TEPTEP 3 Hobbit houses

Intrepid explorer

Hobbit houses

and another

Teptep landscape

Well they would be Hobbit houses if Hobbits didn’t live in caves. Like haystacks with a door at one end, a small window on one side and a hole near the gable for the smoke from the fire. Inside it is one large, dark room but with balconies for sleeping and storing things. The village centre of course has the richer, tin houses inherited from the missionaries and colonial explorers. A walk to the next village where the Lutheran church is, more hobbit houses, plenty children wanting their photos taken and a primary school with a teacher compiling a register for the new term. Back at the guest house a cold shower in the woods – Invigorating must be the word, recall that cold dip at the Alternative Technology Centre in Wales (which I had restrained myself from indulging in). One curious aspect of Teptep life is the yodelling like cockerels crowing across the valleys, mostly but not exclusively men I wasn’t able to establish whether it amounted to anything more than just advertising one’s presence. Finally, and then I will stop babbling on about Teptep……
Life, but not as we know it
No phones, mobile or landline.- no internet – no radio – television? what’s that? – no toilet paper – no electricity – no cars or bikes – no roads – no newspapers – no banks or post office – no secondary school – no tea or coffee – no milk or bread – no clocks – no alcohol – no litter – no hot water – no mirrors
True that there is a radio telephone connection from the airport to the Missionary Aircraft Flight office in Madang and a small scale hydro power installation for the clinic and a few houses but otherwise we might as well be on another planet. I do, however get an insight into two annoying (or endearing?) PNG habits - Teptep residents throw there rubbish all over the place Just as Madang people do, the only difference is that the Teptep rubbish is all biodegradable and ready food for local insects and wildlife. Secondly, with no clocks time is simply morning, afternoon and nighttime. In Madang, meetings and appointments follow the same format but with the added complication of clock times being quoted for no particular reason.