My Goroka Sing Sing Series
Photo 1 of 6
#Goroka, Eastern Highlands
#PapuaNewGuinea (PNG)
#travel #photography
#indigenous people
See Photo 1 of 6 for a description of the Sing Sing.
Every year, about 100 of PNG’s tribes gather to compete in dancing, singing, and drumming. I photographed this event a few years ago, and it remains one of the most mind-blowing displays of humanity I’ve ever seen and in the top three of the most remote places I've traveled. Each tribe dances into the festival grounds wearing an incredible variety of costumes made from feathers, fur, shells, their faces often painted in elaborate make up. Each tribe having its own amazing costume
Although the festival has become well-known, I would guess that less than100 tourists were present to witness this incredible event. It’s hard to describe the intensity of the singing and visual impact it has when you first see each tribe enter.
Prior to the start of the festival, I was in a handful of tourists that was taken to view the make-up and costume preparation of the Hagan Tribe, which had some of the most elaborate feathers and even bird wings in their head dresses (see photos 2, 3)
If you have questions about how to visit Goroka, let me know. It's a difficult place to get to, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Thanks. It was an amazing place to do photography.
@edcasabar I had a client once that had dealings in PNG. Interesting place to try and do modern business. For instance. No email. Everything was faxed. We did taxes on photocopied photocopies of photocopies of original documents that their tax services faxed us bc they ran out of paperwork. in the end entire project failed bc 2 tribal chiefs wouldn’t let construction pass their territory. The stories and the pictures that came back were extraordinary. Interesting project to work on.
Surprisingly, the very nice, modern, and Western-style hotel I stayed in for one night in Port Moresby, the capital city, had in-room WiFi and many other comfortable amenities.
In contrast, when I got to Goroka, my small hotel accomodations were very rustic, but I was lucky to have my own bathroom, shower. And most of the time, WiFi would work in the shared outdoor dining area.
Port Moresby, PNG’s largest city has a population of 400K. Goroka about 19K.
My Goroka tour guide and driver were very pleasant, helpful, and did use cell phones. I visited a several tribal encampments, which did not have electricity or running water. And unlike my photo series might suggest, the people in these tribal camps wore typical t-shirts, pants, shorts, albeit their clothing was worn and dusty given their living conditions (grass huts). Even the chief of one camp had a cell phone. The country is very mountainous, so not surprisingly, cell service is spotty.
More interestingly, I had spent about 2 weeks traveling around Australia, including the Outback, prior to flying from Cairns, QLD to Port Moresby, PNG. The Australians who heard that I was traveling to PNG all said the same thing - “It’s a dangerous place”. I always travel solo but have good street sense in general. Their comments made me a bit apprehensive, but I didn’t dwell on the possibility that I’d be robbed or harmed in anyway, since I’d always be with a guide in both cities.
That said, I did have three interesting experiences while in PNG. Of course, these are only examples and are not meant to be generalizations.
First, my very nice Port Moresby hotel remains the only hotel I’ve stayed in the world where two, machine gun-carrying men guarded the iron gates blocking the driveway into the hotel property. That was a bit disconcerting, and the advice from my driver was “do not leave the hotel after dark”. I didn’t, so instead invited my driver for dinner at the hotel that evening.
Secondly, considering all the warnings the Aussies had given me before arriving in PNG, at dinner, I asked my driver if he thought PNG was “dangerous or lawless.” He said that crime was bad in some areas, but he also mentioned their interesting laws.
They have a constitution, local laws, courts, and police, which help to maintain order. However, their laws also allow for disputes between two members of different tribes to be resolved by the chiefs and tribal elders of the two opposing clans. This is over and above any criminal penalties imposed by the official PNG courts.
Lastly, when I was being driven around Goroka, my guide, driver, and I came were stopped at military/police check point, manned by machine gun-carrying, men in street clothes. Only one was in uniform. My guide said “Let me do the talking”, which he did in their local language.
The policemen had stopped our car in the middle of this roughly paved road, and according to my guide, they were monitoring for inter-tribal violence during the festival. They held us for about 10 minutes while they checked my guide’s and driver’s papers.
One “officer” came up to my car window and asked for my identification and questioned me. Unfortunately, I was stupid and had forgotten to bring my US passport during this first day in Goroka. I gave him my Missouri state driver’s license. He looked at it strangely, but fortunately he accepted it as adequate identification. I don’t know if telling him I was a tourist from the US helped or not. Although I was apprehensive of what was going on, I didn’t really feel in danger, and took the attitude of “smile, and just be a polite tourist and answer their questions”.
They eventually let us go. I let out a sigh of relief that they didn’t ask me for my money to let us proceed or hold us longer because my guide’s and driver’s papers weren’t in order.
Photo 1 - Child outside of the encampment using a bicycle rim and stick as a toy as he walks barefoot across
Photo 2 - Tribal family just outside their encampment of thatched huts
Photo 3 - First time during my many travels that I’ve ever seen a reminder about betel nuts. In my room at a modern, Western-style hotel in Port Moresby. The one on the left says “No Betelnut Chewing”. The other “Non-Smoking Room”. Many of the locals start the habit of chewing betel nuts because they have stimulant effects like caffeine. It also produces dark saliva which can stain clothing, objects, and the chewer’s teeth.
@edcasabar I can confirm much was the same for the fellows that travelled to PNG. It was a bit wild ish but for most part there was nothing but friendly curious folk. One incident with a police office who kindly accepted payment for a “ticket” and the party con’t down the road. Typically they travelled with security, as well there was a lovely female translator who was fluent & conversed with tribal leaders. The project involved travelling well into the bush to a camp with structures.
@edcasabar amazing photo.