Evacuation update
I am very slowly learning to speak a little Motu, Tok Pisin and Evage ("ev-a-gay") with much help from the guys at Buna. Motu and Tok Pisin (Pigin English) are spoken all across PNG and along the Kokoda track and through the villages, Motu is more common. Where as "Evage" is a "Plas Tok" language which means it's a language only spoken remotely in a few villages along the coast including Buna, but all our carriers are from Buna, so I am learning to speak with them in their own dialect....I think they are enjoying teaching it to the dumb white girl as much as I am enjoying trying to remember and pronounce it!! heh heh heh. Let's just say, everyone has a good laugh!
I love languages and wish I was able to pick up on them easily, but with my dyslexia it gets a little bit of a handful. So when I learn a new word, I immediately pull out a note book, and write it out phonetically so I can pronounce it properly along with the english meaning...I think the guys are quite amused by my interest in their Plas Tok. It can be an interesting learning curve as a lot of the time the guys will rattle off in all three languages, depending on which word best fits the descriptive purpose. I try my best to listen and follow along, and I can usually figure out what is being said, even if I don't know all the words yet.
My last trip was supposed to be a big one. I was to do the setup in PNG for the September trip then walk the track from Owers corner to Kokoda with the 22 clients and 35 carriers. Then once at Kokoda, the next day, I was to turn around and head back with a new group that was starting in Kokoda and heading to Owers Corner.
The setup and the first trip across, went great. For the turnaround walk, I was to be responsible for a man who was seeing impaired (5% vision). I needed to describe every detail of the track as to allow him to get over all sorts of obstacles, including small roots, rocks, big roots, logs to go over and under, changes in grades and pitch, consistency of the path ie mud, mossy stones, gravelly etc. It was exhausting work and I lost my voice on hour 4, but soon got it back. As we headed into new Isurava village that night, he had been complaining of a sore right knee that was now in extreme pain. We put liniments on it and wrapped it and gave him some med's to help with swelling etc. The next day it was still quite painful and we made it to Isurava war memorial (about an hour's hike from the village) but he could barely walk. We all made an executive decision to pull the pin and get him airlifted back to Moresby, as this was only the beginning of the trip and the big hills were yet to come. Also this was one of the only spots a chopper could get in for the next 3 days...
We called for a chopper on the sat phone and got through to order one, but lost reception for the rest of the day and the clouds started to roll in. As the group left to continue onward with the other 2 group leaders, I stayed back with Ed to make sure everything got sorted, both here and back at Moresby. The chopper didn't arrive until the next morning due to bad weather and it not being a life threatening situation, we camped overnight at the Memorial site along with 3 of the carriers- my good friends Michael, Bodger and Peter, who decided to stay back to make sure we were okay (sweet guys!!). We made a fire and kept occupied as the thunder rolled in, by telling stories and jokes and even a little singing (they were trying to teach me the national anthem, but forgot half the words, heh heh). The chopper arrived at 8am and it was the first time that I have ever been in a chopper, so I was very excited. Ed was sad to quit so early but enjoyed the chopper ride as much as I did.
We weightlessly caressed the sweeping vistas of unspoiled mountain ranges. As we got closer to Moresby the green belly of the land looked like it had been cut open with gaping sword wounds of gold mining roads, splayed open and exposing the fertile soils beneath.
Once back in the city, we ran around between airport, hospital and hotel, getting everything worked out for insurance, flights changed etc etc. It actually went quite well and Ed was in good spirits, given the situation. It ended up being cheaper if I just fly back early to Australia then trying to charter a return flight to join up with the group again, so I just flew back to Australia the next day...Not bad for my first evacuation!!
I love languages and wish I was able to pick up on them easily, but with my dyslexia it gets a little bit of a handful. So when I learn a new word, I immediately pull out a note book, and write it out phonetically so I can pronounce it properly along with the english meaning...I think the guys are quite amused by my interest in their Plas Tok. It can be an interesting learning curve as a lot of the time the guys will rattle off in all three languages, depending on which word best fits the descriptive purpose. I try my best to listen and follow along, and I can usually figure out what is being said, even if I don't know all the words yet.
My last trip was supposed to be a big one. I was to do the setup in PNG for the September trip then walk the track from Owers corner to Kokoda with the 22 clients and 35 carriers. Then once at Kokoda, the next day, I was to turn around and head back with a new group that was starting in Kokoda and heading to Owers Corner.
The setup and the first trip across, went great. For the turnaround walk, I was to be responsible for a man who was seeing impaired (5% vision). I needed to describe every detail of the track as to allow him to get over all sorts of obstacles, including small roots, rocks, big roots, logs to go over and under, changes in grades and pitch, consistency of the path ie mud, mossy stones, gravelly etc. It was exhausting work and I lost my voice on hour 4, but soon got it back. As we headed into new Isurava village that night, he had been complaining of a sore right knee that was now in extreme pain. We put liniments on it and wrapped it and gave him some med's to help with swelling etc. The next day it was still quite painful and we made it to Isurava war memorial (about an hour's hike from the village) but he could barely walk. We all made an executive decision to pull the pin and get him airlifted back to Moresby, as this was only the beginning of the trip and the big hills were yet to come. Also this was one of the only spots a chopper could get in for the next 3 days...
We called for a chopper on the sat phone and got through to order one, but lost reception for the rest of the day and the clouds started to roll in. As the group left to continue onward with the other 2 group leaders, I stayed back with Ed to make sure everything got sorted, both here and back at Moresby. The chopper didn't arrive until the next morning due to bad weather and it not being a life threatening situation, we camped overnight at the Memorial site along with 3 of the carriers- my good friends Michael, Bodger and Peter, who decided to stay back to make sure we were okay (sweet guys!!). We made a fire and kept occupied as the thunder rolled in, by telling stories and jokes and even a little singing (they were trying to teach me the national anthem, but forgot half the words, heh heh). The chopper arrived at 8am and it was the first time that I have ever been in a chopper, so I was very excited. Ed was sad to quit so early but enjoyed the chopper ride as much as I did.
We weightlessly caressed the sweeping vistas of unspoiled mountain ranges. As we got closer to Moresby the green belly of the land looked like it had been cut open with gaping sword wounds of gold mining roads, splayed open and exposing the fertile soils beneath.
Once back in the city, we ran around between airport, hospital and hotel, getting everything worked out for insurance, flights changed etc etc. It actually went quite well and Ed was in good spirits, given the situation. It ended up being cheaper if I just fly back early to Australia then trying to charter a return flight to join up with the group again, so I just flew back to Australia the next day...Not bad for my first evacuation!!
posted by jannahsworld at 9:54 am
1 Comments:
Well! I wondererd what happened? It appears my prediction turned out spot on! The great thing to read was how once again, a negative turned into such a great positive - bit like one man's asset is another man's liability (finance talk) Good read of another great adventure. You should have been a journalist with the grabbing head line on Facebook. Bill Boerkamp
Post a Comment
<< Home