When we finally headed out of the city into the country I was immediately struck by several things. First off: beef crackers. Look them up, they’re a thing. The next and far more striking was how such a beautiful nation filled with such wonderful people could suffer under such crushing poverty. It was literally everywhere you looked. Distance wise from the city to the country it’s not that far but the terrain is pretty rugged and the roads get pretty sketchy once you leave Goroka. I got the feeling that most people don't travel that far from where they live as most have to walk as they don't have the money to travel by PMV (Public Motor Vehicle. Which are, ironically, privately owned and not that reliable). Once we got to the farm I was immediately overwhelmed. This was the first time I've ever had an entire community show up to greet me. I'm part of a tiny coffee roasting company in the Madison Wisconsin. The group I traveled with was the first group of roasters that had taken the time/effort to make a connection with these producers and so this was significant for them and so we were treated as honored guests every place we visited. It's a humbling experience to be treated this way by people who have so little themselves. More on what we discovered while there tomorrow.