Madang

So we're home! Arrived back yesterday at 5pm, to a lovely welcome from staff that were around. Made me tearful. House lovely and clean etc. Ate at the restaurant [of course] and to bed.

Today Ken went to do the shopping to find at 7am that the shops had queues a mile long and four deep! Had no idea why but he came home and we had breakfast at the restaurant!! Tried later to shop to discover the same and then found that the market wasn't open. Why? New Year's Eve.

Arrived home just as Mary, our Haus Meri arrived for work. Big hugs [quite out of character] and tears which set me off! She was so worried we wouldn't come back. [All the local staff, waitors, gardners, haus meris and reception staff have been so thrilled to see us so much so I have been tearful most of the day!]

Then we decided to go for a walk and saw our Country Director driving past to go to drop someone off at the airport. Discovered that the queues were indeed for buying white bread and sausages! They are the most awful red colour!!!

Have had so many visitors since that it has made us appreciate Madang even more. The President of Ken's Rotary also came by. What a strong women [although in size so skinny and frail] so that helped us talk about the incidents.

New Year's Eve will see us, as usual in bed early and the tomorrow we celebrate our 44th Wedding Anniversary. We'll go out for lunch rather than the evening. The rest will be quiet.

Had a good long walk between visitors and Ken was keeping up with me which is really great. This was his second long walk. I'm off to swim shortly in this beautiful sun!!!

Had a nice but extremely quiet drink with Chef and Rick as no none residents are allowed in the Hotel. There has been a drink ban, no sales etc so some young people will come to Hotels and buy drink and then it's difficult to get them out of the compound. We have sat and had a good laugh.

Have a lovely New Year.