What was PNG like?

Well, surprisingly similar to home actually. Since the main reason for the trip was to see my baby sister we didn’t really do much touristy stuff. It was king of more a bum around my sister’s house than an overseas trip.
After a while if figured out what made everything seem familiar. It’s the power points. They are the same as home. Then from this things like the Urn and TV were exactly as you should see in Perth. They also had similar TV stations and I was in the same time zone. Locals still have competitions with their neighbors as to who has the best lawn in their front yard. There were lots of things that felt familiar.
It was sort of a cross between Cambodia and Murray Bridge. I only got out and about much in Madang. So the Villages may feel different. Strangely enough the whole country seemed more civilized that the aboriginal communities that I have been to in Australia. Eg. I felt underdressed when we went to church.
When we were in Gaubin we stayed mostly in the hospital complex. But on our trip up the mountain we did see some nice wooden housed that made it feel more like another country. Also the fences were interesting. Mostly they were a series of saplings stuck in the ground. Nothing bigger than a mouse would be able to get through them. I don’t know what happens when the trees get big.
I don’t really feel like giving a blow-by-blow detailed diary entry on the trip. So some of the other highlights were:
PtMorseby Flight getting delayed a day. Chatting to an English couple, both called Alex, who helped organize a stopover in Lanbada Hotel. Pretty swish.
Getting heatstroke in Madang from walking between all the marketplaces.
Spending an entire day on a copra boat to get to Karkar island.
Sleeping on a couch, listening to German primary school classes most mornings.
Snorkeling most afternoons (apparently the weather was terrible).
Walk up a volcano, 5 hours to get there, 1 hour sleep at the top while the guides tried to start a fire, 3 hours to get back down.
2 big, bring a plate, feasts for tea. This after Nicole put us onto her starvation diet.
Each night, going to bed later and later because, we were getting better at playing 500.
Actually learning how to play 500, along with Kristina and Nicol, Levi was the teacher.
Skipping with the school kids, haven’t been skipping for years.
New food, always a highlight, although I didn’t take many photos. Also cold hotdogs with mayonnaise instead of cheese are terrible.
Being a German missionary for a week.
Hospital tour. Seemed like they can do nearly everything there and they see patients quicker and have more spare beds than any of the hospitals at home.
My flippers were nicked on the last day in Gaubin.
The last day in Madang I got a rash allover my back or bed bugs or something, was all scabby for a week after. These were the low-lights, but still noteworthy.
People
People make the place after all.

There done all written up, this took me about an hour to write. But I tell a similar story in only ten minutes somatically. Now all I need to do is add some photos and bung it on the blog. I may proofread it, maybe not.
Turns out I'm not motivated to put any pictures up after all.