E.T. No Phone Home

As most of you probably know I ended up going to Port Moresby, PNG for just over a week during Jan.

I was very nervous about going for many reasons but Dad lives there so I didn't think I'd get in to too much trouble while I was there. Also, Mum came along so things were going to be ok. I hoped.

Mum and I left the security of our own homes at 4am to head to the airport. We had a flight to Melb and then one to Bris (same plane but we had to get off) and then an
international flight on Qantas/Air Niugini codeshare to Port Moresby (PoM). Seeing as the international flight was codeshare we couldn't book our seats but we could book our bags all the way from Hobart to PoM.

So, when we finally arrived in PoM we had to wait in a queue for ages. The system requires that you eventually make it to the front of the queue (with all other people needing visas) and give over your passport. You then pass through immigration to get some money changed then you come back, pay for your visa, get your passport back, pick up your bags and go through customs. Well that's how it is supposed to work anyway.

The only hitch that we had was that our bags didn't arrive. We got told that one of them was in melb (where'd the other one go??) and that it would be in PoM "tomorrow" - please call us to check. Mum and I are were stuck in a foreign humid and very hot country with only the clothes we had on (which incl jeans...). Cripes.

The other thing we found out is that PNG doesn't have any ties with any Aus phone networks so our roaming does nothing! No phone... So, I asked if I could borrow Dad's phone to send the boy a text to say that we were alive... oh yea.. no international texting either... double cripes!!

Dad picked us up from the airport and we had a bit of a squiz around but he had a meeting so he dropped us off at home after lunch and went to work. Home was lovely. It was a bit dirty and there were a few bugs around but it was nice. There was a big backyard and 2 scruffy looking dogs but it was fine.
There was also a great view when you looked past the big fence around the property with barbed wire. Dad also had 2 security guards that looked after the house at night (they must be able to see through the backs of their eyelids tho...). When it came to bed time, we all wandered upstairs and Dad locked us in or locked others out to be more precise. Being used to the freedom that was quite weird.

The next day was spent in the house waiting for the afternoon so we could find out about our bags... great ... apparently they went to Hong Kong and we'd have to wait til fri (it was wed...). Brillo! After a little argument with the man who blamed it entirely on Qantas (which to be fair it was their fault as the bags went from Melb to H.K.... random) we managed to get them to get our bags to PoM by thurs.

The bags arrived and mum and I went straight to the club to go for a swim. Lush!!

Seeing as Dad had to work all the time the week was spent in the house or at a restaurant eating. It just wasn't very safe to go wondering around and dad lived half way up a very steep hill so we couldn't really walk to or from home. Mind you, apparently you shouldn't even stop on the road up to Dad's cos you might get held up for your car and possessions. eep. We did however jam pack our weekend.

Randomly driving along the road one day I saw this sign. -> I just thought that was the most peculiar thing ever. Coffins...on sale??!! What the?? Where's Rove when you need him?? As you can see there was also a lot of graffiti. Just about every solid surface was tagged.

On sat we headed for Sogeri and the beginning of the Kokoda trail.

That was quite fascinating although the roads on the way left a lot to be desired. They were narrow and very pot-holey.





We stopped along the way to have a look at a lovely waterfall and then on the way back to check out the National War Memorial.
















There was a rotunda at the top of the hill that had the names of all the people from the Allied forces that died in PNG. That was very moving. So many names, so many white headstones....

Sunday we headed for Hood Point, a little village about 1.5 hours along the coast from PoM. There is a beach there and we went for a swim and had a picnic. The water was so warm. It was actually colder out of the water than in. It was also really shallow. I went out pretty far and it was still not even up to my waist!! There were a bunch of kids from the village there and one little guy was quite fascinated with my camera. He was very cute. He'd run off and pose for me and then come back to check out the photo and then run off to pose again... and again... and again...

Wed saw us leaving PoM on a Fokker 100... (not quite the plane I imagined to do international travel in but it got us there) and arriving in the very civilised Bris. Phew!!!