New places are something of mystery. The vistas, smells,
culture, language and food are just a few of the exciting aspects of visiting
new places. This 10 day trip took me over 9,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean
and 500 miles by vehicle to explore and study and hunt the great Asiatic
water buffalo.
According to various web sites, this species of buffalo (Carabao)
was introduced to PNG as a domestic animal by the Germans prior to World War I.
It was resistant to tick fever which was inflicting the cattle. Coconut
plantations used them as draught animals. Today the meat from the buffalo,
along with feral pigs and Rusa deer, feed entire villages - each part of the animals is consumed or utilized. The hunt for Buff is
conducted in a 20 square mile lowland grassy region South West of Wewak the
capital of East Sepik, PNG.
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| City View from Inn at Wewak |
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| On Approach to Wewak |
Upon arriving I was hit by a surreal feeling of excitement
and adventure, and a time change. I was now 15 hours ahead of east coast
time. The smell was different, the weather was hot and muggy, and the people
very unique and interesting. The first day was spent at an elegant tropical
hotel owned by Chinese people and a short distance from the airport. A great
place to re-charge after days on my feet at the SCI Convention and a
transcontinental trip.
