A couple days of food had set my mind thinking straight and I had a good feeling coming down from a high mountain pass that had taken half the morning to climb.  Just ahead a group of perhaps a dozen men sat by the side of the road, so decided to stop for a breather and perhaps take a couple of photos.  Like most of the stops, we just stared at each other, smiling and saying nothing.  Passing the camera strap over my head, I managed to take two photos of the group before snapping this one of the 'Wild Man' with the raised stick (smoking pipe).

Just after the shutter snapped, he leaped towards me swinging his pipe in full attack mood, with the intention most likely of clubbing me.  Having no time to consider whether he was going to actually strike or not, I connected with a hard right cross and dropped him in his tracks like a sack of potatoes. Never having done that before, I just stood there for a couple seconds and admired the KO.  His buddies were stunned and just sat there staring at me.  Knowing that eye contact is generally a "no-no" in PNG, it was clear this was not the place to be.  Quickly hopping back onto the saddle, with the camera still strapped around my neck, I peddled away much faster than I had arrived, and never looked back.