Tumbuna Sing Sing, May 2011

May 19, that's the date of the 2011 Tumbuna Sing Sing, a cultural festival in Papua New Guinea's highlands.

Tumbuna means from the time of the ancestors. This event is a truly authentic Tumbuna Sing Sing, based on traditions handed down from generation to generation.

I will be there with a small group of travelers. We will have the opportunity to closely observe the sing sing dancers' preparation for the traditional cultural event. Faces will be painted. Pounds of necklaces will be wound around necks. Feathers will be carefully unwrapped from protective leaves and positioned in fantastic headdresses.

Drumming, dancing, chanting, laughing--the day's sights and sounds will excite us and exhaust our camera batteries. At the end of the day, our best memories may be of our interactions with tribal dancers, villagers and elders

The Tumbuna Sing Sing is just one day of our 14 day Papua New Guinea itinerary. We will visit the land of the Huli Wigmen in the Southern Highlands, the renowned Wahgi Valley in the Western Highlands, the riverside villages in the Sepik River lowlands. A rare experience is our two night stay in a comfortable rural guesthouse.

A few spaces are available on this trip. Details are here:
http://pngtravel.com/png_itinerary2.html

Mount Hagen Cultural Festival, August 2011

The dates are set. The clans will gather on August 13 and 14 for the 2011 Mount Hagen Cultural Show.

If you want to be one of the few hundred overseas visitors to experience this renowned sing sing in Papua New Guinea, you should make reservations soon.

Space in hotels and on flights is limited. People who try to make arrangements close to the dates are usually disappointed.

I already know I'll be there. I'm scheduled to escort the Vista tour, one of Trans Niugini Tours' highly regarded Mount Hagen Cultural Festival itineraries. This will be a highlight of my year

The 12 day Vista itinerary features the Mount Hagen Show and Papua New Guinea's contrasting iconic regions: the highlands and the Sepik lowlands.

We will spend our days amidst mysterious and colourful cultures, visiting villages, marveling at nature. Our accommodations will offer an artful combination of tradition, comfort and genuine hospitality.

Details of the 2011 Mount Hagen Cultural Festival Vista Tour are on Trans Niugini Tours' website: http://pngtours.com/tours/vista2011.html

Papua New Guinea's Independence Day

It's early morning of September 16 in Papua New Guinea. People are waking up to Independence Day!

Red, black, gold and white, the colours of PNG's flag, will be worn in specially created bilum bags, meri blouses, laplaps, highlands caps and even commercially printed t-shirts.

There will be sing sings, mumus, football games, boat races and parties.

PNG's national anthem will be heard throughout the country. Care to join the singing? The lyrics are below.

Imagine yourself pausing near a wooden flag pole set in front of a very basic school building in the Sepik lowlands. Students stand tall in straight rows. The young teacher raises his hand and counts to three. Deep breaths are taken and then sweet voices sing, "O arise all you sons..". The red, black, gold and white flag is reverently hoisted. At the top, it catches a bit of a breeze. These are moments too special to photograph.

Papua New Guinea's National Anthem: "O ARISE ALL YOU SONS"

O arise all you sons of this land
Let us sing of our joy to be free.
Praising God and rejoicing to be
Papua New Guinea.

Shout our name from the mountain to seas
Papua New Guinea.
Let us raise our voices and proclaim
Papua New Guinea.

Now give thanks to the good Lord above
For His kindness, His wisdom and love
For this land of our fathers so free,
Papua New Guinea.

Shout again for the whole world to hear
Papua New Guinea,
We're independent and we're free,
Papua New Guinea.

Baggage Weight - a PNG Practical Matter

The following post was originally blogged in 2008.

A highlight of many trips to Papua New Guinea is flying in a small aircraft over green covered mountains, rocky outcroppings and meandering rivers. There are few roads in Papua New Guinea.

On most flights between the remote lodges, each passenger is allowed one soft-sided or duffel type bag weighing up to 22 pounds or 10 kilograms plus one small camera bag type carry-on weighing up to 11 pounds or 5 kilograms. With a little planning and paring down, travellers, sometimes surprisingly, find this baggage weight allocation is more than adequate.

Travellers who do not pack within the guidelines may find themselves in the embarrassing situation of needing to unpack and scale back at the side of a grassy airstrip as a pilot waits to start the plane's engine.

2010 Mount Hagen Cultural Festival - "Heading to the Show

This previously posted entry, "Heading to the Show", is brought up to top of this blog now in anticipation of the August 2010 Mount Hagen Show.

