Stuck in mud? Call armed villagers for help

Sound technician Mike Reff, left, Travel Now correspondent Stephanie Oswald and photographer Dan Young visit with Papua New Guineans

Papua New Guinea Highlands a visual feast

By Dan Young
CNN

(CNN) -- After traveling to more than 70 countries and six continents as a photographer for CNN, I can say with some certainty that Papua New Guinea is truly a photographer's paradise with spectacular scenery, diverse cultures and new discoveries.

One highlight of our recent trip to this wild and adventurous land was a five-day stop in Papua New Guinea's Highlands area. In just a 45-minute plane ride over rugged, glacier-filled mountains, we were transported from the humid, tropical rainforests of the Sepik River to the mountainous, chilly region of the Highlands.

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Upon landing at the airport, we were met by thousands of Highlanders dressed in colorful, intricately woven garb. Most were curiosity seekers, wondering how such a machine could materialize out of nowhere, drop people off and then take off again.

The ride from the airport to our accommodations in the mountains was jaw dropping -- hordes of half-naked men with bows, arrows and spears juxtaposed with young men wearing modern T-shirts.

Our focus in the Highlands was a story on the Huli Wigmen, who, because of their painted faces and wigs shaped in many fashions, are probably the best known culture of all Highland people.

By tradition, Huli men grow their hair to be picked out and shaped into their ceremonial wig. These creations are amazing in style and substance, filled with bird of paradise and parrot feathers and encased in a myriad of colors.

Our visit to see these people was an adventure in itself. On our way, the bus got stuck in mud outside a village. When villagers tried to extract our bus -- to no avail -- our group decided to hike the rest of the way.

The destination was worth the walk. To see a group of Huli Wigmen in full ceremonial garb is a visual feast. We were treated to a series of "sing-sings," traditional dances to signal "welcome" or celebrate a tribal victory.

But our real adventure took place hiking back to our stuck bus. A group of Huli accompanied us back and, upon seeing that our bus was still stuck, proceeded to use their bows and arrows to cajole the villagers to bend to their tasks. Their pointed suggestions worked: Our bus was quickly freed and we made our way back to our mountain retreat.

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