On the Road

by Forrest and Laura

This weekend, we had to opportunity to see more of the "real Papua New Guinea" beyond the gates of Ukarumpa. We were able to join several missionaries from Ukarumpa on the two hour drive from Ukarumpa to the town of Goroka. The following pictures show some of the things we saw along the road!

While the entire road from Kainantu to Goroka is paved, paved is sometimes a loose term! In the mountains, half of the road would occasionally be closed due to the road eroding or being blocked by debris. You never know how long the road has been that way, or when it will be fixed. You also never know which side of the road will be blocked, so it can be an interesting guessing game for the driver!

Even though Ukarumpa is in the highlands, the landscape became even more mountainous as we drove to Goroka. The people who live in this area have gardens in these high mountains, and sometimes have to walk hours just to reach them.

We saw many villages along the way. Many of them are positioned close to the road so the people have access to PMVs (public transportation) or can sell goods to people walking or driving by.

Some villages have rectangular houses, but the round houses seen in this picture are the traditional highlands style.

In the town of Goroka, many people were out selling food or crafts, such as the bilums hanging on the fence in this picture.

Our final destination was the Goroka airport. This picture shows the entire airport - a small metal-roofed building with one short runway behind it. Security here is one man who stands in the doorway and decides who to let in!

And that's the quick tour of Goroka...now it's time for the two hour ride back home! Yes, on the same road...because it's the only one.