Space on Mount Hagen Cultural Show trips is always limited. If you act quickly, you just might may be able to book for August, 2010 Go to: http://pngtours.com/tours/highlights2010.html

"Heading to the Show"

The organizing committee calls it The Mount Hagen Cultural Show. Tour operators call it the Highlands Show or the Cultural Festival. The highlanders call it The Sing Sing.

Beyond Papua New Guinea's major centres, few homes have electricity. Televisions, DVD players, computers, satellite receivers and cable service are rare. It's easy to understand why many Papua New Guineans consider the Mount Hagen Sing Sing to be the entertainment highlight of the year as well as a traditional cultural gathering.

Highlanders hike the trails from their villages to the road and catch a PMV to Mount Hagen for the show. PMVs are the not so rapid public transit of PNG. The vehicles used are customized trucks with benches bolted into the floor and a canvas awning lashed overhead.

Many of the highland roads are unpaved. Most are in poor repair. The PMVs are crowded. The journey may be bumpy and uncomfortable, but spirits are obviously high. Passengers join in chanting and singing as they travel towards Mount Hagen for show weekend.

Once in Mount Hagen, these out-of-towners stay in the homes of wantoks as they call fellow clanspeople and relatives. Days are spent at the Sing Sing. Evenings are spent with friends and family, telling stories and catching up on news.

While overseas visitors arrive by airplane and are accommodated in hotels, they share the anticipation of the show and the exciting experience of the Sing Sing with the Highlanders.

2010 Mount Hagen Show - Space Available for the Sing Sing!

Space is always limited for travel in Papua New Guinea during Mount Hagen Cultural Festival time. This spectacular gathering of the clans is also referred to as the Mount Hagen Show or the Mount Hagen Sing Sing.

Have just discovered that there is aome limited space avaiable for the August, 2010 Mount Hagen Show and am excited to pass that information along to you.

The details of the itinerary are here: http://pngtours.com/tours/highlights2010.html

This trip has three nights at Ambua Lodgs in the midst of the Southern Highlands' land of the Hulis, three nights at Karawari Lodge perched high above the Karawari River and the Sepik River system and three nights in Mount Hagen---that's the entire show weekend in Mount Hagen.

The well designed trip also has two nights in Port Moresby to accommodate international arrival and departure flight connections.

Papua New Guinea's most iconic areas, its best remote lodges and the entire show weekend in Mount Hagen---space on this itinerary won't last long.

Go to http://pngtours.com/tours/highlights2010.html or email service@pngtours.com and ask for details of the Highlights Tour.

Mount Hagen Cultural Show - August 2010 Singsing in Papua New Guinea

The Mount Hagen Singsing, also known as the Mount Hagen Cultural Show, is one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die". It is held in August in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

If you are interested in experiencing this renowned tribal gathering in 2010, contact Trans Niugini Tours at service@pngtours.com There are a few spaces available.

Earth Hour in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea frequently causes us to think in unexpected ways. Take, for example, the country's participation in quickly approaching Earth Hour.

According to the Post Courier, one of Papua New Guinea's daily newspapers, Earth Hour will be observed by many businesses in Port Moresby, the country's capital. It is likely that the some lights will be turned off in the larger provincial towns too.

As for the rest of the country, going without lights for an hour is not a widespread option. Most Papua New Guineans who live in rural areas do not have electricity.

I just did some quick online research and it looks like 1.6 billion people in the world live without electricity. That's nearly a quarter of Earth's population.

As we flick off our lights for an hour in an effort to bring attention to the heavy footprints being left on the planet, we might want to give some thought to the homes in Papua New Guinea and other countries where lights are never turned on.

Olympians

While Papua New Guinea has never sent an athlete to the Winter Olympics, the country is proud of the athletes who have competed at Summer Olympic games. Papua New Guinea sent a team of seven athletes to the 2008 games in Beijing.

On that team was Dika Toua, a female weightlifter. Toua is as charming, as pretty and as dedicated to her sport as Lindsey Vonn. Toua's popularity in Papua New Guinea may surpass Vonn's popularity in the USA.

By the way, travelers who are drawn towards Papua New Guinea as a destination, those people who like to take a step outside their comfort zones, may be interested in this: my piece about experiencing Winter Olympic sports at previous Olympic venues. While there is information for adventurous travelers of any age, it was originally written for an e-zine aimed at boomer women.

