By Anne Gordon

Tell a North American fisherman that he can catch fish with a spider web and he’ll scoff at the idea.  Then tell him that a rattle made of coconut shell and bamboo is a sure thing for luring sharks and the response will be equally incredulous.

In Papua New Guinea off the northern coast of Australia, fishermen gather spider webs from the forest at daybreak.  Attached to kite tails, trailing webs when skimming across the water lure drummer fish to the surface.  Then, tangled in the fine strands the fish are drawn in.

As for luring sharks, David Kirkland, an Australian photographer, had first-hand experience of that dangerous undertaking.  Joining what he thought was a seasoned “shark caller” he paddled out to sea in a flimsy outrigger canoe.  Lowering a coconut shell and bamboo rattle into the water his companion shook it.  Within minutes a curious shark emerged from the inky depths.  At the sight of the monster, the Papuan – obviously a novice – took fright.  Tipping the dugout, he unseated Kirkland who landed foursquare on top of the shark.  “I shot off that bloody shark like an Exocet” said Kirkland.  “My camera equipment … sank to the bottom.

In the ocean surrounding Papua New Guinea, divers can expect to see scorpion fish, ghost pipe fish, pygmy sea horses swaying beside giant sea fans, Eagle Rays advancing like an army of predatory space-age birds and sinuous evil-eyed eels peering from cavities in the coral reef.

Schools of barracuda swirling in glittering funnels lit by a filtered sun sweep out of the blue, while silver tip sharks cruise by, slow and menacing.  From the daintiest sea slug to the gargantuan proportions of a gliding whale shark as it sups on masses of krill each time it opens its mouth, this ocean with its islands, atolls and coral reefs is ranked among the world’s finest diving destinations.

Land exploration in Papua New Guinea is equally magical.  Western crowned pigeons and Birdwing butterflies live alongside jungle wallabies, possums, tree kangaroos and echidnas who at mating time link up with a train of other lovelorn males to pursue a single female for sometimes four weeks at a time.

Disembarking from a bush plane in the village of Timbunke, we six travel-obsessed women were ready for a journey that would cover places that few westerners have ever seen.  Our exploration was to take in the central part of the Sepik river watercourse that twists and winds for 700 miles to the Bismarck Sea.

Stilt villages along the river are home territory to sorcerers, spirits, strange rituals and dark secrets.

Villagers whose antecedents have lived alongside the Sepik for thousands of years, have a spectacular art tradition.  Their Haus Tambarans (Spirit Houses) are beautifully crafted.  Masks, hand drums, ancestral figures and shell jewellery are making their way into the western collectibles market. Head dresses crowned with feathers and decorated with pig’s tusks and shells are a popular buy. Fantastical Malagan helmet masks specifically made for use in ceremonies honouring the dead, are to be found in museums around the world.

We visited a “Women’s House” (men and women live separately along the Sepik) where young girls, their mothers and grandmothers, bare-breasted but bejeweled with necklaces of shells and gleaming ivory tusks and wearing grass skirts danced for us.  In the ‘Mens House’ we listened enthralled to the beat of a voluminous drum and haunting primeval music of flutes drifting in the sultry air.

Young men of the Iatmul tribe, believing that they are descended from a crocodile, undergo an initiation ritual that involves having crocodile patterns cut into their bodies with ultra sharp blades.  John Fearfull, the captain of the “Sepik Spirit”, a riverboat on which we traveled, is one of few white men ever initiated into this tribe.

On a steamy night as the “Sepik Spirit” rocked gently against a pit pit covered riverbank, Fearfull told us of his initiation ordeal.  Following a lengthy period of sleep deprivation and numerous painful and frightening rituals – many of which he would not describe because of sworn secrecy – hundreds of incisions made with ultra sharp blades were cut into his body.  As the painful ceremony was underway, elders beat garamut drums made from hollowed-out tree trunks elaborately carved to resemble totem animals.

