Our time in PNG is nearly over, our alternator is on its way to us from Port Moresby, so a few days of installing the alternator,fixing our furler then provisioning and getting the boat ready to go offshore again and we will be off north full steam to Micronesia and Guam.We havent travelled so much in PNG but we have met some great people, the children have loved every minute and we have caught our breaths but its time to move and we will be on the move for the next 4 months through micronesia ,Japan and Russia, constantly thinking about getting to Alaska in early June sometime.It will take a months cruising in the Aluetians, then we will probably spend 4 weeks or so around Prince William sound, aftera 2 week stint near Anchorage including some inland adventures and then spending 6 weeks or so sailing south in the inside passage finally reaching Vancouver in early October, making it a solid 4 months cruising in Alaska, we are excited and Alaska is never far from out thoughts many times a day.

Earlier today we went for a walk on Ugalik to an old hospital that was used for a leper colony 100 or so years ago. Looks like it was built by Australians and had elecricity running 3 kms across the top of the island in the glory days of PNG.Many colonial buildings are still standing but they have seen grander days. Those aussies left some legacies but since PNG's independence it is rare to see any evidence that the countries many assetts are maintained in anyway. PNG is resource rich in so many ways minerals, gold and timber but the population as a whole sees none of the money as it is squandered or taken by a few who spend it outside PNG.The resources are being raped by rich nations and the locals see nothing.Hospitals are a mess,the public health system is corrupt and hopeless, the roads are a mess there is no electricity to most villages and even where there is generators and lines have deteriorated with the rest of the country. The exit of Australia was the beginning of the demise of a potentially great nation. The inherent laziness and relaxed nature of the locals doesnt exactly help the basic situation of government monopoly and corruption, then add beetlenut and alcohol and its a molotile cocktail for daily disaster.Despite this, the people are lovely they will never starve and they live in a beautiful place....so the status quo will remain, the country will become poorer but the locals will not bat an eyelid as they dont see the money anyway.