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Sip igo, Sepik ikam
By EKA HRIEHWAZI
Traveling by ship has been the most affordable means of hundreds
of people between coastal and island provinces. Rural people and
even the working class, travel by ship and safe a lot of money.
Most farmers and villagers in PNG have found traveling by ship to
be the only way for them to move around the country easily or
bring their produce to the markets.
The people of East Sepik province are no exception as services
provided by Lutheran Shipping MV Rita and Rabaul Shipping's Star
Ship vessel, MV Kokopo Queen are making travel more affordable
people to travel to other centers.
When either of the ships berth in Madang or Wewak, it is always
packed to capacity. Sepik people have been appreciative of the
services provided and are not fussy about the conditions of the
vessels. So the popular saying about the Sepik people is "sip igo
sepik igo, sip ikam sepik ikam- is very true as observed on my
recent trip. The ship goes, sepiks go, the ship comes and sepiks
come home. They travel to and fro to their destinations everytime
the vessels berth in Wewak or Madang.
The Christmas and New Year periods have been the busiest with
students and the general public trying to move to their
destinations by the cheapest route and that's by sea travel.
Sometimes both the general deck and tourist decks cannot cater for
the number of people traveling at any one time.
Sepiks love the one night at sea and they are excited about the
trip, it's a rough one night at sea with no comfortable beds but
enough seats for those who can make it first into the ship but the
late comers make do with whatever space is available at the bottom
deck. The main expression is - "wan night tasol, noken busy" - one
night only, no need to worry.
For those who can spent a little more money, they are lucky to
have access to the tourist deck to occupy a bed up at the tourist
deck, its quite comfortable with excellent views from the top and
good night's sleep.
With the beginning of the school year, MV Rita and Kokopo Queen
have been very busy with the Madang-Wewak and Vanimo route with
students and parents trying to get back to school in the
Highlands, Momase and Port Moresby. The ships have been taking in
more passengers as both the bottom and top decks are over-crowded
with passengers sitting and sleeping on the floors - as they say -
'wan night tasol.'
I traveled to Lae by air then traveled to Madang by PMV and got on
MV Rita to Wewak.
It takes about five hours by road from Lae to Madang. Timing is
crucial. You can travel from Lae at about 8am by PMV, arrive in
Madang about 1pm to catch the boat to Wewak which departs at about
5pm on Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays and arrives in Wewak early
next morning after an enjoyable night's cruise.
I always fear travel by ship but after several trips to the Sepik
along this route, it is an
experience of seeing other places and appreciating the people,
cultures and the beauty of our country.
The scenery, beautiful landscapes in the Markham valley and most
of all enjoying the tranquility of Madang and Sepik beaches is
breathtaking . I love traveling and have enjoyed the beauty of
these places. Its this experience that Sepiks take the cheapest
routes to their destinations in the country, one can either travel
to the highlands by taking bus ride from Madang or either
traveling by bus to Lae and then by ships operated by Rabaul
Shipping to Kimbe or Rabaul. Others are even traveling all the way
to Port Moresby by ship. People in the Momase region have been
using the sea mode of transport as the best possible way of travel
to their destinations, its cheaper for them to even transport
their local favorites like betelnuts and sago (saksak) for sale in
other provinces.
There's plenty of kulau (young coconuts), water melons, pawpaw,
pineapples, sugar canes and cucumbers to quench your thirst and
hunger pangs. A favorite stop-over is at Bundi junction - the
turn-off to the Ramu Nickel Mine - where locals are making a
thriving sales of highway travelers to and from Madang. This area
also has latrines for those who need to answer the call of nature.
Bus operators have a variety of PNG's best music collection to
entertain passengers who either fall asleep enjoying the music or
look out into the beautiful landscape appreciate what makes our
PNG unique.
Buses traveling to Madang from Lae normally pick passengers near
the Westpac Bank in Lae. Others collect passengers at the
main-market car park. Those traveling up the Highlands catch buses
at the Lae main market. The Buses traveling to Mt Hagen collect
their passengers outside the Salvation Army hostel at Eriku. Some
buses even drive into Nadzab airport to await passengers arriving
from Port Moresby - off course with prior arrangements.
So, if you want to experience travel within PNG, this is the best
option of seeing PNG at at a most affordable price. Airfares
within the country have become unaffordable that rural people have
made every use of the sea transport to get them to their
destinations within the country.
The services provided by Rabaul Shipping and Lutheran Shipping are
excellent but if MV Milne Bay is recalled to also provide these
same services it should compliment and give the traveling public
more choices to travel in comfort and also see other parts of our
beautiful country - in a way generating revenue in the provinces
through local tourism.
Tourism should not refer only to visitors from overseas but from
within. With the right infrastructure like MV Milne Bay, there can
be a lot of income generated from our domestic travelers.
While in Madang or Wewak, visit the local markets because there's
plenty of art and craft like the colorful and eye-catching Sepik
baskets to take home as souvenirs or gifts.
 
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