The sound of AC/DC…

We left home early this morning for a day trip to Eli’s
village in Simbu Province (Kaubasis). It was only going
to be a short stay as we wanted to be back in Goroka late afternoon and before
dark.

In the morning we hopped on a 25 seater coaster bus on its
way Mt Hagen and arrived at Mangiro Junction, just before Chuave Station on the
Highland’s
Highway, at approximately 10:00am.  We
walked to Yondumo, one of the villages in the Kaubasis Valley
and met up with the clan for a chat, chew, coffee and a chin-wag. Before no
time it was time to head back to the Highway to catch a PMV back to Goroka town.

The journey back was in a slightly tighter 15 seater PMV and
we were packed like a tin of sardines (no kidding). The experience of  being squashed when traveling by intertown PMV’s
in PNG at first irked me, it doesn’t anymore, it’s become part and parcel of
life around these parts, besides it’s kind of nice when a PMV stops after one
has been waiting alongside the road for over an hour. The drive was erratic,
fast and at times “poop in pants” material. As we were driving up towards Daulo Pass
(2500m) the radio station was blurting out: “It’s a long way to the top if you
want to Rock’n’Roll” by AC/DC.

There was something surreal about the ride as the words –
“It’s a long way to the top…” were being screamed out by Bon Scott, lead singer
of AC/DC, as we were approaching the pass. To top it off just before we got to
the top – there was a road block, police luckily. And as the song was starting
to wind down the PMV’s “boss crew” handed the police sergeant a token (perhaps
mandatory) bribe.

The song finished as we hit the top of Daulo Pass…

One of those moments that money just cannot buy.