For days afterwards the incisions were scrubbed to open them up, then mud was packed into the cuts to cause infection making the resultant scars more prominent.  In Fearfull’s words, “It was a serious commitment for me.  I felt strongly about the initiation, I still do, but the cutting and what followed, made for the worst pain I have felt in my entire life.  At one point the elders thought I would bleed to death.”

On all Papua New Guinea islands dress is a distinguishing factor.  In the Highlands, attire is often a bunch of leaves hanging from a bark belt to cover the buttocks and a lap lap (a small piece of cloth) worn in the front to cover genitalia.  A bow with accompanying arrows slung over one shoulder is not just a fashion accessory.  It completes the outfit of a modern day warrior.

For ceremonies and festivals males in particular take on a whole new persona.  For them, self decoration is an art form, an exhibition of culture and a celebration that identifies them with a specific clan.

Huli men wear elaborate crescent shaped wigs similar to a toreador’s hat.  Fashioned from their own hair, wigs are trimmed with yellow daisies and crowned with sprays of long silky Bird of Paradise feathers.  Faces are painted canary yellow.  Earrings made from toolbox oddments, necklaces made from seeds and opalescent shells, and a slender twig or a two-foot long feather through a pierced nose add to their adornment.

Mud men from Goroka with their huge mud masks and sharpened bamboo claws on their fingers are more intimidating.  Bodies are covered with whitish clay.  Brandishing clubs and spears during an aggressive dance gives them the appearance of creatures from the underworld.

Attending the Mount Hagen festival in August is to see Papuans at their most magnificent.  Thousands of clansmen from all the islands gather in this small Highland town to enjoy three days of competition and fun.

Like the male bird when out to attract a mate, Papuan men – handsome at best – are most glorious when dressed for a Sing Sing.

By Kat Sunlove, M.A.

Few places on earth evoke the kind of romantic dreams and exotic imagery as the tropics. In Costa Rica, one of the more pristine examples of tropical lands, all those images come vividly to life – from white sand beaches to dense flora of the rain forest, from rumbling volcanoes to the incessant warbling of colorful birds.

But all is not perfect in these beautiful environs. The tropics also harbor more problematic visions as well, namely, insects. Bugs of every variety, shape, size and color find a comfortable home here in the warm and humid environment of Costa Rica. And while that same temperate climate helps plants grow, it also makes protecting agriculture from the ravages of insects a difficult task indeed. As visitors here for a three month sojourn, my husband and I saw first-hand how destructive just one species can be. One warm evening, sitting outside on our patio, we noticed what appeared to be a trail of small leaves moving unassisted along a dirt path in a narrow flowerbed. On closer inspection, we discovered a parade of leaf-cutter ants literally carrying away a Poinsettia, one piece of leaf at a time, the leaves often larger than the ant itself. Almost overnight the foliage was completely stripped from the plant!

Little wonder that so many pesticides are employed here in the battle against such voracious creatures. Toxic products such as Mirex, a chlorinated hydrocarbon banned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1976, are still widely used in Costa Rica to control creepy-crawlies like our hungry leaf-cutters. Growing produce organically in the tropics is undoubtedly a challenge but it is not impossible, as we found on a recent trip to Finca Luna Nueva Lodge (FLN), a verdant 200-acre certified organic biodynamic estate in the rain forest near the active Arenal Volcano. The dedicated folks at FLN have taken organic farming in the jungle to a whole new level, integrating the practices of biodynamics with organic techniques, combining detailed soil preparations, complex crop rotation and even celestial considerations into a magnificent working farm producing some of the most delicious and nutritious foods you will ever taste.

Our trip to FLN was planned as a vacation outing with friends visiting from the United States, a relaxing getaway that offered a resort atmosphere and gourmet food along with interesting tours to local attractions such as the Arenal Hanging Bridges hike over rain forest canopy. What we didn’t expect was that FLN’s free “farm tour,” would turn out to be so informative and inspiring.

