Papua New Guinea (9-21 Aug 14) A visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG) was the climax of our summer travels that took us from Ottawa first to French Polynesian and then to Queensland, Australia. PNG is a lesser visited country due to the reported dangers and the expense of travelling there. We flew from Cairns, Australia to Port Moresby, PNG at 0630 AM. Hence we were up at 0245 AM to head off to the airport. However, check-in did not happen until 0500 AM so we could have stayed in bed later. We arrived in Papua New Guinea via Jackson Airport in Port Moresby (POM) and after 15 minutes of toing and froing, the immigration agent found out that the 100 kina/$50 tourist entry fee had been suspended. Page 1 of 111 Map of effective route through PNG PNG is called The Land of the Unexpected since things that you plan to happen can go pear-shaped easily. However during our trip around PNG, there were no major problems and things went pretty smoothly.
Waiting to check-in with our luggage pile at Cairns airport Boarding our Bombardier Dash-8 for Cairns-Port Moresby flight nefore sunrise Page 2 of 111
Flying over Great Barrier Reef Reef off Port Moresby Page 3 of 111
Flying over downtown Port Moresby Colourful retaining wall Page 4 of 111
Murals on fence at army barracks Colourful local market Page 5 of 111
Man selling a cuscus (possum-like critter) Raising the new sign at the SP Beer Company in POM Page 6 of 111
Popular sticker on vehicles of well-off in POM Drugs are an issue in PNG Page 7 of 111
After the local market, we visited the amazing PNG Art warehouse with its collection of art from PNG. Entrance to PNG Art store Page 8 of 111
More giant masks We would have loved to buy a giant mask but shipping would be expensive so we settled on a small mask. Testing out penis holder using penis-shaped salt shaker We visited the excellent Nature Park in POM where we finally saw the colourful cassowary after only seeing them on road signs in northern Queensland. Page 9 of 111
Colourful cassowary Victoria crested pigeon Page 10 of 111
Lorikeet It s the land of orchids Page 11 of 111
One of several kid s birthday party at Nature Park (huge pile of presents) On Sunday we stopped in at a Lutheran church service where we were welcomed as honoured guests and given seats at the front of the church. The message from the pastor was a simple one, although delivered at length, namely to be optimist and pray to God as required. After the service, many parishioners came up to shake hands with their guests from faraway. At Lutheran church service We walked down to the harbour in downtown POM to see what was in port. The security guards let us in and escorted us around while only wanting us to photograph them. The cruise ship Paul Gauguin was Page 12 of 111
in port. This ship cruises about French Polynesia but it had a tired look about it and so did not seem as nice as portrayed on its website. Hence we were glad that we cruised on the Wind Spirit through the Society Islands and on the Aranui 3 through the Marquesas Islands. Paul Gauguin docked in POM Locals on Ela Beach, POM Page 13 of 111
Village on stilts near Ela Beach Villas of the well-off overlooking Ela Beach Page 14 of 111
Flight from POM to Wewak The burning of vegetation is a constant part of life in PNG, even where it is banned. Some fires are so big that they are readily visible from airplane cruising altitude and redden the sun. Smoke from huge fires in jungle near Wewak due to land clearing Page 15 of 111
Landing over beaches at Wewak Driving past sunken ship to hotel at Wewak Page 16 of 111
Tropical sunset at Wewak Sepik River (11-13 Aug) We flew from Port Moresby to Wewak and overnighted there in the nice Wewak Boutique Hotel with free WIFI. School kids lined up for start of school (Wewak) Page 17 of 111
Murals on elementary school (Wewak) The next day we drove four hours from Wewak to Pagwi a hamlet on the Sepik River where we loaded into long motorized dugout canoes for a two hour trip downstream to the undeveloped village of Kanganamun. Road to Pagwi Page 18 of 111
Roadside vendors At Pawgi we loaded into our long motorized dugout canoe that was motorized and setoff downstream to Kanganamun village. The dugout canoe was very impressive and represented a lot of work to construct. Later I asked an old timer in Kanganamun how long it took to make one and he replied 6 moons which means about 6 months. Dugout canoes for hire at Pawgi Page 19 of 111
