.jpg) Enga Woman
High in the rugged mountains of Papua New Guinea, Engan people practice age-old cultural traditions. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a rugged land of steep, jungle-clad mountains and fast-flowing rivers. The impenetrable terrain has not only cut the interior of the country off from outsiders, but has segmented the local population as well. PNG is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries, with over a thousand tribal clans across its 22 provinces, and more than 850 indigenous languages being spoken.
The highest and one of the most rugged of PNG’s provinces is Enga, which sits in the north-most region of the Central Range or Central Cordillera. Unknown to outsiders until 1934 when gold prospectors made forays into their territory, even other Highlanders call Engans ‘mountain people’! But the province is also unique in that it has only one major linguistic and ethnic group, making Enga speakers (approximately 300,000 people) the largest single native-language group in the country.
Like many of the Highland tribes, the Engans have a long history of inter-clan tribal fighting. In the 1850s, Engan leaders developed a system of ritual gift (often pigs) exchange called tee to reduce the violence. “Tee” means “to ask for” in the Enga language, and the Tee ceremonies create exchange networks and allow bigmen (chiefs) to show off their influence and wealth.
The easiest way to meet and mix with representatives of PNGs many tribal people and to get a small taste of their traditions of dress and customs is to attend a sing sing – a gathering of tribal groups to share culture, dance, and music. I was at the Paiya Village Mini Cultural Show in the Western Highlands Province with photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours and a small group of photography enthusiasts.
A group of young women (the men weren’t attending) had come to the festival from Enga, the province next door, to share their suli muli dance. This ‘dance’, which involves jumping up and down, beating their kundu drums, and singing “suli muli”, has become synonymous with ‘Engan‘ as a tribal identifier.
I particularly enjoyed spending time with these engaging young women, and ‘chatting’ with them even though we had no shared language.
Join me!
.jpg) Through the Crops
These Highland mountains are fertile; we walk past tidy crop rows on our way to the fair grounds. .jpg) Engan Women
At the top of a hill, I meet a group of young Engan women who are in the process of getting ready for the sing sing.  Engan Tattoos
Facial tattooing is common among Engan women. The black around the eyes is paint, reserved for special occasions. Engan Woman in a Woollen Cap
I am staggered by how many people in the tropics wear woollen hats! Not all the women are dancing; … Getting Ready
… a number of helpers are along to help to complete the preparations. Those wonderful giant hats are made of moss and plant fibres. With her Drum
All the women have their kundu – drums. With their Kundu
… which they use to accompany their rhythmic jumping-dance. Enga Woman
These young women were bright and engaging; … Enga Women
… we managed lengthy conversations – without the benefit of a common language! In a Dark Cottage …
The buildings around the property don’t have electricity; inside one, more Engan women are getting ready for their performance. Animal Pen Child in Pink
The children local to the village hang about to watch the proceedings. Engan Dancers
The women get together for an impromptu demonstration of the suli muli. Short Suli Muli Video
Suli Muli
When they perform on the festival grounds, they are in their full costuming, … Engan Dancers
… complete with tall bird of paradise feathers in their hats … Engan Woman in Body Paint
… and a lumpy body-coating made from clay, mud, plant oil, and pig fat. Engan Dance Troupe
They circle the festival grounds several times before breaking off into social groups. Proud Profile Two Young Engan Women Last Word …
It turns out that my principle contact was also the last photo I took of the Engan women at the festival. 
They were a joy to meet and photograph.
Until next time,
Keep Smiling!
Photographs: 18August2017
Posted in Papua New Guinea,Portraits,TravelTags: Enga,Enga Province,environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Papua New Guinea,people,Photo Blog,PNG,travel,Travel Blog,tribal life,Ursula Wall
Water’s Edge at Short Point
Blue skies, red rocks, and sapphire waters: just another beautiful day on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. I am very fortunate: I live in a beautiful little corner of the planet.
I am also a bit lazy, and aside from regular morning walks on my boardwalk (See: A Little Slice of Paradise), I tend to not explore my neighbourhood as much as I should. So, I’m always glad when someone else organises something, nudging me out of my inertia.