When scheduling our outing, Joe, the smiling host in the reception booth, asked if we had any areas of particular interest and since Layne and I did some organic gardening at our home in Northern California and had seen the ravages of leaf-cutter ants first-hand here in Costa Rica, we said we wanted to learn how the farm maintains an organic approach in the face of such pests. That specialized interest rewarded us with a second tour guide; Harold, the Farm Director, joined us and offered a lecture and demonstration of the techniques they use to produce organic cash crops as well as some 90% of the foods they serve their guests, including salad greens, tomatoes, beets, carrots and yucca, among others, as well as lamb, chicken and pork from their free-range herds.

As we started up the trail, our guide Roy pointed to some of the plants along the way, encouraging us to pluck a leaf, rub it and take a sniff of the aromatic herbs nestled here and there among the flora. At one point, he stopped and pointed up a tall tree to a dark blob on a branch. “There’s a three-toed sloth!” he exclaimed, “the laziest animal in the jungle!” Near a shed where compost is developed, some workers called to Roy saying there was a “chicken of the tree” resting nearby. We all walked over to see what this was but saw no bird. Then Roy directed our eyes to a large Iguana sunning itself on a log and laughingly told us it’s called a “chicken” partly for the taste of the meat.

But it was Harold’s talk that captured the complexities of biodynamics in growing the crops, as well as the reasons they work to foster the spiritual energies of the farm by planting or harvesting in sync with celestial and astrological rhythms. He also explained to us how they manage the inevitable pests organically by, for example, digging down into the multi-chambered nest of the leaf-cutters to find and kill the queen, but never using poisons or insecticides.

As we huddled under the compost shed out of a light drizzle, Harold described the steps involved in creating a biodynamic spray they use for soil preparation, which entails the use of gender-specific parts of certain animals in a prescribed timeline that is intended to serve as a catalyst for compost development. For instance, they fill the horn of a female cow with manure from a female cow and bury that in the soil for six months fermentation; combined with water, this concoction is sprayed on the soil prior to sowing the crop. Similarly, they use powdered quartz crystal that has also been buried and fermented in a cow’s horn to create a spray for use on the growing plant.Then there is the use of certain animal organs, such as a male deer’s bladder, filled with specific herbs to enrich the compost. The vegetable garden is constructed in the shape of a Mandala, an expanding circular form intended to utilize the space effectively as well as to call on the magical energies inherent in that design. Further along, we observed aspects of their crop rotation system in practice. After harvesting, they let the land revive itself naturally with free-growing native plants, then they introduce goats to eat down that foliage; chickens are then put in to fertilize and stir up the soil and finally, they allow hogs to root and loosen the earth in preparation for the next planting.

You might think that such labor-intensive methods would hinder a profitable farming system but in fact, Finca Luna Nueva cultivates two lucrative crops, certified organic turmeric and ginger, which they produce for New Chapter, Inc., an organic manufacturer of vitamins and herbal supplements.

Established in 1994, FLN offers educational conferences and workshops to those who want to learn about biodynamic systems, sustainable organic agriculture and conservation. The Lodge and outlying cottages were built in 2003 using fallen timber from the farm. Since then they have added a solar heated Jacuzzi, an ozonated swimming pool and a handicapped accessible rain forest trail. The whole place is a model of efficient and sustainable use of local resources.
Whether you desire a relaxing holiday in the rain forest, pampered by gourmet meals, massage and facials or if you want to learn about biodynamic farming methods, you won’t find a more perfect place than Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, an eco-retreat par excellence!

The sunlight dims behind our narrow red, white and blue paddle banca as the looming darkness ahead draws nearer.  The smell of wet seaweed washes ashore from the ocean and the sounds of water dripping from amongst the cave ceiling surrounds us. The ambiance fills with curiosity as our group submerges into the unknown environment of the intertwining rocky tunnels within. At 8.2 kilometers, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines is the longest navigable underground river in the world.  Nominated as one of the World’s Seven Wonders, this river flows underneath a magnificent limestone mountain landscape that exits directly into the South China Sea. However, this cave system only allow boat tours access to the first 4 km before turning back due to low rock ceilings. According to the guide, it was in 1971 that Americans first explored this cave.

