We have been here a week- and no sign of trouble, they're very friendly people making us feel like part of the family. However there is a liquor sale ban in force here between the 25th and 3rd of January- an indicator of what alcoholism exists in the season. Hopefully we will be able to find some bubbly wine for New Years Eve.

Over the last few days, for Christmas eve, Christmas and Boxing day we have been eating lots and drinking lots and have made some good friends with some of the locals.

On Christmas eve we went to sing some carols which ended up including a 45 minute walk each way and a hurry to reach our Christmas dinner at 9 pm. A women called Anna and her friends walked us there,- insisting on holding my hand, "My daughter holds my hand" not me-- resentment. Here the men hold hands, show affection to each other, the women hold hands too but men and women do not hold hands, its taboo for men and women to hold hands. Ironic.

Along the way everyone greets each other - it's a very friendly feeling community - either "Maroom" (Pidgen) or "Good night" (English). We're picking up a bit of pidgen here and there but only for fun, it's completely unnecessary for us - everyone speaks at least some English and, as one man told us several days ago: 'people know when they see white people to speak English to them'.

I wore what they call a Mary blouse- and it got me a lot of attention. Its what most of the women here- sort of pacific gowns and I bought a colourful one form the market. Mary is the pidgen word for woman, a constant reminder of the missionary past and present here. Now everyone comments and think I like their cultural etc because I wear what they wear. The singing ended up to be too much of a boring pidgen church service and not enough singing (only 3 carols) and when we returned for our dinner everyone thinks we are crazy practising Christians, especially with my Mary blouse.. Despite Eric trying to say "no, no, no, I'm a Richard Dawkins man" They (the French) don't know Dawkins.

Anna gave me a bag for christmas, and so did another friendly lady who works at the Travelodge- a close place to our boat. We had Christmas Eve dinner there with Marc, Meline and Gerard, and there are certain qualities of the French that are desirable- pastis (aniseed tasting liquor), petit coffee cups, pate, etc. Mark is a professional underwater photographer and he's been taking heaps of photos of us- and also gave us a beautiful published book of his for Christmas. That night we had a very late night and at the lodge the only guests were three young politico Danish boys who were good conversation. One of them plans to study Social Economics when he starts University next year, another reminder how politicized our self-professed 'neutral' Economics departments are back home. Then Christmas morning we did some wonderful stockings and had a large Christmas lunch which the Travelodge put on, 20 guests with roast pork, lamb and beef. It was very Island time- supposed to be at midday- and we didn't eat till 3 o'clock. Later we had roasted chicken at our yacht, cramming in the French. It surprisingly wasn't really that different a Christmas than normal.

Then on boxing day we went for an amazing hike around the volcanos and up to a crater rim. The dark soft ash and gritty lava made it relatively easy to stumble up. A guide showed us around, not really knowing their way either due to recent rains that cut new gullies through the ash. The hot springs were pretty, and it was in part like walking in a desert, hot ash sand- lifeless plains. Scrambling up the crater was amazing- it was the one that blew up in 1994- devastating damage. But no currently activity, unlike like the close volcano nearby. The people are patronising, helping me scramble up cause I am female- I'm just as good a scrambler as Eric! But I tried to think of it more of a guide thing than a male thing and remained pretty calm about it. Meline was less accepting of the situation.

Over the last few days we also visited the vulcanology observatory- which is unfortunately closed for the Christmas period, but still had stunning views with intricate Japanese WWII tunnels leading up to it. It's fortunate the allies didn't face the Japanese in Rabaul because it looks like they would have had a hard time - slave and prisoner labour, combined with relatively soft rock meant the Japanese built about 750km of tunnels in and around Rabaul! We went to the 'Rabaul Yacht Club' Christmas party as well, a lively affair with lots of kids, although no one in the yacht club seems to have a yacht. A walk around a deep sea tug boat, where the engineer is perplexed about our sailing boats, a thai man been tugging in the middle of cyclones. We have also been doing engine stuff- we have hit the 250 hours of use which means changing stuff, filters, oils etc. All part of the ongoing boat maintenance that keeps us afloat our here.