Shortly after daybreak, in the midst of a tropical downpour, we entered the harbor at the town of Madang on Papua New Guinea’s northern coast. We headed ashore to visit this bustling port town and to explore this interesting region. Our first stop was at the local fruit and vegetable market where vendors were selling a dazzling array of edible plants. In addition to many varieties of leafy greens, there were samplings of many staple foods; potatoes, corn, peanuts, taro, onions, carrots, bananas, oranges, squashes, and chilies. We also saw many less familiar items, such as the huge, red, fruit stalk of the pandanus. The market was filled with people, some just arriving and setting up their carefully organized displays, while many people accompanied by their children were already open for business.
Our morning town tour also took us to the regional museum where there were displays with many interesting older artifacts from a variety of regions in Papua New Guinea. We drove to the Coast Watchers Memorial and stopped to see it and the neighboring 300-year-old banyan tree. Nearby, we searched other trees for large fruits bats, the spectacled flying foxes, dangling in their day roosts, or “camps.” After enjoying some shopping for crafts and artifacts at the stands by the pier, we returned to the ship for lunch.
In the afternoon, we returned to shore to drive inland to the village of Haya. We were given an interesting tour of some village homes, and then the Ui family clan put on a visually stunning sing-sing performance. Men and young boys were oiled with the rusty orange dye from the Bixa plant seeds mixed with coconut oil. The men wore feather headdresses and necklaces adorned with circular boar teeth. Beating drums rhythmically, they chanted and danced as several women and girls sang accompaniment from the fringes of the main show. Typical of the other performances we’ve seen, other locals also gathered to watch the festivities. We returned home to the Oceanic Discoverer, tired but sated from a rewarding day of exploration.
