Here in the chilly Highlands, adolescent boys retreat into the jungle together for 18 months to attend a "wig school" where they learn to grow their hair. For a year and a half, the men stay away from women, exercise to develop a perfect physique and lavish much attention on their head. They sprinkle it three times a day with rainwater, sleep on a special wooden headrest and must not run for fear of spoiling their coif.
They also hunt for birds of paradise. They then cut off their locks and weave them into a headdress the shape of a bird's nest, decorated with feathers and flowers.
There is an explanation for this. The totem of the people from the riverine plain is a crocodile: with their new blistering welts, the men's skin looks reptilian. The totem of the Huli people is a bird of paradise: the men decorate themselves like the exotic birds.
There's nothing like a holiday in PNG to turn you into an anthropologist.
For your information:
Ecotourism Melanesia (em.com.pg) has village accommodation and guided treks.
Live-aboard dive boat: www.chertan.com.
RSS