As our banca with outriggers crawls further in, the only light available comes from one large flashlight held by the person sitting in front – in this case, me. I hold the flashlight and my camera with my foot resting on the boat’s edge. Perhaps having control of the light and my camera for evidence (just in case) would keep my restlessness down. Tour boats resemble that of narrow canoes but the side edges are close to the water’s surface level. How easy it looks for the boats to submerge in water. Our guide navigates from the back of the boat as other tour boats glide past going the opposite direction. Its a good sign to see them coming back with smiles.

The low light conditions makes photography difficult. However, limited light sources also prevent large mosquitos (larger than I’ve ever before seen) from becoming too much of a nuisance. The brownish green waters’ depth lies between 10 to 29 feet deep, depending on the tides. In fact, the lower portions of the river is subject to tidal influences. During high tide periods, parts of the cave is actually underwater. The highest point in the entire cave is a 65 ft tall domed amphitheater above ground level which is never underwater. Our guide recommends against swimming in the area as it is too dark and potentially hazardous – a suggestion I will definitely not test.

Above us parts of the rock ceilings boast hundreds of bats, too dark and too far up to see in detail. A few fly near the top but threaten no harm. The bats also do not react to the sound of loud voices. I discover this fact when I excitedly point out “ Look! Those are bats up there!” Their glowing eyes can be seen if you watch carefully. It can be a mesmerizing yet anxious and eerie moment to see creatures not common in city-life. As far as the guides are concerned, there are no crocodiles or sharks dwelling in the cave area. If there are other life forms living here, it probably would not be visible to visitors.

As the boat glices smoothly in the water, our guide describes the major rock formations passing by: “Just ahead to the right is a whitish smooth rock that resembles a woman.” Unique rock formations and boulders such as stalactites, stalagmites and large chambers align the cave walls. Sharp rock pillars also hang from overhead. The cave wall where rock meets water also exhibit marble-like material while others display a smooth lumpy texture. The flashlight holder must be quick at following the guides’ instructions of where to point in order for the shapes to be seen. Luckily, I heard no complaints from the back of our boat about my flashlight operations.

Smaller tunnel pathways and black hallow recesses lead deeper into the cave where visitors would have to duck should they choose to continue. It is at this point where our tour guide slows the canoe to turn around due to low ceilings, sharp twists and turns. To further proceed to the inner depths of the niches and tunnels before flowing out into the sea may require more skilled scuba divers. Although curiosity of the mystical environment beyond our turning point irk the group, the point of sunlight upon return bring about some relief.

Visitors can be assured lifejackets and hard hats are provided. Professional tour guides are very knowledgeable of the cave area and know exactly what and where everything is without the need for flashlights. Using mosquito repellent is recommended. The general registration fee to enter the park is 30 PHP (approx. $0.65 US). Visitors will need to obtain entry permits from the Park Information and Booking Office or Visitors Center at the Park itself. Cave entrance fees are 200 PHP (approx $4.25 US dollars) for individuals ages 21-60, 100 PHP for those ages 17-21, 75 PHP (approx. $2.13 US) for 13-16 year olds, and 50 PHP  for 6-12 year olds. For those that want commercial videos, 3000 PHP (approx $63.00 US) is the fee. Hours of operation begin at 8:30 am with 4:30 accomodating the last tour due to tide influences.

Photo credits: Bev Isla and iStockPhoto

Information:

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most unspoiled natural beauty of the Philippines. It boasts a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation as it contains some of the most important forests in Asia. Considered a National Geological Monument, the global significance of the park is also inscribed in the World Heritage list.

For more details, go to www.puerto-undergroundriver.com
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Office
No. 11 National Highway, Junction 1
Brgy. San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City 5300, Palawan, Philippines
Tel: (048) 433-2409
Email: reservation [at] puerto-undergroundriver.com

Getting there:

Bahile is 81 KM (2 hours) from Puerto Princesa. Jeepneys or aircon shuttle vans can be taken. After registering at the park entrance, a 15 min pumpboat ride or 1 and a half hour hike then leads you to the underground river.