My local branch of the National Parks Association of NSW had to cancel their January bush walk because all our parks were closed due to fire danger. Luckily for us, the date of the March meeting fell in that very small window of opportunity between the catastrophic bush fires and damaging storms that followed, and the recent coronavirus lock-down. It was a brief interval during which we could still get together (although already without any hugs, cheek kisses, or any other physical contact) as a group of nature-enthusiasts, and go for a hike.
Our walk co-ordinator chose a short and easy stroll to give participants – most of whom are older, and some of whom are unwell – an opportunity to relax and socialise after what has been an exceptionally difficult summer. Clearly, it was a good choice: we participants spent as much time chatting, debriefing about individual fire experiences, and commiserating over derailed future travel plans, as we did admiring the flora, fauna, and vistas. It was a perfect Autumn day: warm, sunny, and clear.
Join our little group on the short but lovely Mundooi Walk along the Short Point Beach section of the Sapphire Coast:
Entry to Mundooi Walk
Initiated by the local Lions Club, this lovely two-kilometre track is enriched by the interpretive signage funded by the Bega Valley Shire Council through project funding to the Tura-Mirador Landcare and Far South Coast Landcare Association. View over the Sapphire Coast
From the viewing platform, we can look east over Short Point Beach and the Pacific Ocean, north to Tura Head, … View over Short Beach
… and south to the coastal communities of Mirador and Merimbula. Gull on Short Point Beach
You could believe yourself to be all alone! However, the path follows the narrow strip of land between the beach and private housing. Walkers in the Coastal Bushland
We follow the track into the thickly packed stands of bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris). The flowers are finished, but the bush still smells beautifully fresh. Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo
We hear the yellow-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus) before we see them cracking seeds high in the myrtle branches overhead. Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo
Blue skies allow a clearer view of another “cockie” nearby. Ancient Dune
The dune on the foreshore here is said to have been formed over 8000 years ago when the sea level was lower. Still standing between 6-8 metres, it is held together by sea-grasses and long-established vegetation. Back Lake
Back Lake is classed as an ICOLL – an “Intermittently Closed and Open Lake or Lagoon”. The mouth of the lagoon closes over when there is insufficient rainfall to flush the sand out. Fishing in Back Lake
Back Lake is one of the many ICOLLs in this region, providing recreational opportunities for the community, but also raising environmental water-management issues for our local council. Family on Short Point Beach Short Point
The grassy lands of Short Point Recreation Reserve overlook the beach … Rocks on Short Point
… and the tumbled rocks on the foreshore. Walkers on the Cliffs
After lunch on the grass at the Short Point Recreation Reserve, some of us head down the rocky ledge below. Short Point to Middle Beach
The rocks here are in ancient layers; the waters wash over them. … Waters on Short Point
… or collect in pools. Waters on Short Point Rough and Rocky Textures
Salt is encrusted in the dried-out pockets in the rocks. Sooty Oystercatcher
A sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) prowls the rocky foreshore. Sooty Oystercatchers
There are others on the foamy tide-line, looking for food. Rock Fishing on Short Point
Across the sapphire waters, you can see Middle Beach, and the marks of aeons layered into the colourful rock-face beyond it. Red Rocks on Short Point
Rocks along this coastline date back to the Devonian period. They are rust-coloured from iron oxide sediment caused by the rise in oxygen levels created by the world’s first forests. Walkers on Short Point
We work our way back along the shelf, … Nature’s Building Blocks
… past giant tumbled boulders, … Lone Fisherman
… and leave the solo fisherman in the sea spray on his rocky promontory. Whether it was the walk itself, the wonderful weather and beautiful scenery, or the chance to debrief with like-minded people, I returned to my car lighter in spirit.
 Truly, it was a much-needed breath of fresh air!
Wishing you well as we all batten down.