The title of the article is "Beneath this Boomer's Bosom Beats the Heart of...a Wannabe Olympian". Here's the link: http://bit.ly/a9UQJP

Start Enjoying Your Trip Before Leaving Home

"I admire the members of the group who prepare, dream and start enjoying the trip long before the first day on the itinerary. Their early entry into the spirit of travel in Papua New Guinea increases the return they receive on the time and money they invest in this big trip."

Below is the link to the rest of my piece about getting ready for a "big trip". It's in the 50+ Fabulous e-zine.

http://bit.ly/7exNl0

New Year's Eve in Papua New Guinea

It's hot, dark and still along the Sepik and Karawari River banks. Then the first beats are heard in the distance. Garamut drums are carrying the message from village to village: "Hamamas Niu Yia Olgeta!" Happy New Year to All!

In Papua New Guinea's towns, truck drivers pull over at trade stores to buy a Coke or a beer. At midnight they reach into their vehicles to honk their horns. Cheers can be heard from nearby houses where families and friends have gathered: "Hamamas Niu Yia Olgeta!"

Tomorrow may be a good day for a mumu.....

Four Notes About Christmas and Papua New Guinea

1. Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas go long yu!
That's "Merry Christmas" in Melanesian Pidgin, the common language spoken amongst Papua New Guinean language groups.

2. There are few birth records in Papua New Guinea. It is common to ask someone's age with thie questoin, "Hamas krismas bilong yu?". It translates as: How many Christmases do you have?

3. An observation: urban stores in Papua New Guinea use much more glittery tinsel garlands per square foot of sales space than stores in North America.

4. Imported grapes and apples are a Christmastime treat.


Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas go long yu!

"Voluntouring"

Below is a link to my recent piece on "voluntouring" with the Sierra Club.

While this information doesn't directly relate to Papua New Guinea, it may be of interest to some readers of this blog.

The adventurous spirit of the PNG traveler seems a quality shared by participants in the Sierra Club's Service Trips.

http://bit.ly/8Qhlkw

Birds of Paradise Inspire in PNG and Paris

I never thought I'd be typing the words "Van Cleef and Arpels" in this blog but there, I just did.

Like the imaginative and creative highlanders of Papua New Guinea, the designers at Van Cleef and Arpels have been inspired by the Birds of Paradise.

The Paris based jewelery house displays its "Oiseaux de Paradis" collection at http://bit.ly/6xnMay. Be sure to click on the video clip.

Stylized and realistic interpretations of Birds of Paradise are seen in the precious metal and gem bracelets, earrings, rings and necklaces.

Travelers who have visited Tari Gap or other homes of the fabulous birds will recognize the silhouettes and graceful curves.

I don't see the prices of the jewelery pieces in the video clip. My memories of tail feathers of Birds of Paradise swooping and trailing across the dawn sky are golden.

Tips for the Jet Lagged

Below is a link to my piece in the current 50+ Fabulous e-zine. It's about jet lag. Travelers planning to cross the time zones to Papua New Guinea may find some helpful tips there.

http://www.50fabulous.com/about/expert/Mary%20Jane%20Murray/

Mayflies in August

The river connects the Blackwater Lakes with the Sepik. Aboard the flat bottomed boat used for exploring these waterways, we travel downstream towards our base, the MV Sepik Spirit with its air-conditioning, cold beer, refreshing showers.

Most are sorting through private thoughts about the day's experiences: meandering along pathways between houses on stilts, giggling with students in bush material classrooms, lingering under the soaring roof of a Spirt Haus, meeting the carver of the wooden crocodile one passenger now holds in her lap.

Attention is suddenly drawn to the present and to the whiteness ahead. Surely it isn't a snow storm? Inquiring eyes go to the guide who, with great enthusiasm, announces: "They're hatching! Mayflies! Mayflies!"

"Mayflies?"

"Yes, Mayflies!"

"Wow! Mayflies!"

"Cool! Mayflies!"

"Really? Mayflies?"

The boat driver cuts the engine. We're adrift through a blizzard of Mayflies. Thousands and thousands of Mayflies rise, fall and swirl around us.

There is something about sharing the air over the river with masses of gauzy winged insects that fills many with a genuine sense of wonder. Maybe the surprise of encountering this impressive act of nature takes us back to the first time we blew on a dandelion's fluffy seeds.

We watch fish jump from the water, plane along the surface and gather dozens of Mayflies into their open mouths. Birds swoop down for their big helpings.

Villagers, perhaps alerted by our repetition of "Mayflies!", canoe onto the river with pans and nets. In our excitement, we forget to ask how this alternative protein source, available only a few hours per year, is cooked.

We also forget to ask for the local name. There must be a name other than "Mayflies".

