After cruising the northern islands of Raja Ampat for the last two months, it was time for us to head to town to buy some more food. The town of Waisai on the island of Waigeo is a major port, and the administrative base for the marine park authority that issues the permits to vessels visiting the area.
Between trips to the shops, we tried to walk the streets and soak up some of the local atmosphere of people going about their lives. Children seem to rush to say hello and try our their English on us. Older people are friendly stop for a smile and greeting.
The sense of poverty is overwhelming. Not everyone can afford the luxury of a motor scooter, and it seemed that many people were asking for food handouts from market stalls and cafes.
It is sad to see infrastructure laying unused and crumbling with lack of maintenance, but worst of all, mountains of plastic waste filling the open sewers along the roads, waiting for the next heavy rain to move it out onto the river of rubbish washing through the islands.
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