Prolonged dry spell along Sepik River caused low water levels and huge cracks in river banks The water level Sepik River was low and later someone told us that the river had dropped some 5m in the past 5 weeks. During the wet season the water level would be some 10-15m higher and the villages inundated hence they build their houses on stilts and get around by canoe then. Fortunately the drop in water level meant that we never saw a mosquito as there was little standing water for their breeding. Traveling down Sepik River in motorized dugout canoes Page 20 of 111
Tourists in dugout heading down river to Kanganamun village Locals in dugout canoe Page 21 of 111
Delapidated spirit house At Kanganamun we were welcomed by a singsing performed by the village s Cassowary Clan at the new spirit house (haus tambaran). Post-singsing photo with the village s Cassowary Clan dancers At Kanganamun we stayed in the village s guest house which was quite basic accommodation with a thin foam mattress on matted floor under a mosquito net, an outside pit toilet and bucket baths. The meals were simple (taro, sago and chicken) and short periods of electricity provided by a generator. Page 22 of 111
Guesthouse on stilts at Kanganamun The floors were made of strips of bamboo and we always felt that we would fall through as the bamboo flexed under foot. Mattress in our sleeping room in guesthouse Page 23 of 111
Simple meal by headlamp The heat and humidity in the Sepik were very oppressive and any movement or exertion resulted in significant perspiration so much so that wet clothing was simply a fact of life. The temperature did not become reasonable until after midnight but at dawn the temperature climbed again. Dawn over Sepik River (smoke from land clearing hangs in air and reddens scene) Page 24 of 111
Butterfly on flowers Village bridge Page 25 of 111
Houses on stilts due to annual flooding of the Sepik River (villagers canoe around town in floods) A wary young villager Page 26 of 111
Impressive 50 tall spirit house Female carving high up on both ends Many of the numerous tribes in the Sepik region still maintain their age-old traditions including crocodile scarification to emulate the skin of the crocodile. Page 27 of 111
Traditional crocodile scarification Close-up of crocodile scarification Page 28 of 111
Scarification on chest Two carvings with a life lesson for females Page 29 of 111
Spirit house in pre-dawn Moon over sculpture on end post of spirit house One night in Kanganamun we attended a playing of sacred flutes and beating of drums in the spirit house. These musical instruments are not played together and the music is somewhat repetitive but the atmosphere is evocative. Page 30 of 111
Sacred chair with 3 banana leaves (holding one leaf entitles man to say one sentence) Drumming at night in the spirit house Page 31 of 111
Playing the sacred flutes at night in the spirit house Boy at fire under his house in the early morning Before sunup I walked into the village to see the spirit house at the dawn s early light. An old man who I d help get change for US$300 into kina from our American tourists invited me into his house. His small house had two rooms, namely a foyer/eating room and a bedroom/work area/storage area. Page 32 of 111
Two room house of old man who invited me into his house Man s work bench (pictures in Jesus, Mary and his archbishop) The walls of his house did not provide a barrier to insects as they are made from strips of bamboo which have shrunken and shifted. He did have a mosquito net over his bed. Most of his possessions including tools are old and his well-worn clothing hangs from a clothesline. Page 33 of 111
Man digging out prized possession (note wardrobe hung up in bedroom/work area) His most prized possessions were a pair of crocodile skulls that he was proud to show me. The smaller skull was broken in the back as that is where he hit it a killing blow with his axe. Prized possession a large crocodile skull Under his house the man keeps his coffin that is ready when he dies. Page 34 of 111
Man s self-made coffin under house According to the villagers, the children of Kanganamun have not had access to education for 30 years due to a dispute with the government. The nearest school is at the hamlet of Palimbe which is a 30 minute motorized boat ride away. School at Palimbe Page 35 of 111
