Daru Island 2
Food Traders of Daru Island
Stranded in Daru Island in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (see Daru Island 1); I made use of most of my free time photographing the view from my hotel’s main balcony and observing the cycles of life before me: the seaside market that woke up and slept with the light of day, and the canopied wooden boats that tried to stay in place as the tide swelled and subsided. Of particular interest to me were the life of the water-borne traders who, I was told, come from villages as far as 3 days away by boat through the Fly River or a week on foot deep inside the mainland jungles. But this particular extended family who came in two boats really caught my attention. Here’s a day in their life as I saw it.
(1) The sun had started to rise over the Gulf of Papua and the inhabitants of the dugout houseboats anchored by the shores of Daru started to stir.
(2) The men in the two boats got out and brought the dugouts closer to shore.
(3) The ladies emerged from under the canopies, stepped into the water, then, one by one, brought out the goods they needed to sell. It wasn’t much but they had to hide these things deep inside the hull of their dugouts to keep them away from thieves who prowl the Daru shores at night. Back in their village, they spent weeks collecting the products and so losing them to thieves will be a big set-back.
(4) Then, wading in the shallow water, they started to carry the goods to their makeshift stall at the seaside market.
(5) At the stall, the husband arranged the goods: several baskets of sago, a few dozen coconuts, and some bundles of bananas. It was their third day on the island and they hoped to sell out all these remaining goods within the day so they can go back to their village where other family members await for fresh supplies from Daru.
(6) Sometime later, a small crowd had gathered to check out the things they were selling. A few of them bought some items, many of them were just curious. The same pattern continued through the day.
(7) Meanwhile, at the houseboat, the kids were getting tired of playing in cramped space and impatiently waited for the tide to subside.
(8) And when the tide had pulled back, it was time for the younger ones to be given a bath on the muddy shore.
(9) The day quickly passed and an afternoon rain kept the buyers away from the market. It was getting late and the other traders have packed up their goods but the wife stayed there, alone, cold and almost motionless, hoping that they’d still get sold out and be able to leave the island.
(10) The husband later replaced her but he was also losing hope of ever selling the remaining goods before the day ended. There wasn’t much left but they needed all the cash they can get so they can buy their much-needed supplies.
(11) At last a lone man ventured into the almost empty market and started asking about the remaining goods. But he was just curious and was not ready to buy so the lady started to carry the items back to their boat.
(12) Another day has ended as the tide started to rise and darkness was about to fall on the island. Maybe tomorrow they’d get sold out early and be able to head back home by mid-day. Maybe. Hopefully.
Related articles
- Daru Island 1 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- A Papuan Seascape 2 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- Village Life 1 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- Village Life 2 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- The Mighty Fly River (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- Children of Papua 10 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
- A Papuan Seascape 1 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
The drag of endless mental work in a strange land takes its toll. Fatigue can kill so petty escapades provide hopeful deviations from the brewing madness. An aging DSLR keeps good company to a walk around the neighbourhood, a short drive to a scenic place, or a silent recollection in a quiet nook granting that the host community and the elements of nature would allow one a safe passage to solitude and contemplation. Loneliness quickly turns to joy when something exciting gets captured by the cam’s shutter then set free into the laptop’s screen followed by electric words that rush from the fingers to the keyboard in an effort to describe the moment. Alas, the brain is alive once again!
Such beautiful color!
Thanks, Lilly.
Beautiful… and kind of sad…
Exactly the two main things I wanted to capture. Thanks, Vlad.
#9…..absolutely beautiful shot, color and composition. And yes, sad.
Hi, Angeline. I’m really happy when commentators talk not only about the technical aspects but also about the mood and feelings projected by the photo because, being intangible, emotions are the most difficult to capture in a photograph. I initially thought of posting #9 as a single photo but that would have limited the context which is equally important. Thanks a lot.
Jesse. Somewhat new to WordPress. Yours is the only blog I’ve continuously subscribed to since I joined. I have very much appreciate your photographs, and this group you’ve shown today tells a remarkable story. Thank you for sharing your compassion, your patience, and the gift of your observations.
Yeah, surprised that your WordPress site does not contain any posts yet. And, yes, I’m really flattered, honored and thankful that you’ve chosen A Traveller’s Tale as the only blog to follow at WP. I hope my posts will continue to inspire you. THANKS A LOT!
Amazing way to tell a story… it made me put things in perspective! The images of them standing in the rain are so sad!
Glad you liked it, my blog friend
I’m pleased I have captured the gloomy mood in the part where the couple had to stand alone in the rain. Thanks for the kind comment.
And we think it is tough at times…..Makes you realise just how easy the lives of most of us really are!.
Yeah, sometimes we complain too much. Thanks, David.
Incredible series! The colours and atmosphere so beautifully captured! And the despair as well. What a hard life these poor people lead.
Thank you so much, Madhu. These images made me want to document their activities on the village side: what sort of supplies they bring home from Daru, how they gather goods and prepare for another trip to the island, etc. I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to do it but that would be interesting. Thanks for the visit.
Fabulous colours Jessie. But a hard life they have compared to us. Wonder who’s happier?
Good question, Sue. I think their livelihood requires a lot more patience and physical exertion but less mental baggage. I’m sure they’re not worried about credit card bills, mortgages, career troubles, and things of that sort
Thanks for leaving your thought.
Amazing photos – amazing colors …. the top one my favorite
Yeah, I like that one too. It’s a story in itself. Thanks, viveka.
Wow. What a story. And all told looking out from a hotel balcony. You find stories wherever you are and I love that you share them. Thank you.
Lucky to have found an interesting subject from the balcony although angles were a bit limited and I had to use my zoom most of the time. Still glad how the photos turned out though. Thanks, Dezra.
Nice series indeed!
Thanks a lot, Gil.
Great job telling a story with your photos. You really seemed to capture life.
Thank you.
Really love your processing Jessie, the photos leap out at you. Wonderful.
Thank you so much, David.
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It’s a bittersweet feeling…. The looks on their faces as the rain comes and they have not sold out of their items.
But I love the colors…so clear and vibrant. Your photos always delight, Jessie. It’s a great story in the daily life of a family.
Thanks again, Judy.
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love the stories that go along with the photos. great post!
Thank you so much, Sarah.
Tough days, sometimes!
I think this is more of a way of life for this group. Thanks for visiting, Kristin.
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Incredible story, it reminds me how blessed I truly am, thank you for sharing.
Thank you too for visiting this site and leaving a kind comment. Truly appreciated.
Superb collection, i like the story to go with each image, it really adds to the journey.
Glad you liked it, Rebecca. Thanks.
Gorgeous pictures
Thanks a lot, sarah jane. Appreciate it.
Beautiful photos. Thanks for visiting my blog. Yours is great! How do you put the watermark on your photos? Keep up the good work.
Hello, Juliana. Loving your paintings (I used to paint before I shifted to photography). If you find putting watermarks too complicated in photoshop, try simplier photo-editing softwares such as PhotoScape. Look for the object tab and then type or choose what you want to paste into your photo. Keep up your good work as well.
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Incredibly post.
Thank you, Paul.
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the vibrant color against the grey shore and sea just brings everything into perspective. wonderful images capturing the sad and disolate state of the island and its people.
these photos share an amazing story. Thanks for posting it!:)