Pictures: 15March2020
Posted in Australia,landscape,NatureTags: Australia,landscape,Merimbula,Mundooi Walk,nature,NSW,park,Photo Blog,Short Point,travel,Travel Blog,Tura Beach,Ursula Wall,walk
Brekkefossen
Just outside the hamlet of Flåm in the fjords of southwestern Norway, the Ljosdøla-Brekkeelvi River drops about 100 metres over the Brekkefossen, or Brekke Falls. Is there anything more uplifting than a walk in the woods with the sounds of falling water?
The short walk from my accommodation outside the little village of Flåm in southwestern Norway, along the Flåmselvi (Moldåni) River, past bucolic fields and wooden farm houses, into a birch forest and up a mountainside to views over the Brekkefossen Waterfall, was a delightful antidote for what had been a rather stressful arrival into this breathtakingly beautiful area.
For the Flåmsdalen (Flåm Valley) in Norway’s Vestland is stunning. Called a “typical West Norwegian fjord valley”, the actions of sequential glaciers over millions of years have cut their way through the surrounding mountains, creating steep slopes covered in trees that rise to snow-capped peaks and drop to fast-moving waters. The hamlet of Flåm, whose name comes from an Old Norse word meaning “a little place between steep mountains”, sits at the innermost arm of the Aurlandsfjord, a 29-kilometre long fjord that is part of the branching UNESCO-listed Sognefjord system.
Travelling solo and carrying roller-bags that had traversed three continents, I had arrived the the day before into a town better suited to back-packers. The nature of the exclusions on my travel-insurance meant that I was riding the rails across Norway without my husband, who had been called back to Australia prematurely… That’s a long story for some other time, but suffice it to say, in spite of my going to great pains to call ahead from Bergen the day before, the keys to my accommodation were not at the reception office, and the reception office was as far from the train station – and from my pre-paid rooms – as it was possible to be in this tiny town.
But, I was determined to make the best of my day in this incredible environment: I booked an afternoon boat trip into the Nærøyfjord (see: In Aurlandsfjord) and took myself for a morning walk into the woods, following the well-marked maps from the local information centre.
I know that the reference to “Norwegian Wood” in the Beatles song of the same name was a comment on the cheap pine wall-panelling popular in London in the 1960s, and nothing to do with Norway, but I found myself humming all the lines I could remember as I walked up the mountainside and into the beautiful birch forest …
Do join me for a walk in the Norwegian woods!
View from the Train
My first sighting of Brekkefossen was from the Flåmsbana, the steep railway down the mountainside from Myrdal to Flam. Flåm Housing
Flåm is a small village of about 450 people, but gets very busy in summer with tourists. Luckily, at the end of April, the weather was still cool, and the guest- and farm-houses were quiet. Birch Tree
The fields are green with spring growth, and the trees – fell birch (Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa), I believe – are beautiful. Along the Flåmselvi
It is a pleasant walk on asphalt up along the Flåm River, which starts as runoff from the Omnsbreen Glacier, and travels 40 kilometres (25 miles) before emptying into the Aurlandsfjord on the other side of town. Sheep in the Fields
Tidy fields line the other side of the road. Brekke Gard Hostel
The route takes me back past where I’d had to retrieve my keys the evening before, … Flåm Farmhouse
… and past more farms with mossy roof tiles and fresh paint. Flåm Farm Buildings
I get my first glimpse of the waterfall over the local farms … Brekkefossen Track
… before I leave the road and head up a stony track. Norwegian Woods
The path rises steeply up through the birch trees, and I start to hum:
“I once had a girl – Or should I say she once had me –
She showed me her room – Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?” Signpost
Fences ensure that walkers don’t stray into protected lands. Flåm Village
Looking back at the village through the trees, I get a real sense of how surrounded by steep mountains it actually is. Water Falling
The river runs down over mossy rocks at our feet … Mountains Rising
… and the mountains rise up through the still winter-bare trees around us. Taking Photos over the Valley
After about 30 minutes uphill hiking, the trail opens up on a grassy ledge. The views over Flåm and the fjord makes the short, but steep climb, well worth it! Brekkefossen
As the falls come closer, the sound is deafening … The Bottom of Brekkefossen
… and a very faint rainbow is visible in the pool at the bottom. Flåm Village
It is a stunning spot, and of course, the 2.5 kilometres back to the centre of town are much quicker than the hike up the hill! Brekkefossen from the Train
I got to appreciate the Brekkefossen’s power again from the Flåmsbana the next day as I headed back up the mountain to the main rail line at Myrdal. What a magical place! And, how restorative is a walk in woods near water…
As we “Socially-Distance” ourselves, I revel in my woods and water. I hope you, too, have a patch of nature within your sphere.
