Behan Gifford

LATEST ARTICLES ( 537 )

• Reader Questions: Fair Trading

  When we were in Jayapura this past week, we were able to get online in a meaningful way for the first time in months. It was fun going through blog comments-... Read more

  Posted on 01 February 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Making Friends in Jayapura

  

  Jayapura was supposed to be all about clearing the official hurdles, then getting west- but we had a great time making new friends. Read more

  Posted on 30 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Jayapura’s Sharp Contrast to PNG

  

  Jayapura is just a few hours sail (or motor) from Vanimo, PNG, but it’s a world apart. We are clearly in a new country, a new culture- and although the... Read more

  Posted on 28 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Welcome to Indonesia – Big Bureaucracy and Big Brother

  

  Looking down- way, way down- at Totem. Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia We arrive in Jayapura at midday (is 12 pm on 12/12/12 auspicious?) and go through the motions... Read more

  Posted on 25 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Vanimo, Part 2: So You’re from the Yacht!

  

  “Oh, you’re from the yacht!” It’s not a question, but a statement I hear from almost everyone with whom I have more than a simple transactional interaction. Read more

  Posted on 23 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Vanimo, Part 1: Just a Quick Stopover, Right?

  

  It was with some trepidation that we pulled into the PNG border town of Vanimo early one morning. Papua New Guinea has earned a reputation as a dangerous... Read more

  Posted on 21 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Pit Stop at Wuvulu’s Spectacular Reef

  

  The route from Ninigo to Vanimo, our next port of call, is a slightly awkward distance that can be stretched a few different ways for passage timing. We... Read more

  Posted on 18 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Ninigo: Photographs and Memories

  

  Hopefully, a few photos and anecdotes can help communicate the good memories we have of our time in Ninigo. Our children were a little shy at first, but... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Citizens of Ninigo

  

  “You must change your citizenship,” Thomas tells us. “You are from Ninigo now!” Ninigo sailing canoe: these islanders are famous for their navigators Thomas is... Read more

  Posted on 14 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Raft-up: Boat Jobs Are Colorblind

  

  It’s raft-up time again, and this month a handful of cruising bloggers are talking about the division of labor on board- specifically, how we split... Read more

  Posted on 12 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Papua New Guinea: Kids and Knives

  

  It’s daunting the first time you see a grown man walking down a path with a large machete swinging at his side. In PNG, one quickly becomes inured to this sight. Read more

  Posted on 09 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Oh, We Had Plenty of Fun, Too

  

  From the posts about the Hermit islands earlier this week, it might seem that we didn’t get to play very much while we were there. Hardly true! It wasn't all... Read more

  Posted on 05 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• The Exotic Cruising Life: a Wild Day Of… Fixing Sewing Machines

  

  Another day at the Hermits: Jamie learns that there’s a broken sewing machine ashore. Having worked for years as a sailmaker, he’s well versed in the mechanics... Read more

  Posted on 02 January 2013 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Helping out in the Hermit Islands: It Takes a (global) Village

  

  Even without the incredible experience of swimming with whales, the Hermit Islands are indelibly impressed in our memory bank. We had a lot of fun in Bob’s... Read more

  Posted on 30 December 2012 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Arriving in the Hermit Islands: Typical of Our PNG Experience

  

  Our arrival at the Hermit Islands was hardly auspicious. After two nights at sea with all the squall dodging fun the convergence zone has to offer, our morning... Read more

  Posted on 27 December 2012 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Evening Discussions at Tunung Island

  

  We were grateful for Paul’s help finding the shipwreck in Three Island Harbour and enjoyed his company, so invited he and his family out in the evening. Read more

  Posted on 19 December 2012 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL

• Working Around New Hanover, PNG

  

  En route to the Hermits, we spent more time than we originally planned at Ungalik. But we feel the need to keep moving west, to try and get as far as we can... Read more

  Posted on 17 December 2012 OUTDOORS, TRAVEL