Volcanoes Safaris is a unique great ape ecotourism business specializing in mountain gorilla and chimpanzee safaris to Uganda and Rwanda, and was founded in 1997. Volcanoes Safaris has created an unrivaled and integrated set of eco-tourism services that introduce clients to the great apes of Africa and the stunning beauty of this area of Africa. Volcanoes has built three ecolodges near the gorilla parks, which are sensitive to the post-conflict context, the culture of communities, the fragility of the environment and the need to use resources in a sustainable way.

Gorillas are undeniably the most unique primate that survives in the forgotten forests of Africa. Sadly, there are only some seven hundred Mountain Gorillas left on the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.  Man poses the most serious threat to the populations of Great Apes in these areas, but something can be finally be done, and for tourists, getting to see the gorillas in their natural habitat is an awe-inspiring event.

Volcanoes Safaris organizes tracking in Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda or in Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda, housing guests at unique eco-lodges located in these parks. Visiting gorillas and chimpanzees in these parks helps fund conservation and community projects – schools, roads, clinics, community centers, and helps the people of local communities understand the value of their continued survival.

In post-conflict Rwanda, the Volcanoes Safaris BLCF Project, backed by the British government, has helped improve hotel infrastructure, train local people in hospitality and guiding, increase income and develop new skills. The project has brought over 1.5 million US dollars to the Rwandese economy. In Uganda, the company is setting up a partnership project near Kyambura Gorge, home to a group of threatened chimpanzees.  The team at Volcanoes Safaris believes that long-term partnerships between ecotourism companies, local communities, conservation organizations, governments and donors are essential for the survival of primates.

CNSC technical coordinator Carley Basler describes the team’s mission

A snow crystal expert. He looks the part, but what’s really going through Tom’s head right now?

Arctic headshot. Wind chill is approximately -50C.  

Tom and Janet showing enthusiasm for their work.
(Note that preserving energy is an important aspect to keeping warm)

Tom heading back with the Ram Penetrometer and Snow Corer.
The site’s met station in the background

When Nino rolls, you know he’s ready…

I leave today on an Earthwatch expedition based in Churchill Manitoba called Climate Change at the Arctic’s Edge.

Look for updates and a travelogue on the upcoming adventure!

Almost every North American boater knows about Desolation Sound – that ultimate cruising destination snugged between British Columbia’s mainland and Vancouver Island. Cortes Island, at the end of the Gulf of Georgia, marks the entrance to this wild and wonderful area of pristine and prolific beauty, rimmed by the snowy coastal peaks and dotted with sylvan landmasses called the Discovery Islands.

One of these is Cortes. Sixteen miles long and 8 miles wide, it’s the happy home of 950 permanent residents who love their isolation and pristine lifestyle. You have to REALLY want to get here. First you need to get yourself to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, then you need to drive the 95 miles to Campbell River, then you take a 10 minute ferry over to Quadra, another of the Discovery Islands, then hustle over to the Quadra ferry terminal at Heriot Bay and THEN roll unto a vintage little ferry, the M/V Tenaka, for a spectacular 45 minute crossing of the gulf to Cortes. Or – you can fly.

You would think that finding yourself on a beautiful island in the middle of a stunning part of the world would be enough, but no – now you get to discover Hollyhock, as we recently did.

It was a mid September dawn when even the sunrise seemed half asleep, urging light on a somnolent sky when we rose and attempted to shine. There was way too much to do to stay in bed.

Below the pinkening clouds, at the rim of the ocean, an early bird was stretching her arms in what I suspected might have been a Yoga position. She looked like the same swimmer we saw in yesterday’s twilight, although it was hard to recognize her in clothes. (Clothing is optional on the beach and in the hot tubs.)

