A week in another world...

So I’ve hit the 6 month mark of my time here in Vanuatu, and it definitely feels like home now. I have managed to master the language, established a good social group, and have a pretty good idea of the best places to eat, drink and play around town. In recent months I’ve been kept busy with lots of visitors (Jess & Mike, Averil & Steph, and then Shelley) followed by a week in Australia (a jam-packed week of catch ups, coffee and brunch, bridesmaid dress shopping and family time). 

Jess & Mike at the races

Taking visitors on an island escape

Good times in Tanna

Hello Melbourne!

Returned to Port Vila for 4 days, then off to the island of Ambae for a work trip. This particular trip summed up life in Vanuatu pretty well, highlighting the need to be flexible and embrace “island time”. Enjoy!

Monday:

5.30am: Wake up. Madly run around packing for a week on a remote island. No need to pack any electronics – no power to charge anything. Essentials: head torch, toilet paper, conservative clothing. Check!

6.30am: Arrive at the airport for my 7.30am flight. Redirected to the international terminal despite it being a domestic flight (don’t ask questions, just accept). Almost lose my pocket knife through security screening (not usually a problem here for domestic flights).

8.30am: Arrive in Santo. Two hours to kill before I need to check in for my next flight to Walaha, Ambae. Jump on the bus that volunteer David’s work has organised for him (he is here for the week for some meetings) for a ride into town. Meet volunteer Lou B in town for a coffee meeting (small work discussed) and explore Luganville before jumping in a taxi back to the airport to check in for my next flight.

10.30am: Check in my bags and meet up with Lou G (yes there are two volunteers called Lou who both live in Luganville!) and Jacqui – my two colleagues and room mates for the week. Sit chatting until our designated boarding time.

12 noon: boarding time has been and gone. Scheduled departure time has also passed. Still chatting.

12.45pm: Small plane lands at Luganville airport. Unloads and refuels. We prepare to be called for boarding.

1.00pm: Boarding call for passengers flying to Sola (not for us). After inquiring as to the whereabouts of our flight, we are informed that this plane needs to fly to Sola (1 hr away) then will return to pick us up and take us to out destination. Expect another 2 ½ hour wait at least, but do not want to leave the airport in case plans change again.

2.15pm: Airport official finally informs us that our flight for today has been cancelled. Another flight should be going tomorrow (sometime, hopefully). Make arrangements to stay in Santo for the night. Call our contacts in Ambae to inform them that we will not be arriving today (they don't seem overly surprised or concerned, although we later found out that some committee members had walked 2 hours to be there for our arrival, only to turn around again). Try again tomorrow.

Walaha airport - slightly bumpy grass runway

Tuesday:

9am: Use the morning taking a tour of the hospital and scheduling another coffee meeting. Phone call from Air Vanuatu confirmed a new flight for lunch time today.

11am: Check in for our flight.

12.30pm: Finally in the air, en route to Ambae (only a 20 min flight from Luganville, who would have thought it would be so tricky).

1pm: Arrive in Walaha. Truck awaits to take us to our accommodation, and then onto the “opening ceremony” for our week of work. Greeted at our guesthouse by four hospitality students and two owners of the guesthouse (slight overkill for only the three of us checking into a guesthouse consisting of two bungalows) who take our details for registration, present us with fresh coconuts and show us to our room - basic but comfortable with an ensuite and flush toilet - a luxury!

1.30pm: Continue on to the workshop venue (a purpose built bamboo shelter). Opening ceremony consists of singing, dancing, praying, raising of a flag and presentation of salu salu (island leis). Required to make small “toktok” in Bislama to thank the committee for their warm welcome.

3.00pm: Time for a relax at the guesthouse and an early night before a big day of work tomorrow.

Spel smol

Wednesday:

8.30am: Set out with Lou G (Australian volunteer physio) and four local committee members for a day of home visits on foot. Leave Jacqui to run disability and sign language workshop. Lucky for an overcast day – lots of walking today. Manage to see six kids and one adult for assessments and advice clinics – goals of these visits were to take details and photos to add to database, conduct feeding assessments and assess for equipment needs. Difficult to do too much more in a one-off visit. LOTS of walking – covered most of west Ambae on foot, walking between villages on public roads, private roads and through the bush. Ate lunch sitting on a grave next to a church. Pleasantly surprised at how well-presented and cared-for all the children were – disability inclusion and awareness seems to be a lot better here than what I have encountered in some other places in Vanuatu. A few tears from grateful parents who are used to receiving false promises. This is the first visit of any health professional to the area, let alone two at once.

6.00pm: Arrived back at the meeting place to dinner prepared for us by the committee – a huge mound of white rice topped with 2-minute noodles and tuna. Interesting combination!

One grateful family

Thursday:

6.30am: Woke after a terrible nights sleep. Achey legs, headache, sore throat, blocked nose. Don’t think I’ll be going far today! Saw Lou off for another day of walking – mostly adults today so hopefully I won’t be needed too much. Back to bed.

5.00pm: Slept most of the day. No energy. Was filled in on the day’s events by Lou, who walked even further than yesterday and saw 16 adults today – I wouldn’t have lasted so it was a good thing I decided to stay behind. Decided against attempting the walk up the hill for the “closing ceremony” – Lou and Jacqui attending on my behalf. Back to bed!

*Closing ceremony consisted of more singing, prayers, dancing, “toktok” and presentation of local homemade mats and baskets as a thankyou to us for coming. Also lots more rice, noodles and a cake. Shame to have missed it but don’t think I could have sat through the three-hour ceremony feeling the way I was.

Friday:

7.00am: Time to pack up and get to the airport for our flight.

8.30am: Arrive at the airport. Joined by six committee members to see us off and thank us again.

11.00am: Plane delayed… surprise surprise.

11.30am: Plane finally arrives. People disembarking unhappy to find out that the plane was overweight when leaving Santo so their luggage had been left behind (they were not informed of this before leaving Santo). Their luggage should come sometime tomorrow (maybe…). I watch my luggage being loaded onto the plane before embarking.

12 noon: Arrive in Santo. Proceed to Lou’s for some lunch, and then crash out on her couch for more sleep – virus has taken hold. Tell myself that despite the horror stories, I do not have malaria or dengue (quick course of antibiotics on return to Vila for a chest infection and I’m now back on my feet again). Return to the airport at 5.30pm for evening flight back to Vila.

7.15pm: Flight leaves with only a 15 minute delay. Must be a miracle!