Goroka Eco Trek DAY 2

In the morning there was no sound, no radios or cars. I couldn't even hear pigs! In the middle of the hut a woman sat roasting sweet potato over a small fire, the smoke rises through the thatch leaving it blackened and shiny from underneath. On seeing me rise the woman opened some shutters and light flows in. She had a filigree of tattoos across every inch of her face and was old and beautiful. I noticed around the walls near my bed, small flowers placed beautifully as decoration and welcome.

We ate sweet potato for breakfast and bagged a few more for lunch.

I paid  for a traditional Singsing, about $60aussie.  Sam’s uncle Eki Lahana led this group (kneeling with a yellow ocre strip over his  nose). This is the traditional welcome. It is getting rare. It was a first for some of the pikininis. I wish i had a video. And a sound recorder for the voicing and the pipes.

After the Singsing Sam says for me to pay Jim in front of all the village. I hand Jim a bunch of notes of different denominations. Jim does maths with pen and paper, then calls out individuals, or smaller groups of people, maybe family, and they each get a share. I am then required to say something! I say something about cultural identity. Sam translates (i think) then seems to talk about the future of tourism.

 Then goodbye and up our first hill past gardens into jungle then mountains (there is a lot of this in PNG). It just kept going upwards!. Kevin came with us. I was delighted. Kevin had very good English and was really good company. Sam had given me the option of a short cut that would give me a taste of the jungle and i had agreed, i could blame no one but myself.

Some hours latter collapsed on a jungle ridge i thought about chucking it in. I was too stuffed to say it out loud. Kevin took my pack. I knew these guys would do whatever it took to get me back. And for some reason that made me get up. I said nothing and kept walking. I then experienced ecstasy! Because of  the views, the endorphins or the altitude i don't know. For the pure hell of making it so far perhaps.For just going on. Then exhaustion and with the sun going down, on the outskirts of our destination, i rolled my ankle. Then I did it again a few steps further, same ankle. I hobbled completely ****** into the village. Time to quit. Perhaps to die but certainly quit.

Looks close  but taken telephoto.  Near the ankle site towards Orumba

Orumba has maybe 1000 souls and awesome views in every direction. I noticed none of this on arrival. I followed Sam into some random hut and crashed out on somebodies bed while a fire was lit and some coffee  made. I had bought the coffee in Goroka. It is grown by the locals but its too expensive for them to buy back once processed. After a couple of mugs with maybe six sugars in each, i was human again and introduced to Mr Boomai, man of the world and Seventh Day Adventist. It was his fire. Landai.

Boomai's house is to the left.

Mr Boomai was a Chimbu man who liked Goroka because the place is peaceful. His English was good and we discussed gardening. He said that some local men had many wives. Even some that were christian. He was content with one. At night i heard a transistor radio from his home. He explored the future with the eye of a connoisseur. His wife worked from morning till dark.

Orumba

There was a crowd around the fire that night for story time. I was told that another traveler had been through before me, they remembered his name, that he was American and had shared cigars with them. They told me of the drought which had been going on for some 18 months. Their gardens were effected, people were hungry. Sam spoke of the benefits of tourism. I was asked about city life.

We ate sweet potato that night and i was careful to hand on what i could not eat myself. We opened another 2L of WildMan and chatted on. I smoked some brusch with the guys outside. I liked these people. They were intelligent and nice.

They tried to teach me their handshake. When shaking hands, as each lets go they click fingers. It is seriously cool and should become a world wide teenage sensation. If i ever can do it ill youtube it!

I slept better that night. Drank less WildMan and took some Panadol. I was with friends.

In the middle of the night, out to  the designated spot and the lights of  Goroka town below me and lightening far off and the stars as bright as 2000m and no pollution, it was like a light show as i pissed.