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Mudman in full costume
Goroka Market, Papua New Guinea
Goroka area, Papua New Guinea
Goroka is the main commercial centre in the Eastern Highlands province and in many ways is more relaxed and attractive than Mount Hagen.
The impressive market, busiest on Saturdays, is a good place to begin your exploration. The town is famous for the Goroka Show which is held in mid-September where there are all manner of sing-sings, agricultural displays and inter-tribal dance contests.
From Goroka it’s a short drive to see the Asaro mudmen warriors, daubed with grey clay and wearing monstrous masks. Legend has it that the warriors came off second best in a tribal squabble, so they coated themselves with grey mud, made bizarre masks, and set off on a payback raid. Seeing these ghostly apparitions emerge from the trees their unfortunate opponents, thinking that the dead had risen, threw down their arrows and ran off in terror.
The local tipple found in PNG is called SP (South Pacific) Beer - and it is very drinkable!
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