Early birding, breakfast, and then back to the river, this time turning off into a small channel and past a mangrove…
and then a family or small clan group likely headed for a market or other gathering…
and then some kids honing their canoeing skills.
We stopped at a community where a war victory dance was performed…
ironically by people least likely to have been called into battle.
Chris gave us gave us a graphic capsule version of his Yokoin tribe’s martial success…
after which we received a decidedly non-martial farewell.
At the next community we visited a men’s house where carving was being done and displayed.
Chris used a stool there to describe an agenda of village dispute resolution.
Dana did an impromptu tap dance…
and we were off to the next place, where we dug a little deeper into sago cooking, starting with a demo of the initial bark peelback and pounding out…
and then the sedimentation of the essential sago the original way…
and use of the resulting flour to make a flatbread – easily transported for hunting or other travei.
Then another surprise…
dreidels in PNG? Actually found in many parts of PNG, used in cult ceremonies and kids games. Kudos to Dana for getting it right on the first try.
It was a full day (I omitted the lunch on the boat). Chris had mentioned that he did his own carving, and when we got back to the lodge he showed us one of his creations.
At dinner, Reuben did a grande finale flower decor for us…
and after another Karawari sunset…
We packed it in.
Birds of the day:
Dana and Roger Travels 