1. PMV arriving safely to Goroka
Last Friday was for my first day off since my start in May. I had planned to spend the weekend in Goroka with some good friends. Goroka is 170km’s from Mt Hagen, most people fly to get around the country. It is not normal to see a whiteman on a PMV, so like anywhere I drew a lot of attention. If there are any roads or highways here they are limited. So I decided that I would travel down to Goroka via PMV (Private Motor Vehicle) and fly back up on the Monday. I knew that it would be a good cultural experience and a bit of action too. The main cause of death in a foreign country is traveling on a PMV. The Highways here, not many people would drive on them. So I knew that I was in for some ride.
I arrived to the bus stop around 0915 Friday morning, to find PMV’s and people everywhere. The only way I can describe it would be chaos. There is no order as the vehicles move about this bay trying to fill seats. The vehicles can range from a 15 seater van to a coaster bus. Fortunately for me as I was traveling by myself and was my first time, I had a national work mate who could direct me to which one would be good to hop onto. But despite being nearly full, we circulated and did not leave for almost another 35 mins!
As we started to head out of town I was relieved that we were starting to get away, but before long we pulled into a service station to fill up. Here the boskru (the drivers assistant or crew of the bus) collects fares. It was 25K for me to Goroka. But as we waited to get some Diesel, people circulated the bus trying to sell different things, from cooked food to cigarettes. We finally got away again and pass the turn off for the airport and we pull over again on the highway. And I am thinking what is it now, and majority of the passengers get off the bus and head to the bushes, some carrying toilet paper. Obviously a toilet stop before the 3.5 hour trip to Goroka and even further for others.
2. 34 passengers on board the PMV weaving around a mountain
Most PMV drivers to westerners have the reputation as crazy drivers. Which was true in this case, but still I was impressed by his driving skills and his knowledge of the road. Considering how rough the road is, where there are massive pot holes, parts of the road missing, and the road turning completely into a gravel road it was a smooth ride.
After sometime we stopped briefly in a town in the Simbu Province, absolutely filled with people in the middle of no where. Again as we waited to let off a passenger and gain another, people were trying to sell us stuff from outside. I was warned by the lady next to me to close my window, as people will reach in and grab my bag. We headed off after gaining another passenger and just out of town came across some road works (which is a rare sight). We stopped at the first traffic officer with a stop sign, but at the second the driver kept going. And a policeman came from the side of the road pulled the bus over. We were held there for sometime and a place I didn’t want to get stuck at. In the end the policeman asked for money, as the road workers were complaining. It started at 30K, but in the end the boskru paid 10K.
We continued to travel over mountains, ridges and rivers. It was amazing to see this scenery from the road, which I had previously seen from the air. With that the atmosphere inside the PMV of people smoking, chewing betel nut and babies pooping. As we worked our way through the last pass and through rain. We quickly descended, weaving down this pass that stood 9000ft above sea level and a place where PMV’s have run straight over the edge. I guessed that we were hitting 120km/h down this road with 34 people on board. As we entered Goroka, we encountered a police check point, which normally check for drugs and firearms. Again we were held there and asked for money, again the boskru paid 10K to the police.
3. Expression of an interesting trip
We safely arrived in Goroka at the market where the drop off point is. I was glad to make it after being in the back of that bus for four and a half hours. I talked to some of the locals before being picked up by one of my friends. So it was definitely an interesting experience, one that most people don’t do and one of adventure. Which I now can tick off the list of things to experience in PNG, but also gives me more insight into the culture here but also again more appreciation of what MAF does here in PNG.
September 30th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Looks like an interesting trip, praise God you made it there safely!
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