If there was anything more surprising during my visit to Rabaul than having a couple of machete-toting guys appear out of nowhere to lead us to the precipice of Sauron's domain, it was watching these people saunter over, set up shop, and offer us great deals on tourist trinkets:
People selling trinkets at the ruins of Rabaul
No one seemed to mind the active volcano nearby.
Fiction pales by comparison.