It was 6:45 when we left our beachfront sanctuary and sleepwalked toward the lodge and a few organic jolts of freshly brewed java before Yoga in one of the circular session houses in the forest.

Maybe there is something in the incredible food that Kitchen Manager Moreka Jolar creates that makes early morning rising not quite so formidable because it seemed most of the guests were already up. Some had gone off on a guided morning row, stocked with tea and fresh muffins, others had signed up for the afternoon naturalist excursion – a guided walk to discover mushrooms  – or were being led out on a garden tour to inspect its early autumn cornucopia.

When breakfast was presented in the airy and spacious lodge, it felt like the universe was unfolding as it should. It was enough to turn you vegetarian; you just knew that whoever served up food like this had done it with love and passion, so it wasn’t surprising to find that Jolar had been with Hollyhock for 9 years.

The retreat is also known for its diversified and delicious menu of workshops, from writing, art and singing to Celtic Voice and Animal Communication. Often the courses fill to capacity with Hollyhock bursting with up to 110 guests. Amazingly, in 2007, a total of 109 sessions were offered.

While three quarters of the guests have come for these offerings, the rest arrive solely for rejuvenation, points out CEO, Dana Bass Solomon. They come to take care themselves, to savor the fresh air, the nourishing natural food, and to say an intimate hello to nature.

My companion, Cathy, and I belonged to this group, but rejuvenation didn’t necessarily translate into idleness. A pre-dinner beachfront oyster barbecue had enough appeal to lure us out of the hot tub, dress, and drip down to slurp raw mollusks and barbecued oysters.
 
After the succulent dinner there were offerings in the session houses, ensuring both body and soul were nourished equally. First, we tried Tibetan Buddhist chanting and meditation, then we wound our way by flashlight to the Raven house where 60 of us gathered for another presentation.

The story of Hollyhock’s birth 25 years ago is as magical as the place itself. One of the founders, Rex Weyler (also a founder of Greenpeace International) was visiting his good friends, Lee and  Shivon Robinsong, another founder, at their new Cortes Island home, when they passed the deserted buildings of what used to be the Cold Mountain Institute, a Gestalt Therapy centre that had been prominent in the 1970s. Weyler was amazed to view a huge overgrown garden rife with gigantic red hollyhocks.

Why he was amazed was that shortly before this visit, in the summer of 1981, he had had his fortune told by a Hungarian fortuneteller, who had whispered into his ear. Red Hollyhocks growing above the hedge. Look for them. They will be very important to you.

Don’t you love stories like this?
From its inception, even before “minimizing one’s footprint” was in our vocabulary, Hollyhock has tried to co-exist gently with the diverse plants and creatures that also call Cortes home.

In every aspect there’s always been a green initiative, Dana pointed out, and goes on to passionately urge: The mission of Hollyhock is to be a place where people can come and think their best thoughts and communicate in the best ways and learn their best skills and take all that out into the world and make a positive difference. It’s important; we’ve got to do it now!

Cathy and I wound up the brimming day with coffee on our beachfront deck. I had finally put my finger on the feeling of déjà vu I’d been experiencing. You remember that feeling that everything is possible? The heady joy of those Friday campus pub nights when we all shared our plans to change the world?

Dana is right. Hollyhock is about rejuvenation.

Jeff was interviewed late last year in how to travel ethically by Rhett Butler (we’re not kidding) publisher of a blog we highly recommend called Mongabay.com

Both Jeff and Rhett offer the reader concerned for the rainforest, ethical and sustainable travel, and general concern for our planet earth and all its inhabitants a wealth of ideas insight and information. Take a few minutes and check them out.

Dutch businessman and conservationist Rombout Swanborn is out to change all that.

A poor nation in dollar terms, Sao Tome and Principe is rich in natural currency. From tropical jungles teeming with diverse flora and fauna to turquoise seas and pristine beaches, this small island nation seeks to find its place in Africa’s growing ecotourism industry.

More information about this up and coming ecotourist destination is here.

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