4. River Life

There are moments on a journey where I think to myself how far removed from modern civilization I am. And although I’ve been to many places around the globe, right now, as I watch a snake slither through the water on the Karawari River and wonder whether a crocodile is going to snatch it up, I’m having a new experience. The lowlands that I’m traveling through via boat are home to hundreds of small stilted houses in villages dusted upon the river’s edge. High water marks stain the base of trees and help me imagine the floods during the rainy season. This part of Papua New Guinea, the Sepik Region, is a tropical lowland rainforest lush with vegetation. A small charter flight from the Highlands brought me to this roadless wilderness a few days ago. A lucky draw of the longest straw won me the view from alongside the pilot, a man who coincidentally went to aviation school just hours from where I live in Michigan. It was a thrilling flight over the mountain range, and I felt an equal rush of energy as we landed on the grass airstrip. However, opening the plane door and being swathed by a blanket of intense heat and humidity was the first uncompromising reality of where I am now. This region’s history includes warriors, cannibalism, and men with multiple wives who are less valuable than pigs. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m loving every moment of being here, however, this journey is not for the faint of heart. Today I’m enjoying a pleasant boat ride that offers reprieve from the heat and humidity, but tomorrow might be a different story when I visit a spirit house and learn about cannibalism. That experience will really be pushing me into a new comfort zone… A woman in a canoe catches my eye and brings my thoughts back to what I’m doing right now. We slow down so I can take a picture of her fishing. She proudly holds up her catch, and my guide tells me that will be part of the dinner for her family tonight. Here, locals live off of the land. They are hunter-gatherers whose main water transportation is a hand-carved dugout canoe navigated by a simple paddle. Children as young as five learn to maneuver them and also have other duties to help in the village. I’ve seen it many times. The lifestyle is simple, but the work is back-breaking for all ages. “She might prepare the fish along with some sago palm,” Suzanne says. “It’s a staple starch in the diet here that is often used for pancakes. And if her husband has gone hunting, there might be possum or wild pig too.” I scrunch my nose at the thought of possum, but think that it might be okay if sago palm pancakes turn up at breakfast one of these mornings. I take another image of the friendly fisherwoman and wave as we continue down the river towards our destination. The breeze feels nice as I watch very young children climb in trees, swing on vines and plunge into the river. Enormous, exposed, tree roots are like a jungle gym and the children play on them seeming to not having a care in the world – even though I know they do. They are being groomed for future responsibility and village leadership… A child’s screech and joyful laughter makes me giggle. Tiny, naked bums excitedly climbing up the embankment to take another plunge into the river are an adorable sight. The thought crosses my mind that they should be concerned about crocodiles, but they don’t seem to be. I’m not sure about that. What I am sure of, though, is the high value placed on the importance of community that exists here. Traveling on the river from village to village and meeting different tribes has shown me how life exists living off of the land. It’s an intriguing and challenging coexistence between people and Mother Nature. And as we approach our destination, I’m very happy to see the big smiles and genuine excitement of the local people standing on the shoreline, waiting to welcome us, and share their life with us.