About two days ago sailing west the Papuan mainland rose up on the horizon. We are now anchored off the town of Alotau, capital of Milne Bay province, on the northern side of the mountain encircled Milne Bay. It has been raining heavily since we arrived, at least 3 inches a night, we are yet to see the mountain peaks, they are shrouded in cloud. Saw our first motor vehicle in 6 weeks. Add to that list of firsts, mass electric lights, petrol stations, mobile towers, supermarkets,  roads, taps, toilet blocks, chocolate, taxis, banks, people not in canoes, the currency system of exchange. Compared to the Louisiades it feels like we have moved forward  in time to the 21st century. Albeit, lagging behind say, Zurich, in terms of the paraphernalia of the modern world but firmly in it none the less. Now sitting at breakfast on the hard, two massive hornbill birds hopping around obviously tame. They are like an evolutionary bad joke, the consequence of a selection pressure dead end perhaps? They do however seem to get on ok. A band played here last night and the members are busy collecting  their instruments. Music pervades this country. In a trade store you might find only clothes and instruments. In shops the music can be so loud as to make it almost impossible to ask the shop keeper a question. In the islands the villagers would sing as they paddled their canoes past us in the dark. I had a jam with a Rossel Islander who taught me a song about coconuts- no kidding. The Christian missionaries have harnessed this musicality as well, apparently church services are more concert than sermon. I can well imagine it. Reggae and Bob Marley are popular. Striking looking  highlanders with dreds are common and the radio stations play a local reggae style; think country crossed with reggae with a hint of  Hawaiin (if you think that is painful to visualise you should try listening to it). In Gigila a request from a shy teenager was " a 1st and 4th string" once word had got around that there was a guitar on board. We are restocking the boat and head off again tomorrow with our solar equipment ready for a village installation. We are also going to Normanby  Island to try and see a very rare bird of paridise. I should be able to upload some more photos in a week.