of our dolphin experience.
So, 5 fish caught, lots of insect bites itching, and gobs of memories later, we are all safely back in Alotau … just waiting to plan our next adventure together.
Looks wonderful! Wish we could come visit you. I see your pictures and have this overwhelming desire to go to the beach and it triggers so many great childhood memories. Love you guys!
Marvelous in every way!!
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