Land of the unexpected

Internet problems since xmas by Telikom so publishing courtesy VSO HQ who have a satellite connection…

Walking back from the town centre the other day I came across a group of 22 cyclists having a rest at the roadside – all Papuan guys from a town in Morobe, the next province and doing a tour of the northern half of the Country. Sadly their English was even worse than my Tok Pisin so I could not find anything more about the venture - no signs of it being religious or political, just a group out to double the bicycle population of Madang.

Before Christmas the Councillors were getting upset that cheques they thought were due ( to pay youths in their wards for grass-cutting etc) were not being paid (no money except for wages is left in the account) and two of them were verbally abusing staff and strewing files around the floor of the finance section. This led to a staff meeting and a sit-in strike for 2 days followed by all the Councillors turning up, profuse apologies, a live chicken and 50 kina (about 20 UK Pounds) each for the two women most affected and bottles of black-market beer for everyone else (there being an xmas ban on alcohol sales)

A Saturday trip at last to Mirkuk village, only about 9 km from town but isolated by the rugged terrain and weather beaten tracks. The Mayor had agreed to take me if I brought 1 or 2 of the vso girls which happily suited them also for family pics with this Rastafarian rascol. We drove with some difficulty to a village school where we could look back down at the town and the ocean and the headmaster joined us (with his bush knife, the mayor had his pistol in his pocket) for the walk through the jungle. We waved to Jacob our office caretaker who stays in town during the week and met several friendly people who all seemed to know the Mayor. The village (about 200 population) was quite spread out but I think we got to the centre where we were greeted with fresh coconuts to drink. A few of the men and women walk each morning a couple of km to catch a truck to work or trade in the market. Back at the office on Monday we find that Jacob’s village house and 17 others were burnt down in a raid by some other village on the Sunday – may find out more when he gets back to work….

At all events, a really happy and healthy 2012 to any readers I still have

At Mirkuk village

Headmaster and Sarah inthe jungle

My new flat (on ground floor)

Me at Mirkuk village