DFR Travels: Goodbye Papau New Guinea...

Friday, February 21. Overcast, humid, light rain later.

It at one time was called Papua and New Guinea. That got shortened to Papua New Guinea. That is now down to PNG. [Now you know!]

Today it was another ship's tour for us, as we did not know what to expect. What we got was a re-run of two days ago, times 10. This is certainly more developed, most people wear footwear at least. The place is poor, there is now two ways about it. Will it ever be a bustling healthy city? I doubt it. Most people seem to spend their time waiting, for what I know not. The unemployment rate has to be astronomical; I don't think that one person in 20 has what we would call a job. Selling beetle-nut on a road stand may bring in a few cents and maybe they trade crops or whatever, however I did see one man 'working' in his garden today, that was a first. Most men we have seen are either sitting, lying, or walking along the road somewhere.

Contrary to the apparent lack of ambition, the people seem to be very happy and are most welcoming to us everywhere we go. I don't understand it at all. The trip we went on today was a bit of a non-event but we were told to expect that. We stopped at one place that was a convent by the sea. We, [all seven vans of 20] got out and wondered why we were here. Apparently something happened here during the war. We were left to our own devices to find out what. After we were there for maybe 20 minutes we all loaded in the vans again and were then told that this was the last place to use civilized toilets. So all the overweight and elderly not-so-mobile people got off and hobbled to the toilets and the ladies diligently lined up. Get the picture?

Next was another village where we were serenaded by a group of native men that had obviously been converted from Cannibalism to Catholicism as the men were dressed in grass skirts and all the bosoms were covered. The village was very clean, as things go in PNG. Next was another village where we were greeted by dancing men and women who had obviously not met the Catholic or Lutheran Church and were dressed in more traditional clothing, or lack of it.

Apparently most villages are run by the women: a matriarchal society in other words. One would think that with women running things they would have advanced into at leaf the 20th century. Apparently not. I am probably being harsh and ignorant in forming such conclusions so quickly but my mind is racing to understand this society. Soft drink containers litter the country side as does other trash. We have never seen such dirty and unkempt markets in our worldly travels. Why? They have had a chance to learn from our mistakes but blunder along in spite of it. Education is not free here, If you can afford it, and want to, you send your kids to school. Maybe they need a bit of Socialism to kick it into the present day world, or are they happy with what they have?

My visit to Papua New Guinea left me with more questions than answers.

We had a bottle of champagne on our deck with Jim and Gail as we sailed out of the bay as hundreds of locals lined the shores and waved us goodbye. I wondered what they thought of us as this hulking big blue and white ship sailed by with its deep-throated horn blasting a farewell to them. Could it have been good thoughts? I will never know.

We did help the local economy somewhat today by buying a few mementos of our brief stay here. We arrived back on the ship to find that the water system was having some scheduled maintenance today. I really wanted a shower after being out in the market by the ship later in the day. It was a rather cold shower we had later when the water came back on, but it was far more than the dancers we saw in the hills today. I don't even want to think about sanitation arrangements there.

Papua New Guinea was great, don't get me wrong, but it is certainly not for everybody.

Two sea days before Yap Island, where there are absolutely no facilities for shore excursions. The adventure continues…

Pics:

First four: our sail-in welcoming drummers and dancers

Remains from a bygone era

More mundane group in a westernized village

Waiting men

Local market

Next two: dancers dyed with an ochre dye

White fully-clothed spectators. Recognize anyone?

The river, which doubles as a Laundromat and bath hopefully

Next three: local people