Wednesday March 20, 2013 MADANG PROVINCE, Papua New Guinea
What a fabulous day this was - the time just flew by! The sky dawned sunny and blue - such a treat - as we slowly entered the Madang harbour passing the tall white Coastwatchers Memorial at the entrance. It is just beautiful here - very flat with lush growth, and rising after the plains into the very steep ridge of the Bismarck Ranges containing PNG's highest Mountain Mt Wilhelm 4509 metres. The Bismarck Sea laps the Northern Coast and the whole area is drained by the Ramu, Sogeram, Gogol and Malas Rivers. The mountains are timber rich, which accounts for the Chinese logging ship that we saw anchored yesterday at the mouth of the Sepik River - the Chinese are logging the interior and using the Sepik River to float the timber back down to the mouth for export to China. As I heard someone say yesterday, "the Chinese are beating the Europeans at their own game" referring to the European colonies who raped many parts of the world of their resources starting 4 centuries ago, and still continue to do so.
The Russian Explorer Nicolai Miklouho-Maclay was the first Western explorer here in 1871, and he introduced new fruits and vegetables including pineapples, mangoes, beans and pumpkins. This was followed by the German New Guinea Kompagnie in 1884 who started to develop the region building tobacco, cotton and coffee plantations at Bogia and around Astrolobe Bay where we docked today. The city of Madang was destroyed in heavy fighting after being occupied by the Japanese on May 1, 1942 with much loss of life on both sides, but was recaptured by the Allies 2 years later on April 24, 1944. Since the war there have been few developments in the area and restricted mainly to the coast and Madang Town where we docked. We spent time on the outside decks watching the residents precariously balanced in long shore boats (at least 2 or 3 times the maximum recommended I'm sure!) crossing from across the harbour and river mouth to get to the town of Madang.
Shortly after 8am our first PNG tribe arrived at the docks and treated us to an amazing song, drums, and dance show right at the gangway to the ship! They were all brightly dressed and their skins are all oiled to a beautiful sheen with coconut oil coloured with the fruit from the BEM plant (oliska oriana) nut which is a deep red. They have feathers in their hair and strings of small shells around their chest and back, sometimes with large oyster shells added as well - really stunning to look at all and all such beautiful people. They performed for over an hour, sometimes in circles, lines and weaving in and out of each other - they really enjoy participating in their cultural songs and dances and it shows. Needless to say my camera was very busy! Once they start they really like to keep going but eventually they were convinced to stop and then we all boarded 5 different buses to head to the village of Bilbil for another welcome and SING SING - this village is right on the coast and about an hour away on a side road.
Before we headed to BilBil we stopped at the cultural centre and museum - interestingly enough a large part of the items inside (and some were fabulous artifacts) had been confiscated from a Danish? man who had bought them in the highlands and was trying to export them - the Cultural employees are now trying to teach the PG residents how important their history, culture and artifacts are. Joan bought a lovely 4 foot long carving here that is used by women who are selecting a husband - the carving was lovely and Joan felt it was too long to get home - but the carver showed her how to take it into 2 pieces and then put it back together again when she got back to Canada - very slick!
The people of Bilbil Village that we then went to visit used to live on an island offshore from Madang (on the mainland) trading clay pots all along the coast from Kar Kar island to Western Morobe. The island could not produce enough food for everyone so trading their pots was essential, and eventually they moved their village to the mainland close to Madang to improve their subsistence levels. They make their pots the traditional way by collecting clay from the bush, mix it with sand and water then let it dry. A few days later it is mixed with water again and left to dry, after which the ladies pull off enough clay and shape the lip of the pot. Then they hollow out the inside with a stone and beat the outside with a flat board. It must then be left to dry again before the final smoothing takes place. Before the pots are fired, red clay is painted on the pots. The firing turns them a glossy red and black when they are pulled out of the fire. - the demonstration was superb and these ladies are skilled masters at making these beautiful clay pots very quickly. They are used for many purposes including bartering for food the way they have always been, but a major use is for bride price ceremonies! Other people come down from the mountains to meet the Bilbil at a previously arranged place and are then exchanged for taro and yams from the mountains, and no money is used in these exchanges.
The Bilbil are great seamen and over the centuries have sailed their large 2 masted canoes hundreds of km along the coast trading their clay pots with the villages along the way for food, wooden bowls, pigs and other goods. We felt so fortunate to be visiting them - as we drove along the road in to the village everyone was waving and saying hello, the children (there are lots of children ) jumping up and down and screaming hello, or shyly running behind their parents and peeping around their legs as we passed by.
In the centre of the village we were seated on wooden benches in the shade to watch the Sing Sing. The performers came from the end of town, with the ? drums beating, singing and dancing in time to the drum beat. Again their skins were oiled and they were highly decorated with shells and lots of plants and leaves - the women all wearing the traditional grass skirts. They danced for a long time, the sun was out and it was a lovely ceremony - we had lots of smaller and older kids and villagers watching with us, as we do at every ceremony, they love these ceremonies as much as we do, sometimes the kids sing along, drum along, move their feet in time, or just watch in awe without moving! Needless to say we took LOTS of photos and movie!
Afterwards we checked out the bags, shell necklaces and pots for sale (Joan bought a beautiful pot with a pouring spout as well as the opening on top to fill it) and then continued on the 100 yards until we reached the beach with incredible views. There was a fisherman just rowing in on an outrigger - we spoke to him and he told us he had been out fishing but hadn't been lucky enough to catch any fish today. He was also the Lutheran Minister so told us that was why he only had two children, the first born was a girl and the second born was a son.
