Postcards From The Edge

Papuans have a charming nickname for their country: The Land of the Unexpected. As understatements go, that one’s a masterpiece. Never, in over a quarter century of crisscrossing the globe, have my plans been so thoroughly derailed — domestic flights canceled up to four times in a row, tribal warfare rerouting me into undocumented territory, a 20-hour cargo boat ride that lasted 40… So, I’ve devised a simple formula for improving one’s chances of actually catching the return flight home: take the time you think you need, double it, then add an extra week for every region you plan to visit.