PAPUA NEW GUINEA
EXPEDITION
AN UNMOTORISED CROSSING
6th April 2014
Week 4: Green River to Hotmin
Armed with machetes and supported by a couple of locals, we waded in to the jungle and built a raft. All in all, nine logs were cut and lashed together with vines, forming a makeshift raft with a small platform on which to put our bags. The next two and a half days spent on this DIY vessel unleashed the real fun. Whilst in the slow moving, shallow water, we could travel relatively easily along the river with punting sticks, but navigating deeper and more dangerous waters sucked our feet into the soft river bed. The only way to stop our rapid velocity was finding a rock to push against. Our rudimentary braking system had a slight flaw, as it dislodged everything below the surface. On more than one occasion this resulted in our cruiser becoming caught in whirlpools and rapids, which tested the strength of our vines. Inevitably some repairs had to be made along the way.
When we finally made it into Hotmin, we were rewarded with biscuits from a shop – the first we had seen since leaving Green River. We are both consious of our severe weight loss, it’s hard to get enough calories for the work we are doing each day. At the moment we are managing to source and consume about 1200-1500 calories a day. Despite the weight loss, hard work and long days we are still relatively healthy. We’ve been avoiding foot rot by taking every opportunity to air our toes during our rest stops, and taping blisters with zinc tape, a pretty revolting sight for anyone passing by.
Without a shadow of a doubt it is the continued support we’re receiving both from the Papuan people and all of our followers through Twitter and AST that is keeping us strong.
As we continue with Stage 2, the next few days will take us to the foot of the Star Mountains, where we will face fresh challenges in a different climate, and continuous ascent and descent across the range. Although we have made steady progress so far, the path ahead is slightly unclear and we are about to embark on walking through our ‘speculative route’. Every day so far has been an adventure, and we know it will continue to be… we can only hope that there won’t be any more leeches…
Richard Johnson
[blog called in via AST Satellite Comms]
An epic week of whirlpools, rapids and leeches has come to well needed end as we look forward to a short rest in Hotmin, but the challenge is just beginning.
After Patch returned from his somewhat interesting flight to deposit kit in Vanimo, we concentrated on our next biggest task, recruiting a local to lead us to the next village. After reiterating to our new found friends in Green River that we needed company from someone who could speak both Pidgin and English, Murray became the man for the job.
Initially Murray intended to just take us to the next village, but having enjoyed his first couple of days with us he has now agreed to come with us as far as Tabubil. A cool and very laid back addition to the team, we feel like once again we have been incredibly lucky with our guide – let us hope there are many like him along the journey to Daru!
In taking us to Yabru, the next village on from Green River, Murray led us to a dugout canoe which we then paddled upstream. Our plan quickly changed as we reached a blockage caused by fallen trees, and we had to get out and instead follow the bush tracks overland. These tracks are just not built for 2 uncoordinated Brits with 30kg of weight strapped to their backs, and led to a lot of sliding around and scrambling, as the fragile ledges crumbled under our feet. As we stumbled and fell, we began to accumulate scratches and scrapes- all the time conscious of the leeches around us.
The leeches infiltrated every possible surface of our bodies. Legs, necks and hair quickly decorated with the swarming hermaphrodites, and even during our down time in the evening we couldn’t escape the onslaught. Whilst quietly eating one night I felt what I assumed was a piece of food, drop onto my leg, only to discover my companion was in fact a fat leech, enjoying a meal of his own. After two days of cutting our way through the jungle, crossing waist-high rivers and enduring the blood sucking, we were glad to reach a village.
It was here that we saw our first motorboat of the trip. The locals were quick to tell us that it was not physically possible to walk to the next village- they always travelled along the next stretch of river with the prized motorboat, as bush tracks are simply non-existent. It would be fair to assume that after a tiring first couple of weeks, a motorboat would be a rapacious sight for our sore eyes, feet, legs and ankles, but our goal is and always has been a human-powered crossing of PNG. With sorrow we turned down the mechanical protector, and puzzled on alternatives.