Last week's visit to Aiome.

Our first visit to Aiome was brilliant! We left home at 6:30am in the Lodge bus to go to the airport. Arrived 10 minutes later, no staff, doors closed and it was raining!! As usual Ken had us there early! We needed to be there for 7am to book in for the flight at 7:30. We duly booked in at about 8am when the staff had all arrived. To book in you and your luggage are weighed so being the only white people there for the flight all watched to see what we weighed with great interest! Ken got talking to the school Bursar who couldn't get a seat on our flight as there was too much freight for the school. The passengers consisted of ourselves, and an old lady, well Ken says I shouldn't say that as she was probably younger than me and the pilot. The seats behind us were for the boxes of day old chicks going to the school! Ken sat next to the pilot. The photos show a random selection of our trip under a number of headings as I'm sure I'm overloading you all!!!

So after all the activity of booking in we waited, and waited until 10am when the pilot decided we would go. The plane had been pushed out of the hanger by the staff and baggage loaded manually. No fancy checks to go through!! No security checks but a fatpela [fat man] white skinned did bounce on the wings as some form of checking that the plane was safe to go.

Off we went and had some great views. At one point the old dear gripped my leg, what nails she had and told me that it was the Ramu River below and then again when she could see the landing strip! The landing strip was grass and as we climbed out the place was alive!! The friendly Police Sergeant told us to climb aboard the Police truck me in the back with the old lady, two fellows and the baggage not forgetting the chicks of course. Very short drive to the school but interesting!!!

The school is situated on what is a small plateau a small hillock on one side and a raven on the other and is about as wide as two soccer fields with the staff houses around the edge and the boarding houses at each end.

We were then met by the Head and Deputy. We then discovered that we were to stay with the Deputy and his family, Drake and Sandra and their two little sons not what we had been led to expect. After dropping our things at the house we had a short meeting with the Head, Robin and Drake. It then became obvious that the timing of our visit wasn't during the most ideal week! On Thursday there was a Governor's Meeting and they were all arriving at various times from various places and so we told Robin that we would hold a meeting with staff the following day, meet with HOD and fly out on the Thursday so that we weren't in the way. They seemed relieved with this plan.

So Tuesday evening we had a lovely time with Drake's family. His two sons are Jajo aged 2 and a half and the baby, Goba of 6 months. We played football with Jajo and his cousin! Jajo so reminded us of Gary's son Jacobo [the Italian branch of the family] that in the end Sandra his Mum kept calling him Jacopo Davide!!!

We had a lovely big room and mattresses on the floor but as they had no electricity in the school, the big generator had broken down, we were all in bed by 8pm.

Food was very typical of the area so we were pleased to try that. Not sure I can honestly say I like sago which is their staple diet in this area. The way it was cooked the second day yes but not the more traditional way but YES you've guessed Ken loved it!! Meals consisted of loads of starch, sweet potatoes, rice, noodles and greens. Everything they use has to be flown in or brought in by river so costs a good 50% more than Madang. Good job that we had thought we were cooking for ourselves and so had taken tins of fish etc that we could give them although the school was providing the main food.

Wednesday we met staff. So committed. Small computer suite , excellent HE teacher who I immediately liked and what should be happening, a practical skills lesson that was as it should be, practical. They are building an extension for HE to have an oven outside. Brilliant. Ken I discovered had been helping one young lady with some work she was doing whilst I was talking to the students making cushions and weaving mats etc. How did I guess? Well his writing is very different!!

Met with the staff that afternoon, no question that classes will be postponed than k goodness. Got a good idea of where they would like us to focus on our next visit in a month's time.

That evening after dinner, Sandra [she is the school secretary, and Drake went back to work to complete the papers for the Board meeting. They arrived home at 1am and Drake was out again at 5am!! Very dedicated. Sandra has a young girl to babysit and when the baby needs feeding she walks down to the school with him! And her sister cleans the house. Water has to be drawn when the power is off, so it is difficult.

Not only was there a Governors' meeting but next week is a school fete and the Minister is coming to open it. The students were practising their dancing, drumming and singing in their spare time and each house was building a shelter as part of a competition.

So Thursday we walked up the hill to catch the plane. We waited, and waited but enjoyed all the people coming to chat to us in Pidgin and English! At 2:30pm we gave up, arrived back in school to meet Drake who was just getting a message to us. No water nor food all day. Stupid not to take water with us. Had a lovely evening chatting and telling our story though. The school can only make contact through short wave radio so it is very difficult. Anyway the story was that the plane was bagarap [broken] and was grounded until next Tuesday! So how were we and the Governors going to get home? Calls were made to MAF [Missionary Aviation] who said they would fly in the next day but only to return to Mt Hagen in the Highlands. Big discussions then took place. For us it would mean a flight, a PMV which would be two days and in the worst "rascal" area in the country. We could of course go down to the River Ramu and then by canoe, two days to meet the road and pick up a PMV for Madang about 3hours drive. We really fancy doing this!!! Anyway next morning the security guard was adamant that the plane was coming so we left breakfast and walked up the hill to wait and wait yet again. This time with more information and some of the Governors. As we arrived at the air strip a little man rushed up to Ken and hugged him and announced, "My name is Leprosy" A new friend for Ken! He was slightly disturbed and possibly due to having an important job in the past and had flipped but harmless to us. At 2pm Sandra came up with bananas and water for us. At 3:15 they could hear the plane and yes they were right. It was quickly unloaded and we climbed on because we had tickets we were ok, the Governors are still there including the Bishop!!! The passengers were ourselves, a man with a bad leg, some President or other and a wee girl who STOOD behind me [seat had been removed for the baggage on the trip up!!]. Ken's friend Leprosy then decided to protect us and stood by the door of the plane and refused to let anybody near!! Mind you in one sence he was right as any Tom, d*** or Harry could have loaded anything on!! As it was some fellow put what looked like a whole frozen piglet on board without the air staff watching!!! So off we went. The sky was amazing with beautiful rain clouds like I've never seen before. We arrived back at 4:15 [the plane hadn't been grounded, just the pilot had gone for a medical!!] and saw that VSO old Vanette waiting for us!! We just got to the garage to collect our car with 2 minutes to spare!

So after this leisurely Saturday, ha, ha, we're getting ready to pack for our trip tomorrow to our other new school up the coast SO watch this space and gives us 5 stars and some messages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!