Today was our last day on the SS Thorfinn. It’s been our home for a week and it’s exceeded all expectations. The people on the trip have become family. I was already family with a few of them, but the new people I met on this trip have created a long lasting relationship.
We started the day off by heading to the Yamagiri Maru. It was a ship I’ve waited a long time to see because of the famous skull wedged into the ceiling in the engine room. Apparently the torpedo explosion caused someone’s head to pop off like a cork on a champagne bottle and his body rests beneath him. It was really cool to see despite being a morbid scene.
We made our way through the engine rooms weaving in and out of tight spots. We came across the cargo hold, which had large artillery shells at least 10 inches in diameter. We headed along the ship for a little bit of exploration. We kept it short, as we were all anxious to get back for the shark dive we had planned for the 11am dive. On the way up to ship to the surface, we spotted the allusive octopus! Man they are hard to find. It was black with a little bit of red and it shot across the wreck and dove into a stack of coral on the Yamagiri Maru. It immediately took on the disguise of a sea cucumber right next to the coral. It was such an amazing sight. The only way you could spot it was by its eyes slowly opening and closing making sure it was still safe. We didn’t want to agitate it any further so we let it be in peace.
We got back to the ship and quickly headed out for the Shark Dive. We boated out to a shallow reef sitting at about 60ft. We jumped in the water and swam down to the ocean floor. As we were descending the sharks had started to swarm, they knew the food was soon to come. Some of the sharks kept their distance; others were right up in there. Minutes after being on the ocean floor, they threw the bait overboard and into to the ocean above us. The sharks swarmed the bait and picked it clean in a matter of seconds. They swam quickly around fighting over the food and bashing into each other. It happened a lot faster than what I thought it would, I was kind of disappointed and wished it lasted longer. We swam around exploring a bit of the corals and then decided to head back up.
We filled our bellies with a delicious baked pasta dish and then headed out for an island tour. We visited the same islands as the first island tour we did back at Blue Lagoon. At Tonawas we explored the island more in depth and truthfully, the tour was a lot better. We came across the old seaplane communication tower and this time we were allowed to climb on top using the original ladder, which was falling apart and made things more interesting. We headed down exploring the village and then headed to Eten, We walked our way through villages and started to hike up a mountain. Holy crap! This mountain was intense. We are in a third world country where there are no cars, boats are the main forms of transportation and the roads are filled with pot holes and overgrown with vegetation. We walked along a narrow path. As we climbed (and I mean climbed) our way up the hill, eventually the paved path (if you can call it that) turned to a dirt path and we were hiking through the jungle.
The majority of us ended up sliding and falling a few times. After a good 20min climb, we reached the top where there was a 120mm caliber anti aircraft gun. It had a second 80mm barrel for the lower altitude planes. It was an incredible sight and all the local children were climbing on the gun and laughing with us. We were able to buy fresh coconut for $1. We took a quick refresher before heading back down the slippery hill. I fell on the way down and sliced up my leg, it was nothing big but my leg was covered with blood by the end. As we were about to board the ship, we jumped off and went for a quick dip to cool down and to also make the local children who had crowded around the boat laugh.
After it was time to party! Drinks started and we all sat around talking telling funny stories and bonding even more. The crew of the ship put together a fresh BBQ meal, which consisted of chicken, fish, ribs, pasta salad, potatoes, rice and freshly baked buns. I’m really going to miss all the people on the trip. It was nice to be surrounded by like-minded people with the same interests and passion. As the night went on, the ladies on the ship put on a traditional dance show for all of us. It was very much like a Hawaiian dance but with more tribal influences. Afterwards, I headed to the top deck, laid in a lawn chair and gazed up into the night sky. I can’t get over how beautiful the stars shine. As I looked across the deck I could see the ocean with the silhouettes of the near by islands. On each island you could count the number of lights on one hand. It was refreshing to take in how remote we were. To know that on those islands, there were no cars, very little for electricity and a very simple way of life. Despite all that, every local we encountered had a smile on their face and greeted you with a warm and welcoming manner. It for sure is a different way of life but it makes you question who has it better? The locals who survive off the land with very little but find happiness each and everyday? Or the 9-5 worker grinding away for their whole life, paying off debt and chasing after material possessions. I can see why Cpt. Lance has had the Thorfinn operation for over 35 years now.
Tomorrow, we head to Guam for a night sleep (more like a 7hr lay-over) and begin our long trek home. Flying from Guam – Hawaii – San Francisco – Toronto. It will be a long day, it may even turn into an all nighter.
Hope you’ve all enjoyed my journey thus far.
—-
Justin Steele
The Green Ranger