Smorgasboarder_12_July-2012

Surfer: Taro Hirano
Admiring the local handiwork
in the shade cast by the coconut trees to
hide from the blazing sun.
Even though the offshore breeze gently
brushes across my skin, sweat oozes out
from my pores and I am reminded that I
have come to a country between latitude 5
and 12 in the South Pacific.
This country is said to be the closest in the
southern hemisphere to Japan, but it is
completely different. In fact, the difference
is overwhelming.
I close my eyes and remember the
landscape I saw during the flight from the
capital, Port Moresby, to our destination,
Vanimo. Deep shades of green filled
my entire view. There’s no other way to
describe this sight than as overgrown,
dense “lushness.” Within this lushness,
the coffee-coloured Sepik River zigzags
like a serpent. You can imagine from
seeing this terrain that the country is all
tropical rain forests, high temperatures
and humidity.
It feels as if this landscape will remain
unchanged even after five, ten, or a hundred
years have passed. I don’t want this place
to change.
jul/aug 2012
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