The joys of tropical tiredness...
Well. We're here, we're safe and we're exhausted! First chance we've had to use the internet since we've been here. Partly from being busy, and partly because of the lack of internet services around the place.
So. Some good things about Alotau.
*The local beer SP is good. Very good. And seeing as wine and spirits are expensive here this has made me happy.
*There is red meat here, and we had spaghetti bolognese for dinner last night.
*Our house and housemates are all lovely. There is plenty of gardening potential as well, so all the seeds I bought will come in handy.
*Work is about a one minute walk away from the house for Jane, and a short drive for Cam.
*Lots of inexpensive fresh food from the markets. Also, lots of favourite foods can be found in the supermarket for varying prices.
Some not-so-good things.
*Alcohol is not able to be purchased from Friday to Monday.
*Lots of bugs and Cane Toads - there was an unfortunate incident yesterday where Cam found two living in is dive fins.
*Betel nut eveywhere - but then that is all over PNG. It's a nut that people chew with mustard and lime, which goes red, and people spit it everywhere. I saw a dog with betel nut spit on it yesterday :(
*No salt and vinegar chips.
But we've been having a great time so far. We spent a few days in Port Moresby for Orientation where we waited. A lot. Nothing happens quickly in PNG.
Highlights included the Mumu welcome feast, bamboo band, getting my PNG drivers license :), hanging out with all the other AYADs. Wasn't as impressed with our flight to Alotau being cancelled on Thursday, and then arriving at the airport at 4am on Easter Friday (as we had been told),only to have our flight leave at 11:30. Nothing like hanging around the departure lounge of an airport.
We arrived in Alotau and went straight out to Fergusson and Normanby Islands. We stayed in some great little guest houses, and got to see a bit of village life. It's pretty humbling to see how people are living without electricity or running water, and yet they are happy and making the most of life. It's not everywhere in the world that you can be woken up in the middle of the night because a pig is under your bedroom snuffling around and hitting the floor.
Over 4 days we went snorkelling in some of the most amazing reefs (I'm sure Cam will post some piccies soon), climbed a dormant volcanoe, went to some hot springs, and travelled around on a boat a fair bit - it can take a few hours to get between places.
We've been at Alotau a few days now, and we're starting to settle in. We'll add some photos soon, and perhaps I'll write a bit more about our first adventure. I've been very good (so far) and am keeping a journal, so I won't forget what happened.
So back to tropical life. Another disadvantage is the sweat, but something to get used to I suppose. We're really enjoying it here, but it is nothing like Australia.
So. Some good things about Alotau.
*The local beer SP is good. Very good. And seeing as wine and spirits are expensive here this has made me happy.
*There is red meat here, and we had spaghetti bolognese for dinner last night.
*Our house and housemates are all lovely. There is plenty of gardening potential as well, so all the seeds I bought will come in handy.
*Work is about a one minute walk away from the house for Jane, and a short drive for Cam.
*Lots of inexpensive fresh food from the markets. Also, lots of favourite foods can be found in the supermarket for varying prices.
Some not-so-good things.
*Alcohol is not able to be purchased from Friday to Monday.
*Lots of bugs and Cane Toads - there was an unfortunate incident yesterday where Cam found two living in is dive fins.
*Betel nut eveywhere - but then that is all over PNG. It's a nut that people chew with mustard and lime, which goes red, and people spit it everywhere. I saw a dog with betel nut spit on it yesterday :(
*No salt and vinegar chips.
But we've been having a great time so far. We spent a few days in Port Moresby for Orientation where we waited. A lot. Nothing happens quickly in PNG.
Highlights included the Mumu welcome feast, bamboo band, getting my PNG drivers license :), hanging out with all the other AYADs. Wasn't as impressed with our flight to Alotau being cancelled on Thursday, and then arriving at the airport at 4am on Easter Friday (as we had been told),only to have our flight leave at 11:30. Nothing like hanging around the departure lounge of an airport.
We arrived in Alotau and went straight out to Fergusson and Normanby Islands. We stayed in some great little guest houses, and got to see a bit of village life. It's pretty humbling to see how people are living without electricity or running water, and yet they are happy and making the most of life. It's not everywhere in the world that you can be woken up in the middle of the night because a pig is under your bedroom snuffling around and hitting the floor.
Over 4 days we went snorkelling in some of the most amazing reefs (I'm sure Cam will post some piccies soon), climbed a dormant volcanoe, went to some hot springs, and travelled around on a boat a fair bit - it can take a few hours to get between places.
We've been at Alotau a few days now, and we're starting to settle in. We'll add some photos soon, and perhaps I'll write a bit more about our first adventure. I've been very good (so far) and am keeping a journal, so I won't forget what happened.
So back to tropical life. Another disadvantage is the sweat, but something to get used to I suppose. We're really enjoying it here, but it is nothing like Australia.
posted by Jane & Cam at
2:18 pm
3 Comments:
yay! glad to hear you are intact and have been having such an interesting time! Albeit with horrible boringness interspersed at airports... Keep writing. I'll keep reading.
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