Then, out of the darkness appeared some large bird-looking creatures it was time for the dance to begin. We waited in a silence only broken by the sound of the crackling bonfire and chirping insects. We had to keep a certain distance from the bonfire, as we were warned that both ashes and pieces of flaming wood might fly our way. ![]() Their base deep in the jungle also earned them their Tolai nickname - "bush people".Īrriving at our destination - in what could correctly be described as "the bush" - we found ourselves surrounded by trees and in complete darkness. Fortunately, we were among the first tourists to arrive, and although there were chairs in place for the tourists we chose a spot on the ground just a couple of meters from the bonfire in the middle of the field. While they are believed to be the initial inhabitants of the Gazelle Peninsula one theory has it that the Tolai people, who had later migrated to East New Britain from New Ireland, forced the Baining to retrieve deep into the mountains. ![]() The Baining people got their name from the mountains where they live. We left the hotel on a bus with a group of other travelers, and before long we found ourselves in the middle of the pitch black jungle. Our trip had been arranged in advance through the local travel agency South Sea Horizons, with a 150 kina fee per person for the transport and entrance. The unique and captivating Fire Dance ceremony took place in a small village up in the mountains around 45 min drive from our hotel in Kokopo and was conducted as a part of the National Mask Festival.
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