Escape Logistics

Jan 31st, 2020 – Luganville

Today was a hot and busy day. In the morning, I sat down with Trevor and Brigitte (the in-country programme managers) by the motel pool for further briefing instructions in addition to all the briefings I’d listened to in Wellington. There’s only so many times I can be told not to offend locals.

There was, however, a good bit of briefing focused on natural disaster and emergency planning. Vanuatu is at high risk for all of the following: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides and cyclones. Given we’re right in the middle of cyclone season, odds are I’ll likely experience one during my assignment. The advice and procedures to follow in case of natural disaster are largely common sense, but gratefully received as I had experienced an earthquake for the first time last week in Wellington (5.4 magnitude), which had made me feel very much like a whingeing Pom.

So determined to shake my whingeing Pom label, we taxied across town to the NZ high commission, for a meeting with the high commissioner and his deputy.

I was tempted to wear my linen suit, but having tried on the jacket it was just too hot – my smartest shirt would have to do. The high commissioner and his deputy gave me more of a grilling than I was expecting. I had understood it was just going to be a casual chat, welcoming me to the country, smiles all round, jolly good show. But while that was still a part of it, it also turned out to be more of an interview-style meeting. What was my role here? Why me? What was my expertise? What did I hope to achieve? Etc… It was difficult to think straight because of the heat, but the air-con in the high commission was on full blast, and once I realised that some professionalism was required, I slipped back into “work mode” Cameron, thinking on my feet and firing back. I was pleased with my participation, and I’d like to think his Excellency was impressed by my excellency (sorry, couldn’t resist) – I think the VSA was pleased with me too.

Given the high comms and embassies are mostly in the same place, I thought I might stop off at the UK and French ones and tell them I’m here too, but the UK high commissioner is still unpacking her things having only just arrived a few months ago (the UK has been without diplomatic representation here since 2005) and isn’t yet open to receive visitors, and I had exchanged emails with the deputy French ambassador and had been told that with regret the embassy wouldn’t be able to host me this afternoon but that he looked forward to meeting me next time I passed through Port-Vila.

En-route back to the motel, I couldn’t resist taking these photos reminding me of past homes:

Then Brigitte, Trevor and I packed up for a trip to the airport, with a plane due to take us to Santo (the local nickname for Espiritu Santo, the island carrying Luganville, Vanuatu’s second largest town). The domestic terminal was sweltering.

During the 50min flight to Santo, we flew over the island of Malekula, my ultimate destination. I’ll be spending a week in Santo before heading there, but it was nice to see it from above. Not much there, that’s for sure!

We were pretty tired on arrival, but I had an opportunity to meet Wayne and Nini, a volunteer couple who have been based on Malekula for the past few months, but who are taking some time away, so I’m going to be staying in their house when I eventually get there. I was getting sleepy, however, so forgot to take any photos over dinner, which is a shame as Nini is leaving early in the morning and I don’t think I’ll get another opportunity to see her during my time here. Wayne is staying on Santo for a bit, though, so I’ll hopefully get to know him during my week here. He is a forestry expert of my parent’s generation he did some volunteering with the VSA in Papua New Guinea as a young man, where he met Nini and then they lived in New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, and now he has volunteered to assist with forestry on Malekula, but I think his assignment has run into a problem (he was supposed to be mentoring someone, but no-one knows who).

I’m now in temporary digs for the week. It’s pretty basic accommodation, but it’ll do. There’s a toilet, but no toilet seat, which is a shame. Both bedside fans are on in the bedroom, but I’m still pretty warm. It’ll take some adjusting, I guess.

January 30th, 2020 – Port-Vila

Made it to Port-Vila! Left Auckland after an all-too-brief catch-up with a friend at Villa Maria wine estate, hopped aboard the Air Vanuatu plane (which was labelled Air Nauru to confuse muggins like me) and made my way through a beautiful sunset to Vanuatu.

I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of the beautiful sunset, but I did make sure I got a shot of the beer I drank on-board.

Arrived pretty late in the evening, but the VSA Programme Managers, Trevor and Brigitte, were there to greet me with big smiles. I had bought gifts of chocolate for Brigitte and Mrs Balls for Trevor (he’s from South Africa), which were well received. They took me to the motel, and after a brief chat we retired for the evening.