Can t leave the Sepik River without a souvenir carving Mt. Hagen (14-18 Aug) We flew from Wewak to Mt. Hagen via Port Moresby and stayed outside the city of Hagen in the verdant and tropical mountain range of PNG in basic accommodations at the Magic Mountain Lodge. Our room was not as nice and comfortable as Mike s hunt camp back in Canada. Our triplex lacked heat to ward off the cold mountain nights and the supply of electricity was sporadic which made charging of camera batteries iffy and the use of headlamps mandatory. Plane to POM at Wewak airfield Page 36 of 111
Glorious sunrise seen flying out of Wewak Silt-laden serpentine river in the highlands Mount Hagen (German: Hagensberg) is 3 rd largest city in Papua New Guinea, with a population of 46,250. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea at an elevation of 1,677 m (5,502 ft). Due to the mountainous terrain, there is no highway from POM to Mt. Hagen. The Highlands Highway is the main arterial route to connect Mount Hagen with the coastal cities of Lae and Madang. Page 37 of 111
As elsewhere and despite the widespread adoption of Christianity, traditional culture and beliefs remain strong in Mt. Hagen and its surrounds. For example in 2009 and again 2013, local women were reportedly burned alive after being accused of sorcery. Man in traditional dress in Mt. Hagen Food market in Mt. Hagen Page 38 of 111
Shopping in old time supermarket called Bestbuy Roadside sugarcane vendor in Mt. Hagen The singsing which we were in Mt. Hagen for is a gathering of tribes or villages in Papua New Guinea. People arrive to show their distinct culture, dance and music. The aim of these gatherings is to peacefully share traditions. Participating groups paint and decorate themselves for singsings with some groups wearing extravagant costumes. Some groups are male or female only, while others are mixed. When tourists are attending a singsing, the groups receive payment for participating as they may have travelling some distance. Page 39 of 111
Driving to Magic Mountain Lodge in the mountains 30 minutes outside of Mt. Hagen Newer bungalows at lodge Page 40 of 111
View from restaurant deck Morning clouds over valley Mt. Hagen Mini-Singsing (15 Aug) We drove to a local village for a mini-singsing. This private event includes roughly 10 tribal groups, who will also be taking part in the Mt. Hagen Show. Viewing the performers in a smaller venue was a great opportunity to photograph them up close while they were adorning themselves with paint, bird feathers and other materials. Page 41 of 111
The performers donned outfits typical of the Mt. Hagen Show, yet each is completely unique with personalized feathered plumes from Birds-of-paradise, pig tusks, shells and spectacular body paintings. During this mini-show, we saw a demonstration of traditional fighting utilizing bows and arrows, a marriage ceremony, and saw traditionally prepared food baked in an underground oven (mumu). Mudmen Trying out for the mudmen tribe Page 42 of 111
German posing the mudmen in vehicle shell Group member putting on makeup Page 43 of 111
Women group members putting on makeup Woman with large kina shell Page 44 of 111
Clansmen heading to battle with neighbouring clan over dispute Mock battle between clans in traditional dress and armed with traditional weapons Page 45 of 111
Head of one clan Post-singsing smoke Page 46 of 111
Mt. Hagen Annual Singsing (16-17 Aug) We drove into Mt. Hagen for the Mt. Hagen Singsing and saw the groups preparing for the show and then performing in the show grounds. There were about 75 singsing groups coming from various tribes. We found some excellent seats and also wandered amongst the groups while they were singing and dancing. As well we would ask to photographs individual performer they want to be photographed and frequently say thank you after you take their photograph. Our mountain lodge outside of Mt. Hagen at sunrise Page 47 of 111 Children decked out as old men
Each year, Mt Hagen hosts the Mount Hagen Cultural Show, one of the largest cultural events in Papua New Guinea. Various regional, provincial and national tribal dance groups gather to celebrate their cultural heritage in the form of singsing. It is also one of the biggest tourist attractions of the country. Singsing group in preparation area Singsing group in preparation area Page 48 of 111
Green, black and red men singsing group Applying make-up Page 49 of 111
Skeleton men preparing Skeleton men Page 50 of 111
Dangerous looking group toting wooden M-16s supposedly an anti-colonial group Singsing group in preparation area Page 51 of 111
Page 52 of 111 She told me after showing her my photo of her that I look beautiful and I like it!
