15/07/2019 - Port Moresby / Papua New Guinea

Already 7.35 am our airplane was supposed to take off in Rabaul. We had one hour of travel time from Wairiki ahead of us and two transfers. Since the clocks in PNG run a bit slower, we wanted to leave at 4am. We were on time at the meeting point, but unfortunately not our transportation. The car came at 4.20am, but the light didn't work. All flashlights were used and the path was illuminated as best as possible. We were taken to the intersection where the regular PMV departs. We arrived there shortly after 5am. We waited another half an hour and nothing happened. After a long persuasive speech, we managed to convince the unlicensed driver with his unlicensed car to drive us to the next larger intersection. He was lucky and didn't have to avoid the police, because after only 100 meters a "real" PMV driver approached, to whom our time emergency (it was already 5.45am) was explained. He fetched his car and for a little more money he drove us directly to the airport at a rapid pace, without detours and stops, leaving his regular passengers standing with an apologetic honk. So we arrived at the airport in Rabaul at 6.30am and joined the check-in line. The staff here are not the fastest and we waited and waited. Our plane finally took off at 8am. No wonder, because we only finished checking in at 7.20am and a few more passengers came after us. At least it actually started at 8am and we landed in the capital Port Moresby on time at 10am. In the meantime, many people recommended the Port Moresby Nature Park to us and it really is a great animal and recreation park. We were able to observe kangaroos, wallabies, crocodiles, cuscus, parrots, cockatoos, cassowaries, and of course the national bird of Papua New Guinea, the bird of paradise. A beautiful ending in an exciting and very worth seeing country.