Paradise Found - Salamoua!

We have just returned from a weekend away to paradise, and no I'm not exaggerating. Don't believe me? Here, check this out...

Yeah, I know. It's a tough life. Originally we planned to head up to Goroka for the long weekend (Remembrance Day was a public holiday here on Monday) but the security company wouldn't let us up there until after the elections so that was a bit of a bummer....until Glenn and Ange's friends who have a house at Salamoua said to tag along with them. We didn't need to be asked twice!

Salamoua is about an hours boat ride from Lae, only accessible by boat and is a tiny narrow spit with houses on each side and jetties where you pull your boat up. As you do. It was once upon a time a bustling town pre-war and was almost made the capital instead of Lae. The King family's house was the goods store, Salamoua is full of history about the war and is now a sleepy little village with some ex-pat's houses. Life at Salamoua is fairly traditional compared to life in the big smoke of Lae.  Some local kids came around selling bilums and shells.

The weekend pretty much consisted of lots of yummy food, fresh fruit from the markets, Ange's delicious eggs benedict (with English muffins made from scratch) and dinner down under the cabana by the water. The kids swam like fish and played with the King boys, Henry and Tommy. Uncle Matt was in baby stalker heaven attached to Penelope most of the time. 

On Sunday morning we went for a walk up to the top of the hill overlooking the Salamoua spit, a very steep and slippery climb after 100+ mm's of rain the night before. Definitely the most unfit person alive - okay maybe an exaggeration but still, pretty unfit for a seemingly healthy 25 year old. There were some war graves, Japanese guns and trenches in the midst of the jungle, all very interesting. Also found a few bird eating spiders, only a bit bigger than my palm. 

On Monday afternoon we reluctantly boarded the King's boat back to Lae then drove the two and half hours back to Ramu. Big day, tired kids (and grown ups) after an exciting weekend playing in the sand, collecting coconuts, fishing and paddling the waters of beautiful Salamoua.