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| The view of Milne Bay from Ulumani Treetops Lodge |
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| Cricket pitch shaded by an Avatar-esqe tree |
Recently I had the wonderful experience of taking a weekend getaway right to the middle of a rainforest. After a brief flight to Alotau in Milne Bay Province (Southernmost part of PNG, and by the coast), our host Warren greeted us, and a pleasant 45 min drive regaled with tales of how Warren conceived (he had seen what logging had done to surrounding environments), built (with his bare hands and the help of his family) and ran (beautiful food, a serene view, and a family to cater for all activities) the Ulumani Treetops Lodge ensued.
The view alone was more than enough to keep one glued to the deck chair for hours. The stillness of the trees framed by turquoise Milne bay, punctuated by the occasional hen pecking around is one of the most relaxing environments one can absorb, while breathing in the invigoratingly fresh air. Even more fortunately, we got the chance not just to enjoy the quiet stature of the rainforest and the delicious home-cooked vegetables fresh from the nearby garden, but also to explore the beautiful surroundings of Ulumani.
Just a short 20 min walk down from Ulumani, we arrived at the beach, in time to be invited for a game of cricket with the local boys! A lot of fun followed, 2 wickets, 2 catches and 22 runs was a memorable prelude to snorkeling along a shallow shipwreck a few minutes away from the game. Evenings were spent building fires along the beach old-school style, beginning with twigs and grass, and then maturing to larger bits of wood. Sitting around the blazing fires discussing topics ranging from green income streams that would allow Papua New Guinea to grow in a sustainable fashion to the variety in culture and heritage that was present and treasured all around us helped me to appreciate the 4 stars present event more: Beneath us, phosphorescent glow of plankton as they converted the kinetic energy of the waves and radiated in response to movements in the water. Above us, the stars twinkled with clarity, shining light unfiltered by the noise of light pollution we have all become so accustomed to. Among us, fireflies danced gaily, sharing their enthusiasm for living in the moment. And most of all Within us, each of us creating our own destinies, learning from experiences that we may grow, share and live fully.
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| Pool at the base of the waterfall |
After such an inspiring night, we were excited to do more, see more. So the next day, Warren Jr and Evax (Warren's son and nephew) took us on a 1-hr trek through the rainforest, after which we arrived at a breathtaking waterfall, with a natural pool of crystal clear water to swim, and even drink from at the base. On our way back through the forest, we passed several varieties of intricate (and gigantic) spiders, including weavers and tarantulas about as big as the size of our hands. It was fascinating to observe these industrious beings architect their webs, and for the most part we stayed away from interfering with their hard work.
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| Canoeing up the Dawadawa river |
For our final activity, a couple of Warren's other nephews kindly agreed to give us a lift on their boat along the coast of Milne bay, onto the channel leading up to the Dawadawa river, where we were able to move onto a much more natural form of transport - dugout canoe. With the guidance of locals from the village, we had an amazing journey paddling up the Dawadawa, untouched beauty on either side. While the scenery evoked memories of sailing down canals in Kerala, the experience of being in a tiny canoe fit so perfectly with the journey we undertook, allowing us to savor every rich moment that our oars merged seamlessly with the river. We paused at the banks a few times to join the kids in moments of merriment (shrieks of Dimdim, 'white man' in Tok Pisin, are always followed by gales of laughter), and were blessed with a cooling drizzle on our way back to the boat.
To think that we spent the weekend in a tiny part of Milne bay province, not even venturing to Alotau town, let alone other provinces or countries just boggles my mind as a reminder of how much beauty there is all around us. We just have to spend some time experiencing it, dwell on it, and smile.
