Ahhh Papua New Guinea

Blog Entries from Papua New Guinea

Here are a few of my observations about Papua New Guinea (PNG)

Excited for my voyage to visit Scuba Steve in Papua New Guinea. Charles Dickens’ quote resonated with me, but PNG surprised me by how much it challenged me as a traveler.

Land and Weather

Papua New Guinea is a stunningly beautiful country with a plethora of natural resources. Fruits and vegetables grow easily in the fertile soil. You would have to try to go hungry. Food literally falls out of the sky onto your plate.

Another observation about Papua New Guinea over different seasons. Even in the winter, heat and humidity prevailed in PNG. I averaged two showers a day and never thought about touching the hot water faucet.

Cutting PNG grass combined with heat and humidity is no laughing matter.

Both cocoa and coconuts are very labor intensive with delicious rewards.

The road conditions around Madang left much to be desired. It appears that the damage still remains from bombing runs during WWII between the Japanese and Americans.

The Ever Resourceful Coconut Tree

PNG Culture

PNG follows a tribal system that values tribes more than the state, fair enough. Each tribe protects and takes care of everyone within it. If anyone is wronged, injured, or killed, the tribe automatically seeks retribution from the provoking tribe.

Along the highway exist massive holes that could swallow small children, even large ones. When PNG tries to repair these, villages do not allow them to be repaired. They prefer to fix them themselves. This is done in order to stop traffic and demand “fees” for the work they completed.

Flying Business Class to PNG and having access to the airline lounges were well worth the effort, if just for the food and free booze.

The key to tell the difference between someone from the coast and someone from the highlands is studying their calves. Highlanders are constantly climbing and descending steep slopes, thus the large calves.

Betel nut spit looks a lot like blood.

School Bell

Barley Libations

Billy Moore personally blessed the XXXX beer (Australia) on our flight from Cairns, Australia to Port Moresby. His blessing leaves doubts on its effective as it did not enhance the taste.

The PNG beer SP, was referred to a few times as ‘Sewer Piss’, but South Pacific Breweries probably would prefer a different moniker. Maybe so, but it definitely tasted better than XXXX.

Scattered around randomly on the St. Fidelis Seminary campus are WWII Japanese antiaircraft guns. Maybe not so random for the Japanese forces at the time.

XXXX Beer Proudly Blessed by the Brewer

The Bird That Takes No Prisoners

We saw a single caged cassowary on Karkar Island. What a fascinating bird. The colorful head looked prehistoric and their middle toe is armed with a dangerously sharp claw. When I first approached the bird, he let out a gurgling howl. Sounds like Pepper’s first girlfriend.