At the age of eight, there is a special ritual where they are first desensitized by being mildly whipped with a numbing cacti. They then are carved into with a knife and given amazing patterns of adornment. The fresh wounds are covered with sap which makes for the embossed skin. And so the crocodile is magically embedded within.

There is always something special about diving in PNG. The lack of crowds and abundant marine life. Here we were diving Fan Gardens of Alotoa. Just after this shot a hammerhead cruised past in the distance. Truly awesome!

And this is where my story is headed. Rituals. The folk along this murky river bow their sweet heads to the crocodile. Every single dug out canoe was lovingly carved in honor of the same animal that takes many of their lives.

From the Highlands to the Sepik River... this is where I had the fortunate experience of seeing a country & culture that rarely is seen by Western eyes. It took about 2 years in the planning to ensure my safety as this is not one of the most secure areas in the world for a young, American, female, traveling ALONE. However, I must say overall little issues to be had in regards to my safety, but I did have MANY unique experiences along the way! None of which i would trade in! My journey started from Australia, flying into the capital city of Port Moresby, PNG. Then up to the Western Highlands. This is where I stayed for 3 days to attend the annual Mt. Hagen Sing Sing Festival. The most overwhelming festival I have ever attended - in a good way! It was sensory overload with over 1500+ tribes people from ~50+ tribes throughout the country. All dressed in their tribal attire, headdresses, playing music on homemade instruments, etc. Having the opportunity to walk amongst them was phenomenal. It was from here I had the chance to fly with the missionaries up to the Sepik River basin. I "boarded" a dugout canoe for the next half of my adventure. Several days canoeing down the river, staying IN the villages with the tribes people. Living the way they do, sleeping where they sleep, eating (well sort of) what they eat. There is too much to talk about here, so please visit my website listed below to read in detail about this fantastic journey as well as see MANY photos!

I flew into Tari from Port Moresby. The landing field was small and remote. After we landed I noticed that there were many people waiting for our plane to arrive. I wasn't sure if this was the way it was with every plane or if somehow our plane was special. After we disembarked, a coffin was offloaded onto the field. A prominent figure from one of the Tari villages who worked in Port Moresby had passed away. The locals faces were painted in mourning and many were wailing in sorrow. Two days later there was a funeral procession through the main area of town. The men of each village wearing their flower-decked wigs of human hair and with their bodies painted, walked in their own group carrying a long pole with money attached. I was so fortunate to have been able to witness this amazing site. Sometimes when going to a remote area you think that the locals are dressed for tourists, I was able to see the real deal ...an amazing highlight of my trip to the Tari Basin!

Mornings in Rabaul are magical, the water in Simpson Harbour is glassy reflecting the steam rising high into the air from the Mount Tavuvera volcano. One or two small fishing boats work the harbour while everyone else is still asleep.

After saying "why YES!" to a dinner invite from a soon-to-be-NOT-stranger on the cargo boat, we are whisked away in the back of an open air truck towards the mouth of the great Sepik River.

This is what $150/night will get you in PNG. There is no tourist infrastructure so prices for everything except betelnut & rice are pretty pricey. The pay off- there is no tourist infrastructure!

And played with the kiddos of the island. These are surfboards! Carved from ingenuity after an Australian visited them with his fiberglass board in the 80s. The ritual continues...if you are out there Mr Ausie, know you've changed this island's work ethic (in a good way) forever.

OK. I'm over it. Had to decline in accepting this 1st course. May I please just skip to the desert, and I hope it's not moving. Seriously, bugs are a main source of protein. The other source is Sago plant-a coconut type plant. The Sago is probably the most important of all agriculture in PNG. The fibers are used for clothing, the bark is used for jewlery, the nut is pounded to pulp & turned into about a 101 different types of dishes, and the worms inside the nut...well that is the true delicacy. The only other source of protein is pigs, which are served up only once a year for celebration of marriages.