Port Moresby Street Art & Heatwaves: A Sweaty Sketch Tour

i rolled into port moresby last night after a flight that smelled like damp socks. the thermometer stuck at 26.28°C, feels_like the same, and humidity hugging 85% like a shy friend that never leaves your side. i tried to start my sketchbook right after landing but the paper swelled up, ink bled, and the streets seemed to sweat louder than the clouds. *cobalt spray cans from the market stall cost a cool 5 bucks each, but they were the only thing that didn’t melt in the heat.
my first stop was the morning market near the old waterfront. locals shouted about fresh taro and coconut juice, and a guy with a neon hat whispered “don’t go west before noon, the sun cooks the walls.” that sounded like a local warning, so i headed east, where the stiff breeze from the harbor tried to keep the sweat at bay. the streets were lined with old concrete slabs that screamed for color. i found a brick wall behind the Papua New Guinea Museum that looked like a perfect canvas-no one had sprayed on it yet, just graffiti tags from last year that were fading fast. i brushed up a quick basic sketch of a turtle, hoping the locals would love the nod to the sea.
someone told me that the mural behind the market isn’t actually an official commission; it’s a tag war that spilled over into community graffiti. the artist behind it claimed the piece was meant to “show the rising tide of cultural exchange,” but locals said it was just a way to cover up the old anti‑malaria posters. i snapped a picture (see below) and posted it on my Insta story with the caption “caught a ghost tag before it fades”.
if you get bored, the towns of Lae and Madang are just a short drive away. both have their own hidden alleyways that beg for a spray can. i didn’t go there yet because my backpack was already heavy with sun‑screen, water bottles, and multiple sketchbooks. but the word on the street is that Lae’s cobalt‑blue bank has the most daring tags, while Madang’s riverfront spots are quieter and cooler after sunset.
i’m hooked on the latte at The Coffee Bean (Yelp rating 4.5) which offers a cold brew that actually survives the humidity. i slipped a link to their Yelp page in my notes: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-coffee-bean-port-moresby. the barista told me that the espresso machine is old, but the beans are fresh from Mount Hagen. the caffeine boost was the only thing that kept my eyelids from sealing shut while sketching.
i also hit a cheap hostel on Junction Rd that’s been mentioned on TripAdvisor as “budget but clean.” The hostel has free Wi‑Fi, a communal kitchen, and a rooftop where you can watch the sunset over the sea‑level horizon. TripAdvisor link: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g.... The hostel’s owner, a laughing woman named Auntie Tui, gave me a quick tutorial on how to make barramundi stew, which i tried later and ruined because i over‑salted it. still, the smell lingered, and i added it to my sketch of the market stall as a funny side note.
here’s a quick list of things i’m still figuring out:
- always bring a spare sketchbook-the humidity turns paper into a soggy mess.
- use a small fan if you plan to work outdoors after 1 pm.
- talk to the locals; they know which walls have permission and which are just unofficial.
- keep a spare pair of sunglasses because the humidity also fogs your lens, and you’ll spend half the day cleaning it.
- swap your spray cans for a rust‑proof steel bottle if you want your paint to stay in the can longer than the heat.
- download the local street‑art map from the Reddit post (https://www.reddit.com/r/portmoresby) and print it on waterproof paper.
- bring a portable air cooler-you can get a tiny one for 3 bucks at the hardware store and it does more than blow dust.
- always carry a spare key; the hostel lock doesn’t work after midnight, and i ended up banging on the metal door like a desperate drummer.
- remember the malaria warning; even though the humidity feels like a sauna, you still need to take pills.
- don’t forget the sunscreen; the UV index is low but the sweat evaporates fast, leaving a salty crust on your skin.
- keep a spare battery for your phone; the heat drains it faster than you think.
- watch out for the stray cats that roam the alleys-they’ll try to sniff your fresh paint and knock over your cans.
- grab a bamboo cup at The Coffee Bean; it looks cool, keeps coffee hot a little longer, but the humidity melts the bamboo after ten minutes.
- try the nightly market at Binatang Street-it stays open until 11 pm, the smell of kava and kopi mixes with the hum of generators, and you can bargain for hand‑made woven bags that double as sketchbook covers.
- check out Graffiti Gators (https://graffitigators.org), a local art collective that runs a free ‘hottest tag of the week’ contest with a free coffee voucher as prize. i heard the winner gets to paint on the mayor’s office wall, a rumor that’s been floating around since the rain stopped.
- the city’s transport is chaotic but cheap: old busses with broken AC, sticky seats, and drivers who honk like they’re rehearsing a drum solo. you can hop on for 2 bucks, but be ready to share the space with a goat.
- don’t miss the dock’s neon sign; a drunken tourist told me it never turns off, and locals claim it’s a secret meeting spot for night sketchers. i tried it, and the sign flickered, but the crowd was louder than a subway during rush hour.
the whole vibe here is messy, loud, and sticky, which is exactly what i love. the city never sleeps; street lights turn on at 5 pm because the sun drops fast, and the night markets still buzz with chatter. i already feel like a local, albeit a sweaty one, because every time i step outside my shirt sticks to my back like a second skin.
if you’re looking for a place where the heat meets the art, port moresby won’t disappoint. just remember: bring enough water, a fan, and a thick coat of sunscreen. the weather forecast says it’s stable-no rain expected for the next two weeks, according to the local weather board. the humidity will still chew up your paint, but that’s part of the challenge.
a local board thread on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/portmoresby) had a tip about a secret alley behind the old post office. a drunken tourist told me that the neon sign on the dock never turns off, and that it’s a prime spot for night sketches. the locals keep saying the same thing: “the city’s grit is a canvas.” i’m trying to make that literal.
the map below shows the exact spot i’m working from-drop a pin if you want to meet up later.

i’m already planning my next trip to Madang after the monsoon, but for now, i’m soaking in this coastal heat, sketching, sipping cheap cold brew*, and fighting the humidity with every ounce of grit i have.

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