Papua New Guinea is a culturally rich, ethnically diverse, remote and often forgotten corner of the world.
While on a work trip to work in far north PNG, I had the opportunity to explore a few corners the capital Port Moresby, and a few villages on the Manus Island. It is difficult for an outsider to fathom the large population that reside in the seemingly dense and impenetrable rainforests of the country. There is an abundance of wildlife, and the local traditional clothes and cultural costumes reflect the coexistence of the locals within their natural environment.
Locals face an obesity epidemic, high levels of Diabtese cases, increasing numbers of HIV infections, and other serious medical issues that far reaching social and economic consequences. In an age of increasing connectivity, large parts of Papua New Guinea remains relatively undiscovered and unconnected to the rest of the world.
We hired a taxi and went out to explore the 'local attractions'. We visited a few old markets, and the posh central business district in Port Moresby. There is blunt and distinct contract in the quality of life between a small well-off part of the city against the large population in the slums. Here a young boy stares down a long broken pier on the main beach in Port Moresby, where the sand is filled with trash, the water smells foul and the place doesn't look as if it has been maintained in years.