The following morning, I was able to see the motel in all its luxury.

After a decent breakfast, Trevor came and outlined the plan for the day. I’d heard so much about his “playing in the field of the Lord” talk in Wellington, and managed to get it out of him over coffee.

Then Trevor, Brigitte and I walked down the road to get me a booster Hep B vaccination. Both my doctor in Cotignac and the doctor here in Vanuatu thought my chances of contracting Hep B in Vanuatu weren’t high enough to warrant vaccination, but the VSA medical officer disagreed and given she’s the one who has to answer to the insurers, I’m happy to go along with it!

Brigitte (born and bred in Port-Vila) then took us on a tour of the town. Nice spot, especially the waterfront overlooking some sensationally blue sea. I was most interested in the food market, which had tropical fruit and veg in abundance. Biggest avocados I’ve ever seen, selling for 50 vatu each. Bad news for H is it’s the tail end of the mango season, though, so there won’t be any left when he comes to visit in April.

Then after lunch we walked up the hill to the Vanuatu museum. As museums go, it needs a guide to make sense of it, and fortunately we were shown round by Edgar, who also showed off the Vanuatu custom of “Sandroing”, which involves storytelling while drawing a geometric design in the sand. The story and the designs are bound by tradition, though, and shouldn’t be changed. It’s a special experience to witness, as it is clearly ancient, practiced and passed down from one generation to the next, although a bit difficult for an outsider like me to make head-or-tail of.

Now I’m back at the motel resting before a dinner with some other volunteers, followed by a fire show, whatever that may be. Internet access is patchy, so I hope I’m able to publish this today. If not, I’ll publish when access improves.

Jan 29th, 2020 – Auckland Airport

I left home 12 days ago. It feels shorter, as a large part of that involved flying a tortuous route:

MRS -> LHR -> LAX -> NAN -> WLG

I chose that somewhat odd route, as I had enough airmiles with BA to be able to fly the LHR-LAX leg in first class, a final treat to myself before roughing it for the next three months.

Arriving in LAX, the luxury promptly ceased with a bang. Given I had redeemed my airmiles for one leg of the trip, but not the totality, I had to collect my bags at the airport and check them in for the next part of the flight. In what I discovered must be one of the worst airports in the world. The queue for immigration on the way out took a good three hours to clear, at which point I was on US soil for all of 5 minutes prior to having to queue for check in and security, which took another 2 hours. I had a 6 and a half hour layover, and spent the large majority of that queueing. I had hoped to maybe leave the airport to catch up with Barrett, but unfortunately, the WiFi at LAX was broken, meaning that I had no way of contacting him to arrange to meet up. I had also hoped as a backup plan that my first class ticket might get me access to the lounge once I was through security, but due to obscure lounge access rules it was not to be. Ah well, can’t complain, I made it through in one piece, and even got to set foot in America for five minutes! Next stop was Fiji:

Before landing in Fiji, I was able to check something off my bucket list: crossing the international date line! It does mean that I left LAX on the evening of 17th Jan, but arrived in Fiji in the morning of the 19th Jan, having travelled forward in time and completely lost the 18th January. I know how timezones work, but it is still a bit puzzling to experience the missing day. I’m due to fly back in the other direction, so I’m never going to get that day back!

I then flew onward to Wellington. Landed in Wellington at around lunchtime, which gave me enough time to figure out how to get the bus into town, the cable car up the hill, and walk to the university digs I had booked to stay in for my first few nights. It had been 30 years since I was last in New Zealand.

I was due in Wellington for a briefing event the VSA (Voluntary Services Abroad) had organised that week, but I hadn’t realised the Monday was a public holiday, so had a while to catch up on lost sleep and explore the town. As it turns out, the VSA people were still working hard to secure my onward flights and visa for Vanuatu, so I ended up staying over a week there. It gave me ample time to explore what is quite a cool town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I left Wellington by plane earlier today. It’s been a quick hop to Auckland, and then after a 7-hour layover here, I’m off to Port-Vila, Vanuatu this evening, expecting to arrive there around 8:30pm local time. The adventure is starting!