World Papua New Guinea Wewak

South Pacific Seas: Papua New Guinea & Indonesia

Wewak, PNG Feb 7, 2014

Our last stop in Papua New Guinea before crossing the border to Indonesia was Wewak, a coastal port. Although there was a lot of activity in town and in the bay, we could not use the pier and therefore the tender, so it was another "wet" landing. Barry and I got a little nervous when we landed because a group of passengers told us they had been pick pocketed in the market: someone grabbed sunglasses out of his trousers pocket. It was hot and pretty grimy, so we just walked about a bit. We saw lots of PMV's (public transportation vehicles); banks with lines of people at the ATM's; a micro finance bank; a Toyota dealership; a cell phone tower; and lots of banana boats. From the ship we saw a fish cannery and some kind of trawler or cargo vessel. There was also a partially sunk vessel close to shore. What struck me was how busy everyone was, and how clean the streets were. I even saw a well-used garbage bin.

Last night, J.C., the anthropologist, gave his closing remarks. He said something about how most people come to Papua New Guinea and expect to find people living in the Stone Age. Civilization is an ever-evolving process, he said. And the people here are doing what people do everywhere: making the best of what they have.