Memorial in Wab

After a year away from our home in the Mibu tribe in Papua New Guinea, we're back! I've not had a chance to get down to Madang to see how Shan Skailyn fares, but I'm assuming all is well since it is put away safely on top of a container under the cover of a tin roof, and wrapped in a tarp.

This might not be the most exciting post, but I thought I'd share something my co-worker sent me when he was traveling through the area that we'd launched the boat from (Wab) on the Rai Coast. He noticed a memorial that had been built, and upon checking it out, realized that it was a memorial of our having brought the boat down there! They used the piece that I'd fashioned as a 'tail' for the canoe so that it would point forward in flight as it was slung under the helicopter. The depiction of the boat is really cool looking!

I remember when we were making our way up the coast, many people recalled a voyage made by another expat paddling a canoe from several years prior. The locals really remember this stuff!

For those who know better... yes, the cargo cult mentality that is so prevalent here is what motivated the building of this thing. While I really dig the logo, the thought of this being a cargo cult thing makes my heart sink just a bit.