The thought of visiting Papua
New Guinea was highly hypothetical at first. I knew I needed a way to get back
to Manila from Australia, and a cheap Cebu Pacific flight via Sydney seemed to
be the perfect idea and the cheapest alternative. Nevertheless, I toyed with
the idea for a while despite the lack of prospects. The Wikitravel page already
warned me that the flight tickets alone would already be expensive on their own,
and that I wouldn’t be seeing a lot if I opt to just stay in Port Moresby.
As my journey back to Manila drew
nearer, I decided to just book the flight tickets anyway. From Queensland you
can fly to Port Moresby via Brisbaneo on either Air Niugini or Qantas. The
travel time is around three hours. Having been interrogated by both New Zealand
and Australian customs, I expected the worst. Wikitravel even warns you
specifically about extortion once you land in Papua New Guinea. And then there
is the issue of the visa on arrival thing. Will they honor it?
Lucky for me, I didn’t experience any of these nightmare scenarios I’d been conjuring in my head prior to landing. The immigration officer only asked me the usual questions before putting the free visa sticker on my passport. The normal length of stay is 60 days for Philippine passport holders. The customs officer just collected my form and gestured me to head to the exit. I immediately obeyed. The next thing I knew, I was already at the Digicel counter buying my sim card.
That was yet another worry of
mine. None of the Airbnb options for Port Moresby had WiFi, so I assumed that
internet connectivity must be really difficult. I was more than satisfied with
Digicel, though. I had no issue with coverage and I was online the entire time
I was in Port Moresby. Calling the taxi recommended by my Airbnb host, I waited
for around half an hour before he picked me up. The drive up to the hills did
not take more than 30 minutes. And there I was standing in awe before the view
in front of me.
The picture on Airbnb couldn’t
have been more accurate. The enviable location of the house on top of the hill provides
a really impressive panoramic shot of the bay. As the sun was ever so bright
frying us in our own sweat at almost 40C, the glistening effect of its rays on
the surface of the water was just a sight to behold. I knew my Port Moresby excursion
would be eventless to say the least, but that view totally made up for it, along with
the unparalleled hospitality of my Airbnb hosts.
Erica told me that whenever
she had guests coming over, they would just sit on that balcony and drink or
smoke all day while enjoying the view. As for me, I chose to at least see some
of the few tourist attractions in the capital, but I guess I was just unlucky. Honda,
the family friend/taxi driver, drove me around Moresby on a Saturday to see the
Parliament and the Museum beside it. Neither one was open that day, but I was
still fortunate enough to witness some local activity there: a political talk
and a picnic.
But even the locals admit that
there is nothing much to see in the capital. To appreciate the natural wonders
of the country, you have to venture out to the provinces. The problem is you
need either a lot of time or money to do this. Air travel is not cheap, while
doing it by land requires a great deal of time that some people just don’t
have. Maybe the best way to maximize the returns of your expensive flight tix
is to remain in the country for the whole two months they will give you. That
way, you get to explore! Well, not me.
We opted for a detour at Ela
Beach, which has seen better days. Construction is ongoing for a building
intended to be completed before the APEC summit to be held there in 2018. As
such, the beach side quarrying has affected the quality of the water and sand, although
locals still flock there just to chill. The neighboring Waterfront Mall does
not seem to provide beach access, while the Yacht Club next to it is only open
to members. The view from there is not that cool either, so I’d say skip!
There is a nature park of
sorts close to the parliament, but we no longer went because I wasn’t in the
mood for animals and plants. The heat was paralyzing, and I was already
contented with my plan of just lazing on that balcony and admiring the view. I
have to say that it is one of the few moments in the last few years in which such
a view served as an effective stress reliever for me. If I paid that much for a
two-day staycation that gave me peace of mind, then it’s absolutely worth it in
my book.
I’ve been told time and again
by almost everyone I met, upon discovery that I’m from the Philippines, that Filipino
soap operas and films are popular in the country. I was surprised at first and
dismissed it as a mere attempt to make me feel welcome, but seeing them firsthand
confirmed that these audiovisual exports of ours do indeed command a significant
amount of following among the locals. The odd thing is that they are dubbed
entirely in English. It is only when I heard the names of the characters that I
was able to verify it.
For my Sunday flight back to
Manila, I had the choice between a morning one on Philippine Airlines or a
late afternoon one with Air Niugini. Not only are there many Filipinos here,
they are also said to defy the OFW stereotype because they tend to own
businesses. In short, the locals work for them, instead of the other way
around. Isn’t that great? Overall, I am satisfied with my country #61. It might
have been short and not as eventful, but I really appreciate the experience.
Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
[PORT MORESBY] A Papua Kinda Staycation
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