All too soon we had to say our goodbyes and headed off in the coaches for the next stop which was hot springs - the smell of sulphur was very strong when we pulled in to stop! The local lady came out with bacon rinds from the resort nearby to feed the eels and terrapins (small turtles) in the crystal clear water - there were also amazing red dragon flies in the grasses!
By now we were all soaking wet as if we had just stood under the shower - it was very hot and humid, and our bus was not air conditioned! We drove through town and along the shore and arrived back at the Orion to a very welcome cold towel and glass of ice cold tea and Clinton, the Maitre'd advising us lunch was on downstairs for another 30 minutes - we were about 60 minutes late back to the ship.
We had a quick lunch and were ready for the 2pm walking departure to the market in town and the Madang Resort where a shuttle would be running to and fro all afternoon to get us back to the Orion. The afternoon went so fast we couldn't believe it! First off there were carvers, weavers and artists right outside the port gates - and one of these knew Justin through his father. The artist was Winston Kuauge Jnr - and his father had started painting in this very vibrant contemporary style and Justin Friend had bought one of his paintings many years ago. We loved the paintings and purchased one showing the masks from 6 different tribes. Winston explained each mask, and his friends who were there with him were from some of the other tribes and everyone was so proud showing us which mask was from their tribe. There was also an old gentleman selling hand carved bows and arrows - beautiful.
Then we scooted to catch up with the other 30 folks chatting with everyone that we passed along the way (and continuously wiping the sweat running down my face!). In the large general market we admired the huge number of benches with fruit and veggies for sale including such items as broccoli, carrots, potatoes. There were several artifacts for sale including shell necklaces, amazing headdresses with chicken and cassowary feathers (which are on the endangered list), wooden carvings, all sorts of wonderful items!
Later we took photos of all sorts of folks along the streets who wanted us to take their photo, and then show the photo to them. Along the shoreline we came to the "Lean Down" market - this is where ladies are sitting low down with food for sale, cooked fish, bananas, squid and other items - you always have to lean down to look at the goods, so this is known as the lean Down market! And of course, many folks selling the inevitable betel nuts, peppers and lime - a major part of the PNG economy. Just outside the Madang Resort we came across an old fellow selling incredible sturdy baskets and trays, all absolutely beautifully woven. The large trays (around 30" wide were 100 Kina (about $50) they were stunning and I only wish that on this trip we could have bought all of the amazing things that we have seen - both for the benefit of the carvers, artists and sellers, and also for the ability to bring home these amazing items.
There is also a Carver's Market inside the Madang Resort grounds with many ladies all sitting under a straw roof with their items for sale - everything you could imagine. But one lady had something we had not seen before - fabulous pots with the most amazing faces on the front! I had Terry pick one up (I would have loved 3 for the garden) but he said no way, just way too heavy and too big! he did buy one interesting item which we shall proudly display for each of you who comes to visit us when we get home!
Well, the last shuttle bus back to the Orion was due to leave at 4:30pm and it was now just a few minutes before 4 - we couldn't believe it, the afternoon had flown by! We took a couple of minutes and shared an ice cold local beer - PNG South Pacific Export - with Justin in a very cold air conditioned little bar that looked very Colonial. The small part of the resort that we saw looked very nice, I think the rates were $350USD + per night, and there were lovely units along the shore where we would pass by shortly as we left Madang.
As we pulled out of the harbour, everyone was waving and calling to us, the ferries were now overloaded returning everyone back from the town to their villages - they had all been so friendly to us and really helped us enjoy our day in Madang. Meanwhile Justin was giving a talk in the LEDA lounge, all about speaking PIDGIN - the local language. As always Justin has a great way of teaching you so that you understand and laugh at the same time. I wish you could hear and see his entire presentation, it was priceless. Apparently there are only 1500 words in the PIDGIN language, so you have to be very careful how you use the words since many words have more than one meaning, and many of these words have come from English originally.
BRATA - a relative of the same generation of the same sex
SUSA - a relative of the same generation of the opposite sex.
So my sister would be my BRATA, my brother would be my SUSA
Then Justin showed this Australian cartoon making fun of Pidgin - which I know will not translate but here goes - the picture first then the explanation in PIDGIN
1. picture of:
MOM, DAD, AND SEVERAL KIDS: If your papamama bin doing their work yous got enough for making socateam.
2. TWO WOMEN - If you wears a dress an she wears a dress; in town she's call susa, in the village she's your brata.
3. One WOMAN One MAN - if you wears the trausas and she's in a dress: in town she's call susa, an in your village she's your susa.
4. TWO MEN: If you wear the trausas and he's in a dress; in town he's call geligeli an in the village he's in big trabel!
Then we enjoyed a wonderful slide show of the days activities presented by Mark - what a busy and exciting day it had been! Afterwards Joan, terry and I had a wonderful dinner outdoors on the back deck in the Delphinus Cafe. We could see a few lights on the shore as we sailed away, there was some sheet lightning in the mountains, the warm breezes were smooth on the skin and the white wine was ice cold under all the stars! A perfect end to a perfect day and we had just finished eating when we had a few drops of rain and headed off to bed!
Sent from my iPad
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