23 October 2014 / leggypeggy

Not quite National Geographic, but plenty of boobs

Best of PNG, Brazil, clothing, Goroka Show, Papau New Guinea

One of my favourites

Soon after I started posting items about the Goroka Show, a reader commented that my photos reminded of him of old National Geographic magazine stories. Not really erotic, but filled with an abundance of interesting flesh.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised by all the flesh on display at the show. I’m no prude, but I simply hadn’t expected that at least half of the performing women would have stripped down to their bare bums and breasts.

I suppose the show offers locals a time of year when they can embrace the culture they used to live. Having said that, I suppose plenty of women don’t want to strip off these days.

Sporting a fur tube top

Crocheted flag tops

Poor John visited Papua New Guinea twice during the 1980s (I didn’t get to go). He never got to Goroka back then, but he did get to other highland communities. He clearly remembers seeing many locals ‘roll’ into town in similar get-ups. There wasn’t any show on at the time. It was simply the dress of the times.

Frankly, it makes a lot of sense. Good grief, it gets hot in PNG, and many people have no source of cash income, so they have to make-do with what the earth and sea have to offer.

It didn’t take us long to figure out that the materials and ‘fabrics’ on hand for clothing tend to be leaves, grass, shells, bark, bush rope (made of bark), gourds (more about them soon), feathers (and sometimes whole birds), branches, skins, fruit, seeds, straw, dyes, mud and clay.

Another favourite

As an aside, the Goroka Show reminded me of our two visits to Brazil—where anything you wear that’s skimpy is totally okay. After a couple of months in Brazil, I even got to the point where I thought it might be okay for me to buy and wear a bikini. Luckily, I came to my senses. It might have been okay in Brazil, but no where else in the world.

But after me dangling the ‘boob’ carrot for a while, it’s time to produce the evidence. So here it is.

I had to laugh (and agree) when one reader commented that if we all looked this good without clothes, the habit might catch on everywhere. Of course he’s right, but I guess it might depend on the season and the weather. Also have to admit that I’ve now seen boobs of every single shape and size imaginable. Have even seen some you can’t imagine.