Mudmen preparing masks by fire Amazing headdresses with bird skins Page 53 of 111
Wigman and son enter stadium Locals looking into singsing grounds they can t afford the 300 kina/$150 pass for showground Page 54 of 111
Marching into showground Another singsing group marching Page 55 of 111
Eye-catching entrance Kaula Singsing Group Page 56 of 111
Page 57 of 111 Mudman with penis gourd
Women s group Wigmen Page 58 of 111
Page 59 of 111 Beautifully decorated performer
Wigmen Photos displayed on back of headpieces Page 60 of 111
Page 61 of 111 Impressive female decoration
Page 62 of 111 Impressive male decoration
Black Mamas singsing group View into singsing grounds Page 63 of 111
Women s singsing group Singsing group Page 64 of 111
Page 65 of 111 Member of women s singsing group
Page 66 of 111 Red teeth due to chewing of bettelnuts
Trying out bettelnut (chewing bettelnut combined with mustard bean dipped in coral lime) Meeting a singsing group Page 67 of 111
Locals outside stadium watching wigmen about to enter Wigmen and wigwomen Page 68 of 111
Page 69 of 111 Impressive wigman
Post-singsing male smoke break Post-singsing female smoke break Page 70 of 111
Mudmen post-singsing Traffic jam at exit Page 71 of 111
Discussing an exit strategy post-singsing Men s group in work boots exiting (can stomp louder while marching during singsing) Page 72 of 111
Women s group exiting Father and son exiting Page 73 of 111
Crowd after singsing over Women s group leaving site in dump truck Page 74 of 111
Wigmen leaving site in crowded truck Souvenir mudmen for sale Page 75 of 111
Souvenir paintings of two Malaysian airplanes lost in 2014 Stocktaking in Bestbuy supermarket Page 76 of 111
Christmas hams on sale in August in grocery store for $90 (store is too expensive for most)! US$2,000 for a pig which is good for part of a bride price Page 77 of 111
Diana canned tuna billboards Stockists of pork jowls and work boots Page 78 of 111
Burning garbage and vegetation is part of life in PNG Passing by new gravesite for important person Page 79 of 111
Nearing Magic Mountain Lodge Mt. Hagen Looking for Birds-of-Paradise (17 Aug) Our room in old triplex at lodge We paid 90 kina/$45 per person for the bird watching trip which was a welcome break from the singsing routine. Of this 90 kina, 50 went to the driver and guide and 40 to the landowner. Hopefully the latter payment encourages the villagers to safeguard the birds-of-paradise from hunting for their plumage. Page 80 of 111
We got up at 0430 AM and headed out for an hour s drive to a small village with an endemic population of birds-of-paradise. At the village our guide took us on a mad traipse around the area in and about the village in a search for birds-of-paradise. As the villagers arose, they joined our search for birds-ofparadise. Mountains overlooking village where birds-of-paradise can be found Grandmother with grandson at village where we birded Page 81 of 111
Villagers carrying picked flowers to decorate church on Sunday Traipsing around village looking for birds-of-paradise Page 82 of 111
past the village pig and on past the coffee bushes, until finally Finally we saw the raggiana bird-of-paradise (kumul is the local name) which is the national bird of Papua New Guinea. In 1971 this species was made the national emblem and was included on the national flag. 'The Kumuls' is also the nickname of the country's national rugby league team. Page 83 of 111
a Raggiana bird-of-paradise 40 up in a tree Another Raggiana bird-of-paradise faraway Page 84 of 111
Raggiana bird-of-paradise that we saw at Nature Park in Port Moreby (note diaphanous tail feathers) Even though the plumes of Raggiana are heavily harvested by natives for ceremonial headdresses, the practice is not a threat to its long-term survival but habitat destruction due to deforestation is now the predominant threat. The plumes were popular in Europe in past centuries as adornment for ladies' millinery. The bird-of-paradise skins were first encountered by Europeans during Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe in the early 16 th century where they were briefly thought to be the mythical phoenix. The purveyors of the skins told them that those birds came from the terrestrial paradise, and they call them bolon diuata, that is to say, 'birds of God". This is the origin of the name "bird-of-paradise". Hunting to provide plumes for the millinery trade was extensive in the late 19th and early 20th century but today the birds enjoy legal protection and hunting is only permitted at a sustainable level to fulfill the ceremonial needs of the local tribal population. The feathers are carefully stored after a singsing and reused. Page 85 of 111
Translucent bird-of-paradise feather headdresses at Mt. Hagen singsing We also saw the male superb bird-of-paradise equally high up in a tree The male superb bird-of-paradise is black with an iridescent green crown, blue-green breast shield and a long velvety black erectile cape covering his back. However from our ground point of observation we could only see the blue-green breast shield which appeared like a 2 nd pair of wings. Even though this bird is heavily hunted for its plumes, the practice is not a threat to its long-term survival. Page 86 of 111
Tari (18-19 Aug) From Mt. Hagen, we made an 8 hour drive westward to the small town of Tari over a largely poorly maintained gravel road through the mountains. This road is heavily used by the oil and gas industry for moving supplies and equipment on tractor trailers. This tractor trailer traffic is causing sufficient deterioration of the road and presents dangerous traffic for the villages that it passes through. Ready for the long 8-hour drive to Tari from Mt. Hagen Our excellent driver stoked on betelnut for the demanding 8-hour drive Page 87 of 111
