Tuesday January 14. Warm, very warm.
Great sleep, awake and coffee at 6:10. Shortly we pulled into Madang, Capital of this province. Breakfast with the Cutlers and off the ship around 9:30 for a stroll around the town.
We four find it interesting and are so comfortable with ourselves as we have done the same thing in so many foreign places before. As a matter of fact, we were here 10 years ago on a World Cruise. Some things looking very familiar.
Within 10 minutes of walking we found ourselves attached to a couple of locals as sort of unofficial guides. Within a few minutes our guides had grown to five: two adults and three young boys.
We meandered sort of following a map we had, visiting a lagoon that harbours natives from several hours away bringing their wares to sell at the market nearby. During the walk we managed to purchase a large bar of soap that was on our list, that was a bit of an exercise in itself.
The security people seem to be everywhere, each store seems to have somebody at the front entrance. However everybody is very, very friendly, even passers by wave or say hello with a smile.
We were back on the ship before 11:00, needing a change of clothes and some food before venturing out after lunch for a ship's tour on a Cultural Tour. We get back around 11:00 PM Vancouver time so I am doing the blog and sending it early.
The dirt road by the ship has sellers set up by the time we walked off at 9:30.
Jim seeking information on which direction to go.
Strolling by the lagoon where boats from up country bring their goods to sell at the market.
Neat, clean, friendly market. Good looking produce. The people are poor but appear to be happy.
Gail with new friend.
Mom and two kids,
I took an almost identical picture inside this cocoa shed about10 years ago, this time I am in the picture.
Us and our 'guides' returning to the ship.
Girls and guides, after we gave then all some money.
Notice the bare feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment