Friends of Rambutso helps save lives

Friends of Rambutso trip March 2008
http://www.prodivedrummoyne.com.au
After a wonderful break and some great diving in Kavieng, I was looking forward to the trip to Manus then onto Rambutso. The Manus province is made up of a number of islands on the northern part of PNG. After spending the night in Lorengau, we got adjusted to the feeling of being in a developing country.




After breakfast we headed out to meet our transport to the Island of Rambutso. The trip can take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on the sea conditions. Today it was perfect. Two banana boats loaded up with luggage, fuel and the 7 of us set off across a very large ocean crossing. Our destination could just be made out in the distance or as our skipper put it so poetically sleeping on the horizon. We enjoyed a spectacular show of flying fish escorting us along the way as they fly over the deep blue tropical water, with one landing in the boat. The two boats with 40HP Yamaha outboards hummed as we thought about our expectations of the week ahead.




After about 2 hours we arrived at the stone wharf to the sound of beating drums and giggling children running to greet us. We were told to just take our essentials as the rest of the luggage would be taken to the village of Langot, where we would call home for the next 7 days. Drew, Lynnes brother, grabbed what he deemed essential - his 4 pack of Sorbent toilet paper. Unbeknownst to him we were walking into a village welcoming unlike anything we expected or had seen before. As we made our way across the soccer field, we had men and women dancing around us to the beat of drums, and hundreds of eyes looking at these strange white skinned Aussies. We were the largest group of white people to visit the island in living memory; it must have been quite a sight especially with Drew clenching his essential Sorbent 4 pack!




The greeting was fantastic with food, dancing, and speeches followed by more food, more dancing and more speeches. We did not quite know how to react to the welcome; it was very overwhelming to say the least.
Our accommodation was the home of Fred, Lynnes brother, who had died almost a year ago free-diving for sea cucumbers. It must have been strange for Ruud and Lynne as since their first visit 12 months ago, the family had been in mourning, meaning Lynnes mother had not left the house, her other brothers and friends had not shaven and had cut off their hair, and the fishing grounds where he had died had been closed to fishing.

to read the rest of the story follow the link http://www.friendsoframbutso.com/Community_Projects.html

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• PNG
• Free
• diving
• Friends
• of
• Rambutso
• saving
• lives
• PADI
• island
• life
• pacific

[getsave12]

OMG THIS IS MY VILLAGE!!!