living
As I looked on, the skipper chewed on a buai and lit a rolled-up cigarette. Taking his time, he finally fired up the engine and we continued. A bit past 2pm, we arrived at a small beach on the west coast and, shortly after, a truck arrived to take us into Namatanai town. I asked our driver, Dumlick, if he could point out a PMV going to Kavieng. Being a decent fellow, he made sure I found the right vehicle and even told the driver that I was new here and I was to be let off at Poliamba. The bus driver responded in a good-natured way that I had nothing to worry about as long as I paid my PGK40. I would be in Poliamba soon enough. We didn’t leave straight away because there were a couple of empty seats. So we cruised the township on the lookout for passengers. We also stopped at the supermarket so we could get refreshments for the road ahead.
essay
The sun was getting low as we drove along the Boluminski Highway, with the 15-seater bus casting shadows on the pavement. Music blared from the stereo, but the best part was the orange wonderland created by the setting sun on the sea. Aptly named bilas peles (beautiful place), New Ireland was truly living up to its reputation. We crossed several bridges PNG over rivers that flow from the mountains, and eventually Port darkness fell. Moresby We made several stops along the way to stretch, including at a night market where the driver reassured me that we were near Poliamba. But I reminded myself to take that piece of information with a grain of salt, as what was considered ‘near’ by locals
could turn out to be far for the uninitiated. We continued our journey, making several stops as passengers disembarked. By the time my watch showed 10pm I was getting frantic. What if the driver forgot my stop? What if we had passed Poliamba and were on our way to Kavieng? I didn’t know Poliamba anyone in Kavieng! Where was I Namatanai Kokopo going to sleep for the night? Five hours and 150 Saint George’s Channel kilometres from Namatanai, we pulled into Poliamba. I looked out and to my relief 0 Km 200 saw Owen approaching the bus. As I disembarked, I could see the beginnings of a smile on his face: “Bro, I was starting to think you were never going to make it.” “So was I, brother! So was I!”
‘My PNG’ is a column in which Papua New Guineans write about where they live, or about a part of the country they know and love. If you wish to contribute, email paradise@businessadvantageinternational.com.
March – April 2019
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