Masks and Other Artifacts Are Sold in Spirit Houses

Inside a Spirit House

A Spirit House

PNG is now a primarily a Christian country, with lots of churches of all denominations, many missionaries on different projects, and many church-funded schools. However, they still maintain a spirit house in each village. Only males may enter the spirit houses (and foreign females). Some houses have second stories, and we were told that boys/men must be scarred permanently to appear like they have crocodile skin to be able to go upstairs. We saw a few men aged 20+ with this scarring, but none of the boys. We bought a mask for a friend, but the Australian Quarantine Department at the airport found boring insects in it and took it away to burn.

PNG was a great place for a truly different adventure. We are back in Brisbane now, and will post again in a week after visiting Vanuatu.