"Middle Sepik and Blackwater ..." a Yentchan Travel Page by jadedmuse

I read somewhere that the Sepik area inspires the same reverence as the Congo to Africans, the Amazon to South Americans, and the Nile to Egyptians.

When we were offered the option of living aboard a "floating Lodge" for a few days on the sacred Sepik River, we jumped at the opportunity. It seemed a perfect way to explore the many Sepik tribal villages along the famous river that snakes through the central lowlands of PNG.

It's difficult to put into words just how strange and unique this part of our trip was....the silent moments at dawn as we drifted along a placid, shimmering river awakening to the first rays of the morning sun; the eerie shriek of a waterfowl flying overhead in search of food; the occasional dugout canoe floating by with its native occupants; the villages themselves, with their oddly shaped, imposing "Haus Tambaran" (Spirit House) looming proudly from the shore.....

...It was a lot to digest the first time around. I met a woman from California who had spent every summer for the past decade, working in the Sepik River area and more recently, on the Sepik Spirit (the "floating Lodge"). She loved the quiet mystery of the area and said that every time she returned here, she felt a kind of rebirth and rejuvenation.

Since I've already mentioned the malaria and spotty nutrition endemic to this area (in my "Timbunke" pages), I'll spare you the details here.

Suffice it to say that there is something mystical and very primeval about this part of Papua New Guinea, and ten plus years later, I can still hear the gentle lapping of the water against the boat as we drifted along under the pale rays of the morning sun, exploring the villages and experiencing just a taste of what life on the Sepik means to anyone bold enough to embrace it.

We were not so bold as to embrace it....seems we merely grazed our cheeks against its rough exterior...

There really is a strange Garden of Eden awaiting us around every corner.

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For more info/photos on Yentchan (Sepik Region), please see this section's Travel Tips

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And if you haven't seen it yet, please visit my intro page under Papua New Guinea

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