Another Day On The Sepik River in New Guinea
A haus tambaran is one of the most famous elements of middle Sepik art. The house is built of thatch and split bamboo, decorated with maks and carved pillars (resembling totem poles) and is the high-roofed spirit house that serves as a sanctuary for ceremonial life in each village. It is also used as an area for the men only. Traditionally, the village's finest art pieces are stored in this haus and every village has their own distinctive style.
After breakfast, we'd take to the river boat and chug down through the vast network of swamps, canals and shallow lakes the little canals until that day's village appeared. This area floods in the wet season and breaks off parts of the riverbank forming floating islands. Every now and then there would be a lonesome sign, sticking out of the river and announcing either the village's name or directions to that village along with people poling their dugouts along and egrets everywhere...
...very peaceful and serene with nothing else around, as we wound through the canals surrounded by high grass.
Most days, we had quite a distance to travel on the canals, etc. and the Sepik Spirit would pack box lunches for us which we'd eat floating along the waterways since there was usually no dry land or place to disembark and eat lunch on. The two riverboats would tie up together and pass out the lunchboxes, water and drinks. Lots of fun.
At last, you could see a village in the distance, canoes along the riverbank and people starting to gather at our boat's approach.
The people were always very friendly although they looked frightening dressed in warpaint and full regalia. Most of the year, the villagers live under their houses, spending time cooking or carving a new canoe. Canoe-making is done the traditional way - fell a tree, start hollowing it out with charcoal and primitive tools, and decorate. This villager was working on his canoe, dressed for the occasion...
The people were usually semi-naked with the small children completely naked or wearing a cast-off t-shirt from tourists like us. The juxtaposition of war painted, half naked people with a Chicago t-shirt on was hilarious. The villages were unusually clean. Thatch outhouses segregated for men and women, and trash kept away from their houses. After the obligatory walk through the village, we'd look at the artwork displayed either in the haus tambaran workshop or laid out on the ground.
Impossible not to buy something! Back on our little boats...back to the Sepik Spirit...off with muddy shoes...leave everything outside to be sprayed...and time to relax, reflect and exchange thoughts on another unique day. Tomorrow would be our last day on the Sepik.
