Day 6- August 11th

Today we woke up early at 7:30 am after a great night of sleep. The sun was starting to rise and gentle breezes occasionally came in from the open window. Today we were going to explore the Kokopo War Museum and the Tavurvur Volcano.

After getting ready, we headed downstairs towards the main lobby to eat breakfast. The buffet had coffee, waffles, fruits, cereal and more.

Kokopo War Museum (History): At 8:45 am, we called for a taxi to take us to the Kokopo War Museum. The museum wasn't far away. We reached it at around 9 am. 

The A6M2 Zero fighter that we saw

The relics contained in the museum were fascinating to look at. The war museum contained historical objects from WWII. We saw parts of airplanes that were shot down in the Rabaul region, Japanese artillery pieces, tanks, and even an A6M2 Zero fighter in decent condition. 

Pieces of old bombs

We also learned about the history behind most of the relics with the help of the English explanations that were provided. To our surprise, we were allowed to touch and even climb on some of the artifacts! 

After observing the historical remnants of WWII, we decided to eat lunch at Emma's Restaurant located in our hotel. Ayesha, Jessie, and Sarah ordered the Fish Chettinad and Katelin and Sierra ate the Reef Fish. The meals were excellent and at a great price too! We got the daily lunch special which was for 20 Kina or $6.31.

Tavurvur Volcano (Environment): At 1 pm, we called a taxi to come pick us up and drive us to our next location, the Tavurvur Volcano. Sierra couldn't contain her excitement throughout the ride. She was going on and on about it and wouldn't stop talking about the volcano. Finally, we reached and Sierra was the first one to jump out of the taxi.

Tavurvur erupting in 2014

We could see the 732-foot volcano in the near distance. We met our tour guide who would take us to Tavurvur. He told us that it was a bit risky traveling to the volcano because of its activity and previous eruptions. In fact, its eruption in 1994 destroyed the entire town of Rabaul with the help of a nearby volcano, Mount Vulcan, erupting. Tavurvur's most recent eruption occurred in 2014 where it spewed a thick tower of ash and spread to many other parts of Papua New Guinea. 
Our tour guide told us we had to complete paperwork before traveling closer to the volcano. After we did, we began our walk to Tavurvur. Talking excitedly, our tour guide gave us some facts about the volcano on our way there. He said that it was located on the eastern rim of the Rabaul caldera and was surrounded by a steep volcanic ridge. Tavurvur was one of the most active and most dangerous volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. It has been the site of eruptions ranging from strombolian to volcanic ash.

Tavurvur Volcano

The volcano seemed larger now that we were alongside it. The talking died down as we all absorbed the view of Tavurvur. Clouds hung overhead and the sun's rays showered the volcano. It was quite a sight to see. All the information the tour guide gave us about its risks and dangers had seemed to dissolve from our minds. Somehow, we felt a sense of peace in the atmosphere.

Thai Chilli Prawns

We spent about an hour and a half around the volcano and talking with the tour guide. After we got to the bottom, we took a taxi back to our hotel. It was about 5 pm and we decided to chat for awhile. Soon, supper time came, and all of us took a taxi to the Haus Win restaurant. Katelin told the waiter what she wanted first since she was the hungriest. Her dish of Thai Chilli Prawns was set on our table and she took a bite. The rest of us watched as her face lit up with astonishment. Katelin made all of us order the prawn dish and told us that it was the best food we would ever eat in Rabaul - and she was right. The prawns became a favorite food of ours, and we ate until our stomachs were filled.
We went back to our hotel by taxi and settled in our beds. Today turned out to be a great day and we couldn't wait for the next.