We flew from Mt Hagen to the beautiful coastal town of Madang. Every time we've flown in PNG we've had to go via Port Moresby, even if the destination isn't far away, and this time was no exception. We got to know our way around the domestic terminal at Port Moresby very well!
The place we stayed in at Madang was wonderful. We had a room overlooking the sea (the sea was surprisingly rough and wild while we were there) and the place was set in manicured gardens. It was soooo hot again though.
From our balcony we could see just how many guards the place had. There was a guard box where they could shelter from any bad weather but mostly the guards would sit at various locations checking things out. We could see three just along the front of the hotel - there were more at the back. Every hotel we stayed at had guards. Mostly they were older men and they didn't seem to be armed in any way so I'm not sure how effective they are but guarding is a huge business here.
We explored the town. There was a lovely walk along the coast into town and these beautiful water lillies were in a dam at a golf course. I was selective with my photography position here though - the golf course was strewn with plastic bags and other rubbish from people picnicking on the beaches opposite.
Nearby was this amazing banyan tree. Someone said it was 300 years old, although who knows how old it really is. It was incredible.
This was John's first dive for the whole trip. He hadn't dived for a long time and the dives he did this day were quite easy so they were perfect for him to get the feel of it again. I snorkelled while he dived.
Divers have to rest for an hour between dives so we pulled up at a beautiful beach on an island. The others stayed on the boat but I got out and explored. I loved the fact that mine were the only footprints in the sand.
I snorkelled around here and saw this fish. I'm not sure what it is - it could be a filefish. It was swimming vertically.
There were the densest clusters of Christmas tree worms here that I've seen the whole trip. They were spectacular! I wonder why they always seem to grow in pairs.
Right near the end of my last snorkel I saw a black-tipped reef shark - my first for this trip. Five minutes later I saw another one.
After we finished snorkelling and diving, for the first time in the lowlands, I was cold. John went hunting for food at the local fish market. I think he bought out half their produce!
They fry up fish, squid, different bananas, yams, sago cakes, breadfruit, sausages and potatoes. It was a coronary nightmare but this is staple take-away fare. The plastic bag on the stick is the fly-swisher.
Something that we've seen in every country we've visited this trip is people checking each others' hair for lice. It's just a part of life in many countries.
In the huge old trees that line some of the streets in Madang, fruit bats have moved in. They're huge! We didn't see them fly out at dusk but it must be quite a sight.
There was a butterfly sanctuary near Madang that I really wanted to see so we took a short tour there. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to get close to the butterflies as they just fly around a garden. Instead of getting great photos all I got was attacked by mosquitoes.
We then went on to a lovely village right on the beach. The thatched buildings were gorgeous once again.
We saw this huge, hand-made boat. Apparently it was just made for one anniversary celebration then never used again. I couldn't quite understand how this boat worked until I saw something about it at the local museum later that day.
This is a photo at the museum of the same boat. An entire structure had been built on top of the boat that people could shelter under. It was amazing!
Back at the village we got chatting to the locals and they were lovely. On the left is our guide - his name is Busy Bee! The guy on the right was a villager whose teeth were so damaged by betel nut that they were more black than red.
At another place they found the caterpillar of one of the larger butterflies. It looks dangerous!
We also saw where part of the movie "Robinson Crusoe" was filmed in the '90s. This is Man Friday's grave.
At the same place there was a sulphur creek flowing out of a cave. The cave had formed in a huge sheer wall that was an old coral reef many years ago. The sulphur creek smelled bad but it looked pretty!
The tour wasn't really anything very exciting but Busy Bee happened to mention that he was going to feed the cuscus and tree kangaroos back at the hotel he worked at. We keenly followed along.
The cuscus wasn't too keen to come out of its little house but food brought him partly out. This is the first one we've seen, although we've seen many skins of them on costumes! How adorable is that face?
Next door were two tree kangaroos. Yep, these are related to Aussie kangaroos but they live in trees.
Back at our hotel we found these crowned pigeons. What spectacular birds!
There was also a pair of parrots but the female was sitting on eggs.
So we didn't finish our trip on an exiting note but it was lovely all the same.
PNG was one of the most amazing countries we've ever visited. The people are so friendly and so happy. They're always smiling and laughing. We could start talking to anyone and soon we'd all be laughing about something. The only country we can think of where the people are so happy and funny like this is Ghana, in Africa. No other country comes close. I suppose we're biased towards the English-speaking countries, though.
The strong culture throughout this country is unsurpassed. We've never experienced anything like it. The way people are so much in touch with their traditions is so unusual in the 21st century. Kids are being included too so there is little risk of many traditions being lost. Regional variety in costumes, beliefs and rituals is enormous. Seeing a cultural show has to be one of the most amazing experiences we've ever had. Keep in mind that these shows are for locals, not tourists. Yes, shows can be put on for tourists, but the regional shows are for the people and are absolutely amazing.
PNG is such a unique country. It's not cheap though. Expect to pay about Aussie prices. I would highly recommend it to anyone that doesn't necessarily need flash transport or accommodation. Be prepared to rough it a bit as the whole country, especially the Highlands, is a bit rough around the edges. Some places are like a real-life last frontier and that is an experience in itself.
The lack of tourists, particularly Aussie tourists, is amazing. I can only assume that the reasons for this are that it is perceived to be a dangerous country and that it's expensive. It's also hot in many places and not easy to get around sometimes.
Seriously, these are not good enough reasons to stay away! This country has to be seen to be believed. Of course, you should be aware of where any problematic areas are, bit we didn't even feel unsafe let alone experience any problems.
So it's time to head home again. We're very much looking forward to catching up with family and friends. We're coming back in time for the Tiges to be in the finals so it'll be an interesting September. We're not looking forward to the weather though!
Thanks to those of you who followed our adventures and kept in touch. It was great to hear from you.
'Til next time.
Heather and John
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