Day 4 – Alotau
Today marked the fifth and final flight of my journey from Estonia to Alotau, a remote town at the far end of Papua New Guinea. With a population of around 20–25,000, Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province. While Port Moresby is often associated with law and order challenges, Alotau feels peaceful and quiet in comparison.
Speaking with locals, I gained a deeper understanding of the issues in bigger cities. Many young people from remote villages move to urban areas in search of work or to escape tribal conflicts, but jobs aren’t always easy to find. This leaves a large community of unemployed youth with no stable income and too much idle time—leading to social tensions, petty crime, and, at times, more serious violence. While the government and police have made some progress in addressing these issues, much work remains to be done. Hopefully, the coming years will bring further improvements.
Tomorrow, I begin another journey—less than 200 km in distance but stretching over three days. First, we drive across the peninsula, then take a boat for 3–4 hours, and then we hike into the mountains for two full days. There are no roads in the entire province...
So why am I going? Much like the abandoned tea bushes in Georgia, there are tens of thousands of neglected coffee trees in these mountains!
A few months ago, Gray, a native of Daga, reached out and shared his tribe’s story. Coffee was introduced here in the 1980s as a promising cash crop, but within 20 years, everything fell apart. Transport and logistics became insurmountable barriers, and the entire industry collapsed. Today, small-scale coffee harvesting continues, but much of the crop is ultimately burned because there’s no way to get it to market. No one comes to collect it, and the farmers lack the funds to organize transport themselves.
As I spoke with Gray and his group today, I asked how many foreigners visit Daga each year. After a moment’s thought, he concluded that I am probably the first ever—at least, the first whose reason isn’t tied to religious missions. I’m still processing how that makes me feel...
Tomorrow, as we leave Alotau, I’ll be off the grid for a week—except for satellite messaging. I’ll try to send brief updates along the way. Hopefully, I’ll return safe and sound.
Hannes
Follow my trip here: https://www.polarsteps.com/.../16373321-renegades-to-the...