Mayfly recipes and local names remain questions for a future visit.

Wikipedia provides more general information including this: "The lifespan of an adult mayfly can vary from just 30 minutes to one day depending on the species. The primary function of the adult is reproduction; the mouthparts are vestigial, and the digestive system is filled with air."

So, the primary function of the Mayfly is reproduction. That means that on our way from the Blackwater Lakes to the Sepik River, we delayed a half hour amidst a Mayflowers' orgy. That's an unexpected private thought to add to the many others gathered today.

Landing in Tari

Even the most well traveled person experiences a rush when landing at Tari in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands.

A quiet "wow" is often the first work uttered as the traveler steps off the plane onto Tari's airstrip. The air feels as fresh as Muskoka's. The sky looks as blue as Tahoe's. The rest of the scene isn't quite as familiar.

A baggage handler has a stem through his nose and ferns in his hair. Some faces are decorated with clay and paint.

Men walking along the roadway wear yarn caps in patterns that reunite colours perhaps reminiscent of the summer of '69.

An even more creative design sense has been used to create the woven bilum bags women are carrying over their foreheads, leaving hands free to carry firewood, gardening sticks and umbrellas.

And about those umbrellas, there are hundreds and hundreds of bright and over sized umbrellas opened as shelter from the sun. Where did they come from? All those colours, they are used in ways rarely encountered in visitors' regular lives.

After the initial "wow" factor is processed, there is the grope for cameras. Lens caps are removed. Electronics whirr in preparation to record. This landing marks the beginning of a very good trip.

A Head Full of Papua New Guinea

Am just back from Papua New Guinea with a head full of blog topics.

The Papua New Guinea experience resists organization and categorization so individual blog entries may be the most appropriate way to report on this trip full of wonders.

Our group of 17 well-traveled travelers visited the iconic regions of Papua New Guinea: the Southern Highlands and the Sepik River Lowlands. We attended the the Mount Hagen Sing Sing. We explored with enthusiasm and curiosity. Our minds and eyes were open to the wonderful.

We should have tried to estimate the number of photo images shot by the group. I wonder how many thousands it might have been. I hope to have the opportunity to see them all.

Knowing the trip would be well documented by generous and talented photographers, I rarely took my basic little camera out of its case. I had the luxury of letting the images make their impressions on my mind.

And that's where they swirl now: children waving from the riverside, a waterfall framed by a high altitude tropical forest, groupings of fantastically carved masks, a Bird of Paradise posed on a bare branch, three women carrying bilums full of sweet potatoes, human hair wigs on men with yellow faces, circles of sing sing dancers jumping as they drum, a "conga line" of overseas visitors dancing to the music of a bamboo band...

More focused blog entries will follow once the contents of my memory have been sorted and edited.

Communities

Today I attended a "summit" on Interactive Media. It made me think beyond the parameters of the screens on my laptop and phone.

The keynote speaker started with a discussion of the power of small communities. He showed slides of thatch roofed villages to illustrate his point that the new media's social networking communities have similarities to villages that look they could be in Papua New Guinea.

He talked about tribes discussing problems and working together for the common good and drew parallels to Twitter and Facebook groups.

Of course, I thought about Papua New Guineans communicating within their own clans: fire light reflecting in the faces of men discussing customary land boundaries and bride price payments; children's laughter in the background as old women advise young women about sweet potato gardening and bilum bag patterns.

The presenter made the point that over the past several decades, we lost much of our community way of life and now, by participating in social networking, we can build and participate in new communities. It's exciting.

The light of a computer screen reflects in our faces as we discuss, advise and keyboard our way back toward a community social structure Papua New Guineans have not yet lost.

Umbrellas

Travellers to Papua New Guinea are reminded to pack a collapsible umbrella. It will be appreciated as shade from the hot sun in the Sepik and Karawari areas and from the intense rays in the Southern and Western Highlands. And of course, it will protect from the regular afternoon rains in the highlands and the occasional tropical storms in the lowlands. Sun, rain and sometimes even wind, the collapsible umbrella is handy.

My collapsible umbrella is beige. I chose it because most travellers' umbrellas are black and I don't want my umbrella to get mixed up with all the other black umbrellas leaning inside the lodge door at dinner time.

Black is the standard colour of travellers' collapsible umbrellas. Papua New Guineans' umbrellas are brilliantly multi-hued and they don't collapse. They are big and bright and strong and they decorate the lush landscape as perfectly as the flowers that embellish a Sing Sing dancer's head dress. They are much more photogenic than basic black or bland beige.