The men, as well as the native women I met, all wanted to touch my hand, and then run their hand up my wrist and arm, and frequently continued stroking my arm for minutes. I was told that this is a remnant of believing that the whiteskin's magic can rub off on those who touch him. In any event, I sometimes found myself in the middle of a village, with 20 or 30 smiling people crowding around me, all reaching out to touch me. At one village where I paused for only half an hour a very old woman spent all that time running her hands through my long hair, with her face about six inches from mine, speaking enthusiastically. The only translation I could get from one person there who knew a bit of English was 'good greeting'. Usually the approaches to villages were such that I had been spotted well before my arrival, so that everyone in the village knew I was there, and had gathered together to greet me.
Besides the capital city of Port Moresby, other towns on the coast include Lae, Madang, and Wewak. Goroka and Mount Hagan are the two towns in the central highlands area of the country. There is very little in the way of tourist-oriented accommodations or facilities, but that is made up for by the hospitality of both the natives and the whiteskins. I enjoyed my time in PNG, met some warm and interesting people, but certainly did not fall in love with the country. Trips back will again be motivated by a desire to see my daughter.
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My time in Sydney was scheduled as rest and recreation after what I anticipated would be (and was) a grueling and Spartan month in PNG. Although I didn't need any special time or conditions to recover from any maladies, the time in Sydney was a splendid opportunity to relax and gently exercise my sore muscles. It was nice to have a wide selection of foods to choose from at every meal. Having lost 15 pounds bushwalking, I felt no hesitation in eating whatever I wanted, including candy bars and milk shakes between meals. I ate a lot of curry, pizza, fried chicken, and other things I especially enjoy and missed in PNG.
Sydney has the charm, beauty, and excitement of San Francisco, but without the winos and sleaze that keep so many tourists from returning. I visited museums and parks. I walked 5 to 10 miles each day, building back up to a comfortable pace. I stayed in a backpackers hostel and 'hung out' with young people from Germany, Sweden, England, and other parts of western Europe. I made friends at the University of Sydney who arranged for me to have Internet access, and I was thus able to send and receive email. I attended a few Mensa meetings, and met some interesting people. They shared with me various perspectives on a wide range of topics while I generally listened. My lodgings were perfectly located, within a block of a public library, two ice cream shops, a McDonalds, a Burger King (called Hungry Jack's in Australia), a Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a subway stop - all the things I needed to pamper my mind and body. Equally close were many Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, Japanese, and other ethnic eating places, so I had a wonderful cafeteria of places to choose each time I was hungry. I took harbor cruises and visited the zoo. My railroad interest took me on subway trains all over the area. One day I visited a historic railroad located about a three-hour train ride away.
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The approximate costs of this adventure were as follows:
Category PNG Australia Total
Plane, international $1600 - $1600
Plane, domestic 300 - 300
Lodging 400 $400 800
Food 300 200 500
Guest meals 300 - 300
Trip equipment 500 - 500
TOTAL $3400 $600 $4000
C. W. Lee, 1-26-96
cwlee@dhvx20.csudh.edu
Post Office Box 4822
Carson, California 90749-4822
Rec.Travel Library
The World
Pacific
Papua New Guinea
Also by this author:
New Zealand 1994
Australia, Tasmania 1996
Foaming Nova Scotia 1997
Neqemgelisa on Vancouver Island, Plus... 1998
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