a single fortnight

St Patrick's day mayhem

Desert Island picnic

Settlement near town centre
"Doctor Livingstone I presume"

Week 1 – we have visitors from JICA (Japanese aid organisation) who are hoping to fund a central Market upgrade and extension. The Market is run (badly) by my Council who carry out no maintenance until something falls down and the water supply has been cut off for years due to non-payment of bills despite the Market providing a significant part of the Council’s income. Jica ask if any existing buildings or trees need to be kept. “No, everything can go if you like” the volunteer planner wants the big shade trees keeping and happily JICA agree leaving it for him to specify which ones. A planning application has to be made (“just a formality”) which will be decided upon in Port Moresby. Jica ask about public consultation “very important to us” they are told that the Council think its important also and after everything has been designed there will be a public consultation week before building starts. Jica insist on a series of public and traders meetings in the next month.

Week 2 – visiting Australian Aid partners arrive with 12 most welcome computers for the office, a meat thermometer for health section and the promise of a GPS hand held mapping device for my section. Most of the time is taken up waiting for meetings with important officials about extending their working relationship – but they can’t expect any decision before the June elections.

Never mind, had a good St Patrick’s day picnic trip I arranged with a few other volunteers to a couple of nearby islands with sandy beaches and friendly natives and at Easter am hopeful of a trip by bus to Wau, near the hidden valley gold mine where a tanker carrying cyanide to the mine fell into the river and by an amazing coincidence all the river fish died only days later. Still the temperature there is more temperate and I will meet relatives of our youthful chief gardener who I will travel with

Internet access remains decidedly dubious, maybe I should add internet to my conditions for extending my stay but again this is a subject where no decisions will be made before the Elections (if then). J