Washed in the River

Think back to the last time you bathed…were you fully dressed? Standing in a river? Being watched by a dozen children? For three of us here at POC, at least, that was the case. Monday morning, we embarked on a five-hour hike to Dapu, another village in Madang province. Even with an hour lunch break, we were still very tired and sweaty by the time we got to Dapu. We met our hosts there, “storied” (talked) for a bit, then took off to the nearby river to waswas, or bathe.

Men and women bathe in separate areas of the river; Eric got to cool off in water up to his neck when sitting down. The women, however, only had ankle-deep water, or up to our hips when sitting. It was a bit hard to wash our hair! The two national women who hiked with us led us down to the water where several children were playing. The women sat down on the edge while they and the children watched the three of us POC students wade into the middle of the river and begin the awkward process of trying to wash ourselves while fully clothed and fully watched!

The rest of the day was spent “storying” and eating, and before we knew it, we were waking up to the sounds of crowing roosters and snorting pigs. After breakfast, it was time to hike back. Dapu is situated in a valley, while POC is on top of a mountain in a different range. You can try to imagine our hike back! One time we looked up at where the guide was leading us to discover a path that went straight up…and up…and up. We turned a corner thinking we were at the top, but the path continued further up! Surely that was the worst of the hike. But no! Another path confronted us that was also almost completely vertical and seemingly endless. After climbing a few mountains, crossing several slippery river beds, and succumbing to a few mosquito bites, we arrived back at POC. We’ve never been so glad to see our dorm buildings before!