Copyright postcourier
How often do you see an American teenager walk into the unforgiving trails of Papua New Guinea to remote villages? If you haven’t, this is the story of then 15-year-old Rachel, Campbell. Rachel is the daughter of American Journalist, Adventurer, and Author James Campbell. He authored the book “The Ghost Mountain Boys” honoring the journey of American Soldiers during World War II in 1942 along the Kapakapa Trail in Rigo District, Central Province. Mr. Campbell first came to Papua New Guinea with his brother in 1989 as a young man exploring the world. Who would have known that a brothers’ adventure would turn into a love for the country. Campbell explored the Highlands region and down to the coastal parts of PNG and has loved every part of it. The love for the country brought him back on his honeymoon after he got married; to let his wife see the country he fell in love with, again accompanied by his brother. During the Visit to PNG, Campbell heard of the great march of Americans soldiers which led him on a journey to write the Ghost Mountain Boys. The book led to more visit to the country which left little miss Rachel questioning and asking, “When is Dad coming home?” “Why is Dad always going away?” Without even realizing that some years later she would find the answer to her questions. In 2018, when Rachel was in her sophomore year in high school, she had begged her father to bring her to see for herself the stories she heard and read of PNG. By then, Mr. Campbell had done the Kapakapa Trail and had seen the struggle and had made up his mind not to walk the trail anymore, just in time when his daughter asked to walk it. Young Campbell convinced her father until she got a “yes” to visit PNG and walk the trail. Miss Campbell flew with her father from the United States of America and joined eight other trekkers to trek the forgotten Kapakapa Trail. Mr. Campbell shared that Rachel was so excited for the trek, more than him, as he already imagined the rough terrains and the difficulty the trail would bring. It was on a Monday morning in July, 2018, the trekkers along with Rachel and her father departed for Gabagaba village to begin their 200km trekking. With no delay, Young Campbell put into action what she dreamed of: walking the trail. Backpack set, and off she went with porters and trek leaders ahead of the journey. The unforgiving terrains had no effect on a fifteen-year-old Wisconsin girl. It seemed hard for the Dad, but it was just another hike for her. Through the thick forest, deep mud, and thick fog, young Rachel kept her stride at the average and didn’t slow down. She was dedicated to reach the peak, and this was what she signed up for. In the forest, it felt so new, as if the war was just few years back. Villages along the trails still talked about the U.S. Army’s march across the mountains, the places in which the soldiers got stuck and were not able to move. It was history unfolding right before Rachel’s eyes: brave and strong, able to listen to the stories ones more while she walked the trails. The villagers were in awe of seeing for the first time a brownish-blonde American hair girl in their villages. It was something most children in the remote part of PNG hadn’t seen, and to be able to see Rachel for the first time was amazing. Mr. Campbell told Post Courier Online, “I was worried at first of how Rachel would be able to walk the trail, but she proved me wrong. She was ahead of me in the trail; she’s some meters away while I still trailed behind.” “When we got to the village, it was everything. Children were so amazed to see a girl like them in the jungle.” “She was teaching them a game, sort of like a clap game, where the children in the community surrounded her in a circle. The look of joy these children had was amazing when she was teaching them how to play that game.” Mr Campbell said what inspiring was to be able to see her giving books to schools along the trail to help children her age to get education. She was open to villagers, communicate with women, children and the locals. Just like that, every good thing must come to an end, young Campbell returned to the States with so much more to hold on to and tell her family and friends of the kind people and beautiful country of PNG. Seven years later, Mr Campbell returned on an exciting adventure of the official opening of the Kapakapa trail early this month, and surprised to see villagers still remembers the American girl who walked the trail. Mr. Campbell says, “After 7 years and I walked the trail again, the villagers had not forgotten her. They were calling out to each other saying, ‘This is Rachel’s Dad.’” “The children and women asked about Rachel, and that has blessed my heart. How many years have gone by and they still remembers Rachel.” Miss Rachel is now 22 and recently graduated from college and still hope to come back to walk the trail of Kapakapa.
