The Road to Talidig

Day 5. Wednesday, May 28, 2008. Today I went with Lynn (a VSO education volunteer from the UK who is here after retirement with her husband) to a teachers’ training. I met her at the Madang Teachers College (MTC), where I will also be doing some work, and we drove up the North Coast Road about 40km to Talidig. We followed behind open bed public motor vehicles (PMVs) stopping at villages and fruit markets. We passed R.D. Tuna Company and wharf where they employ local people, especially young women, to work long, 12-hour shifts for extremely low wages. We passed the Coconut Institute, coconut and cocoa plantation and Rempi Village. We crossed narrow bridges with dangerous speed; however, with speed comes a much appreciated breeze. To the east are coastal villages and the sea. In the distance through the tall coconut trees, you can see Karkar Island where there is active volcano activity. To the west are mountains and villages surrounded by thick rainforests of palm, rain, and banana trees and colorful shrubs, bushes and flowers. It was a beautiful and cool drive. Once we arrived, we were greeted by the elementary students who placed colorful, fragrant flowers around our necks and sang the PNG National Anthem and Pledge. It was a wonderful welcome to the schools of Madang!