After a restless rat filled sleep - we woke up at 1am this morning to catch the PMV back to Popondetta. By the graces of the good earth, it was not raining - a real stroke of luck. However we would soon find out this was to be of no use because all the rivers were swollen far above their normal flows due to heavy rains in the mountain. As a result it took us 9 hours to reach Popondetta including stops (compared to the 3.5 hours the first time we … [Read more...]
Heading Out Papua, New Guinea Trek
A young lady died yesterday from stomach problems and as we passed through the small village we saw a number of men digging the grave - right next to the trail. The reality of death here unlike a number of western cultures which puts it at bay for a longer period of time - is more a part of daily life. Life spans are much shorter, injuries are common, as is illness - from these remote villages you cannot easily get to a hospital. All the villages … [Read more...]
Exploring Misima Village Papua New Guinea
We spent most of today exploring the hilly jungle covered countryside around Misima Village with Seli. Seli is about 60 years of age (when we ask people's ages here we get approximate answers) and has the stamina of someone half his age. Like most people living in the mountains in this area he walks everywhere barefoot - even on the rocky, steepest of trails. And he will climb much faster than most people in shape who are wearing shoes! Walking … [Read more...]
Trekking in the Papua New Guinea Highlands
Today we trekked for about 5.5 hours - most of it all uphill over a steep, rocky, muddy slippery trail. Arriving at a plateau (and a small village) we were greeted by the entire village welcoming us with a cheerful song. We busted open the heavy glass jar of Prima Scelta Chargrilled Artichokes that we dragged up here from when we bought them in Sydney. Food had rarely tasted so good despite these chockes being saturated in the heaviest of … [Read more...]
Foke Village Kokoda
Today we trekked to Foke Village - a collection of several thatched huts and a total population of 30. We waded through a strong river and walked in the shade through hundreds of palm oil trees - all covered with moss and a ferns. This beautiful village is set right at the base of the mountains - on a plateau surrounded by pristine rainforest. We arrived at the village and noticed how eerily quiet it was. We kept walking through and then we … [Read more...]
Exploring Kokoda Papua New Guinea
Today we hiked to Kokoda - about a 50 minute walk. Our host family in Beleni village walks this every day for vegetables and fruit as that is the main method of transportation here. They said this is very short walk for them; I hate to see what a long walk would would be like! There is a concrete slab where ladies walk from nearby villages and sell mostly vegetables - small bundles are tied up neatly and are displayed on their plastic sheets. … [Read more...]
Hanging out in Belini Village
Taking survey of our trekking injuries so far, we decided to spend a rest day around Beleni Village. Still recovering from falling against some sharp rocks in Australia a week ago, open sores from hiking, a nasty sunburn, a piece of a thorn stuck in the finger, flu like symptoms including a fever and back spasms from riding the sides of the PMV for three hours on a brutally bumpy road. As we've experienced before, its hard to decide on … [Read more...]
Popondetta Arrival
Our 25 minute flight on Air Nuigini from Port Moresby was nearly empty and we arrived 20 minutes early, landing on the rough landing strip that is surrounded by jungle. We thought we were going to overnight it in Popondetta but the lady who was meeting us persuaded the driver to wait for several hours - along with all the passengers. Talk about patience and being way cool! A terrible cyclone six years ago destroyed all the bridges from … [Read more...]
Our First Introduction to Papua New Guinea
It is only fitting that I found myself in an airplane to begin the dawn of the new year. This past year was a whirlwind of travel, airplanes and airports. With 28 countries and territories visited in 2012 (including my home country) - 2013 is off to a good start! Papua New Guinea has long been on my list of countries to visit for a number of reasons: incredible array of wildlife ranging from the untouched marine environments to colorful birds, … [Read more...]
Benxi Water Cave
Today we visited the Benxi Water Cave - the temperature was about -9 Celsius outside while the inside of the cave was around 12 C - much more pleasant! This is the world's largest underground water cave system accessible by boat. Thousands of stalactites hang from the ceiling and the interior is lit up by both under water lights and lights near the ceilings. Beautiful eclectic pieces of stone line the riverbanks. The water is super clear and not … [Read more...]
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