“And when I awoke I was alone
This bird had flown
So I lit a fire
Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?”
Pictures: 29-30April2018 and 1May2018
Posted in Nature,Norway,TravelTags: Brekkefossen Waterfall,Flåm,landscape,nature,Norway,Photo Blog,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,walk,woods
On the Ghats
The steps down to the Ganges River are crowded with Hindu faithful who want to access the sacred waters during the auspicious Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, India (13April2010). Much of the world is currently in lock-down, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inadvisability of being in small spaces with large numbers of people. I currently have two lots of travel insurance – and travel plans – that are functionally worthless as countries spiral into panic and wonder how their already-stretched health systems will cope.
So, as Australia locks its borders and limits gatherings to less than ten people, I can’t help but think back to a time when I was part of one of the largest masses of human movement on the planet: a Kumbh Mela in India.
The Kumbh Mela (or Kumbha Mela) is a Hindu religious festival that is celebrated four times every 12 years. The tradition is attributed to the 8th-century Indian philosopher Shankara who wanted religious ascetics and holy men to meet for periodic discussion and debate. The location rotates around four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers: Haridwar on the Ganges River, Ujjain on the Shipra, Nashik on the Godavari, and Prayag (Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna (Jamuna), and the mythical Sarasvati.
The sacredness of these four locations is rooted in ancient Hindu texts, particularly the samudra manthana (Sanskrit: समुद्रमन्थन, churning of the ocean). Long before our time, gods and demons fought continuously over the pot (kumbha) of amrita, the elixir of immortality that is produced by their joint churning up of the milky ocean of creation. In the course of their struggle, drops of the elixir fell on those four earthly sites. When the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter line up over the respective sites, the associated rivers turn back into that primordial nectar, giving pilgrims the chance to bathe in the essence of purity, auspiciousness, and immortality.
So, the pilgrims come – they come from all over, carrying kumbhs (water pots) or other containers to carry water from the sacred rivers home with them. They come on foot. They come by tuk tuk or bicycle or car. They come by train – as we did when I attended the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon. (Being piled into an over-night second-class rail carriage across India gave me plenty of stories to tell, but is not an experience I would repeat or recommend.) For days, they keep coming.
The dates of the mela are determined by the Holy men, who measure the astrological positions for the site whose mela it will be: the holiest time is the exact moment when the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter, are fully aligned. On April 14th 2010 – the day after these particular pictures were taken – approximately 10 million people bathed in the Ganga Mata (Mother Ganges) in Haridwar.
This is not the first time I’ve returned to this old set of photo-files (see: Faces in the Crowd), but digging through the archives and dusting off some of the pictures I made of the exuberantly smiling faces during this mass-gathering seemed like a good way of making lemonade out the lemons the world is currently throwing at us.
Enjoy!
