Those Special Unplanned Days

It is more likely that serendipity will overtake the traveler in the Third World especially if one travels independently. There is no guarantee, of course, that something very special will happen on any given day. As a matter of fact, there is always a possibility that disaster could catch up with the tourist. Nonetheless, wonderful unplanned experiences are part of the Third World traveler's regular menu. Several such moments come to mind as I write this. Perhaps the most mundane of these occurred to me, not in the Third World but on a cruise ship on which I was lecturing. I encountered B.J. Habibie, then recently the president of Indonesia because his brother came to one of my lectures and was interested in what I had to say. That evening, Habibie, his brother and their wives joined me and my wife for dinner. The invitation was formally tendered by the fancy cruise ship and Habibie was grateful for the special attention. He brought a couple of his books as gifts for us and we had a fascinating conversation. We talked about his interests, my experiences and his interactions with various heads of governments. We found that photography was a common interest for us. It was quite a memorable evening culminating with what seemed to be a very sincere invitation to stay with him in Jakarta.

     A second very memorable day occurred in the countryside of the island of Sulawesi, the octopus shaped isle not far from Bali in Indonesia. We were exploring the territory where the Toraja tribal peoples live and hoping to witness one of their colorful traditional happenings. We had very good luck locating a funeral which we quickly made our way toward. It was a spectacular sight. There were dozens of tents set up designated for specific groups of visitors-close family, neighbors, visitors, etc. We found a place in one of these and were served food and drink as honored guests while we sat on cloths laid on the ground. We then got to witness the sacrifice of a pig in honor of the deceased- not a pretty site but extremely unique and unforgettable. A wooden carving of the deceased looked on, her spirit probably reveling in the wonderful event held in her honor. What a fascinating example of a traditional ceremony.

     There have been other such opportunities that stick in our minds but the most surreal and amazing was the night we arrived at the Karawari Lodge in the heart of the jungle in Papua New Guinea. We were guests at the small jungle lodge that night along with the Prime Minister of the country and his parliamentary entourage. We knew nothing about his presence until mid-afternoon when he arrived by helicopter and was transported like an African Emperor on a palenquin carried by several of the local residents. We heard him deliver his speech in Pidgin English (We did not understand a word but neither did most of the crowd) to an assemblage of half naked local citizens sitting on the ground on a hill. Many of them had traipsed many miles over the hills and through the jungle to hear him. Their faces were painted from ear to ear, their heads were covered with colorful feathers and they brought their entire families with them. It was a scene from National Geographic but we were there.

     But that was not the end of the experience. Back at the lodge that evening, we (a total of six Westerners) sat at a table in the middle of the small dining room. One one side of us were a group of Japanese birders who were shouting "Hai" each time their leader read out the name of a bird they had seen that day. On the other side of the dining room sat the Prime Minister with a few other politicians while at the head of the room a local band was playing Papua music dressed in straw skirts and penis gourds. Except for the prime minister, we all wound up dancing to the music after dinner. It was the most incredible moment of travel we have ever had. It is hard to imagine anything quite this dramatic happening on a trip to Chicago or Berlin. The Third World is indeed a potentially serendipitous, rewarding place to travel.