Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Pacific Island Journal Pt. 4


The reason we took a long drive up this long, winding and hard core road up to Goroka-Gera is because there had been unfortunate landslide that practically disconnected Mt. Hagen (further up, closer to the gold mine) with the rest of the PNG.
Major supply including oil, gas, foods and bettle nuts are being supply from the Lae or Moresby to Mt. Hagen via Goroka-Gera highway. The landslide had cause much suffering to the local tribes due to lack of food and collapses of houses and villages. When we were there, it was almost two weeks and helps weren't anywhere near. State of emergency were almost declared! Our job is to figure out how to install a pump to channel supply of oil across the landslide area.

Photo: View at the top of Goroka-Gera

Photo: Landslide that cause the tribes to move in seeking for new shelter and food


Photo: In the village, the tribes were waiting for helps and better solution

Photo: I remember at this juncture I met Pastor John, one of the local tribe member or community head who express unhappiness through us so the world can knows what had befallen upon them and that, they were desperately needing some help

Photo: Some villagers. It's a belief by the local tribe to put the mud on their face as observation of grief over something bad...


Photo: Local kids...
Photo: The house of Lord! Their church on Sunday

Photo: Fat-Ass couldn't climb up the sticky and quicksand mud

Photo: A remembrance of sort...we finally figure out the solution to built the pump. The supply continue...and we hope and pray it did help easp up the life of the tribes...

Sunday, August 24, 2008

The Pacific Island Journal Pt. 3


Our mission in Lae is to meet Daryl. And from Lae, we are to live through another mission- the embrace the challenges and long hours of road raging drive to the peak of Mt. Hagen where the operation of gold mine is located. Normal time from Lae to peak of Mt. Hagen are suppose to takes about 24-30 hours.


Photo: We were to start our journey. Crew's photo at the beginning of the journey. The 4WD car is the most robust and will take us through heaven and hell of this so called "Rocky Mountain Way" Parudin snap the photo for us.

Photo: Half way...through the amazing scenaries and landscapes of PNG

Photo: Journey thru' the the outskirt atmosphere of Eastern Highland Province.

Photo: Tough road! The robust 4WD scutlin' bustlin' thru it anyway...

Photo: Are we there yet?? Nope, apparently we weren't even halfway! The mountain kids were having fun throwing stones at our 4WD!

Photo: All hell freezes over! Ask the local and they would tell you that never stop at the village of Dumun tribe! They hurt and even kills for food...Well, heavy downpour and we got flat tyre, smack in between the Dumun village. Out of nowhere in the split second, handful of villagers appreared for the scene...I thought that's about it for the life I had lived thus far...
Photo: Nah!! It wasn't that bad. People are nice and very helpful indeed. Despite heavy downpour they rendered us their warm smile, kind heart companionship and most importantly helping hand. Who say they were nasty?? Not sure, but I guess this is what happen if we let it influence us too much with the doses of information that weren't ours. Well it could be true the Dumun tribe could be nasty, but not for the batch that we bumped into...well enough said, maybe we were lucky, with little help from our friends...
Photo: Sharing a moment donating my "Lucky Strike" cigarette with the Dumum people.
Photo: After giving 50-100 Kina to the policeman in jeep who happen to passed by us, they took one of the villager with them and returned to the location with new tyre. It took us 2-3 hours and it was blessing spending time with the locals understanding their life and surrounding...Yeah the group photos..
And after that, the show goes on....

The Pacific Island Journal Pt. 2 (Bonus Material)

Photo: Lunch time...

Photo: This is how the basic economic theory work; the demand and the supply


Photo: This "neither look like dog nor cat" is Tree Kangaroo. All they do is sleep and eat! Wonderful...Why I can't be one??

The Pacific Island Journal Pt. 2

Photo: A view from the top; we were departing Moresby and arriving Lae to meet Daryl which had been anticipating our arrival since we met back in 2007. He already prepared to charm us, promising it would be the best trip we ever had...



Photo: Still view from the top; The view was simply marvellous and awesome. I couldn't resist not to take any photo of it. For a second I want to die and surrender my soul to the beauty of God's creation...which I believe at the end of everything, they will reunite.


Photo: The mural painting of indigenous people of New Guineans at the reception wall

Photo: Hanging out with the local man at the nearby local market. No, I didn't give him the shirt. He asked me what the words mean? And I shoot out of my brain-cell who didn't have an idea about it that it meant "I am the great"...He was happy and we chilled the moment away with fresh coconut drink.





Photo: A walk in with Peter Nuan, a local man through the village of Morobe Province. Here Parudin was "getting drunk" with lot of coconut drink!

Signing Off...Peter

The Pacific Island Journal Pt. 1

Photo: Cruising down to the P.N. Guinea's infamous capital; Port Moresby





Photo: A day in the life of the local Guineans; buying and trading foods and daily needs


Photo: The Headline news that we were going to be part of it

Somewhere in 2nd week of April 2008, Parudin & I making our historic trips to the Pacific Island. We departned from Changi Airport to Papua New Guinea. Our first stop is Port Moresby, capital city of Papua New Guinea (PNG). This stop is the start of my historic and discovery of that part of the world that is beautiful and yet unknown. What follow suit is unforgetable and memorable road trip to the mountainous gold mine peak through the amazing landscape of the Pacific and unfortunate events that shed tears and emotions


Signing Off...Peter