Road through highlands to Tari Washing drying alongside road Page 88 of 111
Small houses for the dead Half of roadway washed out Page 89 of 111
Windy river (left) and windy road (right) Villagers waving in response to my waving at them Page 90 of 111
The road has many Bailey bridges (WWII expedient bridges) Roadside carwash along gravel road Page 91 of 111
Passing through locals and domestic animals including pigs Hauling pipeline sections up steep road Page 92 of 111
Heavy tractor trailer traffic on the gravel road causes a deteriorating road Page 93 of 111
Army arrives to get things moving at muddy stretch of road where traffic is stopped Our bus being pulled across the muddy stretch of road by locals for 40 kina/$20, i.e. a toll gate Page 94 of 111
Roadside vendors under light rain View down to Tari Page 95 of 111
Road down to Tari Tari in the Southern Highlands district is the home of the famous Huli Wigmen who were not known to Europeans until 1935. They have lived in their current area for about 1000 years. It is estimated that their population is around 150,000. The Tari area is still relatively untouched and the people here live largely traditionally. We visited a number of sites to see some aspects of traditional life. Fisherman Page 96 of 111
Catholic church Altar Page 97 of 111
Huli getting hair groomed while growing hair for wig (16 month process to make a wig) Wig maintainer pushing hair back into place Page 98 of 111
In Huli wig holding a weapon Huli wigmen on smoke break Page 99 of 111
Huli wigmen jumping Fortune teller with skulls of his ancestors painted yellow with red stripes The fortune teller would answer individual questions for an additional payment of at least 20 kina/$10. One woman paid 50 kina/$25 and asked if her son was OK. The fortune teller lifted his stretcher with the skull on it using his little fingers (see photo above) and putting the stretcher back down, he answered that her son was OK. Another woman paid and asked if her recently dead mother was trying to tell her something and again the fortune teller lifted his stretcher using his little fingers (if he can t lift it then he can t answer question) and putting the stretcher back down, he answered that it was too soon Page 100 of 111
after death and the woman should ask again in 2 years time. Both women were satisfied with the answers received so all was good. Girl dressed for initiation into womenhood after 1 st period Night spirit dancers Most rural people do not know their age as their births were not recorded and birthdays are not celebrated. If asked many adults will say that they re 45 even if they are clearly older. Page 101 of 111
45 year old man and his hut Passing by women carrying galvanized steel sheeting when returning to room Natural resource extraction is a major part of the PNG economy be it trees, oil and gas or offshore fish. Page 102 of 111
Cutting up big trees into planks Fog back at room Page 103 of 111
Sickle bill feeding outside room Return to POM and Heading to Australia (20-21 Aug) Passing by waving locals whiling driving to Tari airfield Page 104 of 111
People transporters are packed Vendors at fence around Tari airfield While we waited at the airfield, a group of several hundred mourners arrived and lined the fence. These mourners had mud smeared on their faces and red ribbons around their heads. They were awaiting the arrival of the body of a 22 year old man who had become sick while studying aboard and subsequently died in POM. As they waited, the mourners wailed periodically with the wailing reaching a crescendo when the plane bearing the body arrived and the young man s surviving family deplaned. Page 105 of 111
Mourners with mud on face at airfield for arrival of body from POM People lining fence at airfield as body is offloaded from our airplane as we board Also at the airport waiting with us were numerous ex-pats waiting to start their regular flight home for 3 weeks off after working for 6 weeks. They work in the LNG plant near Tari which is part of a $19 billion project by Exxon Mobil to produce 7 million tons of LNG per year. This is PNG s largest private sector investment to date, expected to more than double PNG s GDP and triple export revenues. Page 106 of 111
Roads for resource extraction in mountains Rivers crossing Page 107 of 111
LNG tanker at loading pier near POM Waiting for bags at POM airport as checked bags of fruit circulate on belt Page 108 of 111
Last minute purchase of painting in POM Cab with head-shaped dent in windshield Page 109 of 111
Goodbye to PNG on 21 Aug While in the cities danger lurks, this did not appear to be the case in the rural areas where we spent most of our time. Hence our lasting impression of PNG was that it is a land populated by friendly people who are generally happy despite what we d consider as very low standard of living. People lack education, available medical services and opportunities to better themselves. That being said, never have we been in a country where almost without exception people want their photo taken and even thank you for doing so! The vestiges of an age old culture are evidenced at the singsings where the traditional costumes are on display. These costumes are without parallel in our experience and cannot help but impress even the most jaded traveller. One final observation is that PNGers generally defer to foreigners especially male ones, so much so that at times they addressed us as boss, i.e. Thanks for taking my picture boss. This was different to say the least. Page 110 of 111
Landing at Brisbane beside its port Coming into landing at Sydney past Harbour Bridge and Opera House Page 111 of 111