Bicycle on the Move
Being on a main artery into the Haridwar city centre gave me and my old camera a chance to practice panning. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 34mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec.) Motorcycle on the Move
This is such a common sight – people without helmets squashed onto small motorcycles, with female passengers riding pillion on the back. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 25mm, f/4.0, 1/40 sec.) Tuk-Tuk on the Road
Most vehicles are filled to over-capacity. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 24mm, f/4.5, 1/40 sec.) Cycle Rickshaw
I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor rickshaw operators … (Canon 7D, ISO100, 32mm, f/3.5, 1/40 sec.) Rickshaw on the Road
… with their heavy loads of passengers. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/40 sec.) Colours of India
The roadside shops are busy, as pilgrims – in their white shirts and colourful saris – stop for a break and a masala chai. Couple
Most people on the road were happy to stop and chat … Woman in a Ghoonghat
… and many insisted on having their pictures taken. Fruit Sellers
Colour and texture is all around, in the walls … Woman in a Ghoonghat
… and in the faces and clothing. Girl in Pink
Smiles are everywhere. Pilgrim in Lace Walking into Haridwar
And the crowd keeps moving, … Men on the Move
… walking towards the sacred river. Sadu Pilgrim in Orange
You can stop for blessings along the road. Notice the copper kumbh sitting on the mat – this sadhu has already collected some sacred water. Men on the Road Young Girl
Pilgrims come in all ages. Buildings on the Ganges Preparing Offerings
At the ghats on the river … Man with Offerings
… people are preparing ritual offerings … Ganga Mata
… with which to worship the Mother Ganges. Bridge over the Ganges
Whole stretches of river are packed with worshipers … In the Ganges
… who come to bathe in the fast running waters of the river. The chain-link fence keeps people from being swept away. Shiva Watching
A 30.5 m (100 ft) statue of Lord Shiva watches over the worshipers on Har ki Pauri ghats. Crossing a Bridge over the Ganges
The flood of humanity continues across the river … Shiva on the Ganges
… under Shiva’s watch. Haridwar is a holy town, as its name illustrates: Hari (meaning God) and Dwar (Gate). Such a crush of humanity!
And, for the most part, a happy and positive crowd. There was an episode the following day where five people were killed in a stampede; while that is – of course – tragic, given the millions of people present, the odds were still good.
 Better than the odds that we seem to be confronting at the moment as we face down an invisible viral foe in social isolation.
I wish you well however you are riding out the next months.
Namaste!
Photos: 13April2010
Posted in environmental portraits,India,Religious Practice,Travel BlogTags: environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Haridwar,hindu,hinduism,India,Kumbh Mela,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,Religious Practice,travel,Travel Blog,UNESCO,Ursula Wall
Columns Rising
Built during the second century CE, the Propylaeum (temple entrance) of the Sanctuary of Zeus in Jerash, Jordan, still rises up in graceful beauty – in defiance of over 2000 years of looting, erosion, and earthquakes. “What did the Romans ever do for us?”
I love that line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian and have thought it appropriate in many circumstances. Naturally, it came to mind when I was wandering through the magnificent Roman ruins of Jerash – Ancient Gerasa or Garshu – in northern Jordan. These extensive ruins, so far away from the epicentre of the Roman City-State, are an imposing illustration of one of the greatest empires the world has seen.
I’m not a great student of history, and most of what I know about the Roman Empire comes from the Colleen McCullough Masters of Rome historical novels. But, wandering across archaeological sites as far-flung as South Wales (i.e.: Caerleon – watch this space!) and the south of France (see: Ancient History: Nîmes) and Spain (see: Layers: Cartagena and Málaga) brings history to life, and makes me marvel at the magnitude of Roman rule.
Of course, the ancient Romans impacted more than just landscape: they influenced our modern military, political, legal, and social institutions, as well as leaving their mark on Western language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city-planning. But, it is in the remains of roads, aqueducts, and buildings constructed around two thousand years ago, that their reach is made visible.
Jerash has been called“Pompeii of the East” because it is so well-preserved, thanks to the dry regional climate: it is considered to be one of the best preserved sites of Roman architecture outside Italy. A marble plaque at the entrance tells the visitor: Jerash was founded during the fourth century B.C. under the Alexander of Macedon, even though there is evidence of the site having been continuously settled from the Neolithic Period (10,000–4,500 BCE).
The Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) incorporated the city of Jerash into the newly established Roman province of Arabia in 106 CE. Under Roman rule, the city entered a golden age of development and prosperity, and when Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE) visited in CE 130, the city had grown to a population of 20,000. Many of the ruins we see today were built in preparation for that visit. The local architect Diororas is credited with the revolutionary construction techniques used to erect the vaulted domes of the South Theatre and the entrance to the Temple of Zeus.
