Papua New Guinea Travelogue
Papua New Guinea - visited in August 2006
Have you ever heard about Papua New Guinea ? Do you know Port Moresby ? If so, it was probably in statistics books... Indeed: 12000 violent attacks occur each year, 7 rapes and 8 car-jacking each day, - and all of that happens in a small village of less than 1 million inhabitants. This "expanded" area has only 80.000 houses... Just make your calculation to see what that means in percentage of the population... And last but not least: every day you have 19 times more chances to be killed here than in Sao Paulo or Mexico City... There are only 3000 policemen in service, and they are supposed to "protect" you.
Well, if not in the statistics, you may have read in the press that half of all the cyclones of the world pass through Papua New Guinea!!! I have also read another article claiming that Port Moresby was the only capital in the world without any road connection to other cities! If you want to get out of Port Moresby, you'd better get a plane or a boat... and, because of the ridiculously expensive airfares, some people use to say this city is worse than a prison.
You may also have received some security briefings advising you that it is dangerous to go out 24 hours/day without armed bodyguards. They may have told you also to avoid restaurants and shops because of too frequent hold ups. They probably added that you cannot go more than two times a week to your work place at the same time of the day, because you would create a pattern and increase the probabilities to be a target to organized gangs. They for sure ended by saying that even when you leave the country, your plane might be hijacked because of the absolute lack of security at the airport... and weapons are frequently found onboard.
Well, after hearing that, if you still dare speaking to locals, they will probably proudly claim that not only Port Moresby is the world most dangerous city but also that it has such a level of corruption that even Nigeria or Cameroon cannot compete!
If you are interested in history and in this part of the world, and you may also have figured out in some history books that not so long ago Papua New Guinea was the capital of cannibalism, along with its neighbors Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
If you have been here, you probably have stayed at a hotel room which had 4 locks (FOUR) on your doors and have listened to your neighbors: loud Bollywood music...
Well, I would now like to sing you a different song. If you haven't heard about this place in the past, just forget about the first part of my writings and start here...
This story begins in a beautiful city called Port Moresby. It lies like an egg sunny side up on a giant turquoise blue painted plate. Some old World War II wrecks still decorate the seashore. A few other boats, newer, dance in the harbor. A few houses, perched on dry hills are lucky to enjoy every day this beautiful scenery. As for the unlucky others... well they just climb up the hill to enjoy it as well.
At my arrival at the airport, I was welcomed with a big smile by a friend of a friend of a friend of another friend. She embarrassedly told me about the housing statistics and how it was difficult for her to offer me a bed or couch at her placeâ... Property has also a very different meaning here. Furthermore people simply like to live outside. Houses are just kept as storage space and sometimes (when it is rainy), to sleep. There is no real need to stay enclosed. People prefer playing rugby or softball in the parks, fields, or simply on the roads. Which is lovely, because no policemen nor heavy traffic disturb the game !
My friend then brought me to one of the few hotels of the city. Too embarrassed about her situation, she obliged me to accept that she would pay for my hotel bill. It was already very hard to tell her that a simple couch was more than enough for me. She insisted also to escort me to the door of my meeting with the Unicef... which she indeed did.... When we arrived at the UN House, she couldn't enter, because she didn't have any papered card... What for, she asked... I am still wondering... also...
On my way up to the 14th floor, I was with a 7 years old boy in the large square elevator. His eyes were just so frightened and stunned at the same time. His knees were shaking... I asked him which floor he wanted to go. He was literally paralyzed... first time in an elevator... As a little and scared mouse, he got through the security of the building to realize his dream to fly like a bird. Silently, I took him to the top floor to show him the view. His eyes were humid and still a little scared... So I decided to go back to our spaceship and went up and down 2 extra times, just for fun only to see those eyes smiling and shining like stars again !
My story continues in the small "scary" village of Tatana, where I had been invited by the head of the island. Tatana is a small island, about 20km from Port Moresby. It is connected to the land thanks to a dam constructed by the Americans during WWII. I was introduced this time also by another friend of a friend of a friend. He is from South Africa, and is a wonderful guy who forgot rapidly about the statistics. His generosity and humor helped him being welcomed in the village some years ago. His excellent ability as volleyball player was also of good assistance. I was probably the second white guy they welcomed with such a smile on their face. I was given the incredible opportunity to visit their only primary school, and the visit was an unforgettable experience. Children, teachers and headmaster blessed my visit to their school "so far away" from the capital. Well, I think I should better turn the things around and bless them for their bigheartedness and wonderful creativity while taking photographs. Those kids were just amazing. They had a camera in their hands for the very first time,. It is really striking, how creative and expressive they were on photography. I could have spent months on this tiny island of 3000 Tatanese... But my next trip to the Solomon Islands was already waiting...
And after 5 days in wonderland I can say that I really never felt unsafe apart from being scared of a food intoxication from the local rice, which is always served bathing in cold water - not very delicious... But on the other side I had the best tomatoes ever ;-)
I will surely visit PNG again one day and then I should definitely try to chew their unattractive and bitter bethel nuts and swim in their turquoise ocean. It will be holiday time !
I will leave you this time with a paragraph of a poetry that Rachael, a 12 years old living in PNG wrote:
"I was once born on an island
This Island called PARADISE
PARADISE was a place where I grew up
It is where my dreams came true
Seeing life styles surrounded by the natures of my PARADISE Island
The birds sang so beautifully,
Beautiful harming that you would ever hear
Animals and Plants you will find on my PARADISE Island
PARADISE was so beautiful till I was in my middle ages
When things started to go wrong in my PARADISE Island
My PARADISE was never better enough
I was sad thinking that PARADISE Island was dead,
But NO !
PARADISE Island is natural and is still alive
PARADISE Kingdom in which I live in
PARADISE Island is my natures own
PARADISE ISLAND"
Anthony
August, 31th 2006
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