The site itself is huge – and predominantly without shade or good signposting. I only visited about half of the ruins: I wish I’d had a paper map! I had to be back at an appointed time, and I had no sense of how far some of the temples I didn’t visit were.
Even so, I marvelled at everything I did see and explore. There is something awe-inspiring about walking through structures that were part of people’s lives so many year ago.
The Arch of Hadrian
Entry to the extensive ruins of ancient Gerasa are through the 11-metre high triple-arched gateway. Built to honour the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city in the winter of AD 129–130, it was originally twice the height and probably had three wooden doors. Roof Detail : Arch of Hadrian
Major reconstruction was conducted on the arch in 2005: the repaired detailing is quite beautiful. Fallen Cornice
Immediately inside the ancient outpost, examples of beautifully carved stone lie around waiting for the next restoration project. Ancient Mosaic Tiles
The beautifully restored mosaic floor of the Church of Marianos (AD 570 -749) is a lovely example of the decor in the Byzantine churches of the time. Outside the Hippodrome
Although not as big as the one in Rome, the Hippodrome in Jerash is the best preserved example in the world. Horse and Handler
Inside the hippodrome, there are a few dainty horses with their young handlers. Nooks and Crannies
The greenery is a welcome break: the site is is very hot, with the sun bouncing off the stones and bricks and tiles all around us. Temple of Zeus
Temple ruins dominate the horizon around us. South Gate
Originally, there were four gates through the city wall into the city proper; this gate at the south was probably built in AD 130. Arch Entry
The 3.5km-long boundary walls surround a square kilometre of the ancient city. Rocks and Columns Rubble and Ruins
The renovation work is ongoing around the South Theatre. South Theatre
Inside the South Theatre, which held over 3,000 spectators, … Piper in the Theatre
… we get a sense of the wonderful acoustics when the Jordanian Bagpipe Band starts playing. I thought the pipes were originally Turkish, but there are those who claim they are a Roman invention. Inscriptions – South Theatre
The theatre was supported by the rich, and inscriptions in Latin denote who has sponsored any given section of seating. On the Phone
Surrounded by 56 columns – each made from four blocks of stone – the oval-shaped plaza outside the South Theatre makes a good resting spot for visitors. Columns on the Hill
More columns lead into the Temple of Zeus. Columns and Cornice
Up on the Temple of Zeus, the fallen ornaments are as interesting as those still on the columns. Carved Cornice
The details of the fallen cornice pieces are beautiful … Oval Plaza and Modern Jerash
… and the views over the colonnaded Oval Plaza and towards the new city are wonderful. Lines and Curves Cardo Maximus
There is something about walking on a Roman road: knowing you are on diagonal paving slabs that were laid two millennia ago! It is a tribute to Roman engineering that these streets are still intact. Columns and Walls Wall Detail
Every where you look, there are beautifully carved details on columns, or in the niches in the walls. With more time, I would have explored the rest of the site, but what I did visit was amazing.
It is hard to believe that the people of the Roman Empire walked those same roads…
Until next time,
Wishing you Happy Travels!
Pictures: 19October2019
Posted in Jordan,Museum,TravelTags: architecture,history,Jerash,Jordan,Photo Blog,Roman Ruins,ruins,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
« Older posts
Newer posts »
|
In Enga, man has his own ways of dressing in traditional attires while woman has her own ways of dressing in traditional attires. But these women are dividing into two. The mixture of tradition dressing for both male and female. Half men’s dressing (head/top) and half women’s dressing (hips or bottom). This does not look like Engans. Mixing up altogether.
Hi Kupu,
Thanks for your visit. These women were quite passionate about their roots, and I was happy to talk with them about this.
Cheers, Ursula
My brother, Kapu K Waiakane.
Which part of Enga Province are you from??
You insane! These women are from West Part of Enga. They are wearing round hats because it’s part of our culture, not all women dress with cascas skin on their head. They either can dress in both ways they want to. I hope and believe you’re from another Province!
Hi Kaistar!
Thanks for taking the time to clear that up! I could only go on what the women told me. 🙂
Engans full traditional dressing