Escape from Paradise

As I write I am sitting next to a heater with a blanket on, trying to keep warm in the middle of a freezing Melbourne winter. Its hard to believe that only a few days ago I was sweating in shorts and a t-shirt. I have gone from one world to another in a matter of hours… from sipping down sweet cold coconuts to sipping hot steamy lattes, from Saturdays spent diving in some of the most diverse tropical waters in the world, to Saturdays spent under a blanket on the sofa because it is too cold to step outside, from living in a community where it is rude to pass a stranger in the street without greeting them hello, to a big city where you are met with a puzzled stare if you greet a stranger. Yep, the times they are a changing….

Leaving the Sollies was harder than I thought it would be… I am not a fan of farewells at the best of times. I have made some great friends over the last nine months, and saying goodbye is so much harder when you know that there is a good chance that I will probably never see some of my new friends again. But the blow is softened by joy of returning back home to my beautiful fiancé Benny, who has stood by me for the past nine months, waiting patiently for me to return.

My time in the Sollies has definitely been a rollercoaster ride… there have been many great adventures and many tough times, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. The experiences I have had have challenged me, stretched me and grown me. I have many great memories that I will carry through my life and many new friends. My time in tropical paradise may be over, but it will never be forgotten!

A Typical Weekend in the Wild, Wild, West

Having only four weeks left in the Sollies, I am making the most of my time by having as many random adventures as I can. This weekend was certainly an adventure… I went back to one of my favorite places in the Solomons, Simbo volcano. I went over with a group of newly arrived medical students and a few doctor friends. This is my fourth trip to Simbo, but the first time as a tourist… and as always, I loved it!

As usual on arrival in a remote village, we were greeted by a hundred smiling kids, all curious to see the white men. We were proudly shown around the island and the kids thought it was hilarious watching us try to crack open some coconuts.

After some typical Solomon’s confusion, we found a guide who was willing to take us up to the volcano. What a hoot that was! There were six of us squashed into a little wooden canoe, and two of us in a smaller canoe. We paddled for about 1 hour to a beautiful inland lake. After canoeing across the picture perfect lake, we arrived at the base of the volcano. We were shown a megapod farm (a bird that only lays its eggs on active volcanoes), where we dug around for half an hour looking for the famous eggs. The guide thought it was hilarious when he told us that they had already been collected for the day… he just wanted to see us digging around in the dirt!

It was a half hour walk up the steep slope to the crater… well worth the effort. The view from the top was amazing and there is something magical about sitting amongst smoldering rocks, knowing that it could blow at any minute. Our guide had brought up a freshly killed chicken and some potatoes, which we coked over a steaming vent. Absolutely delicious.

On the way back down the slope, we detoured to visit an ancient pile of human skulls, remnants from the head-hunting days. Its so hard to imaging these smiling, overly friendly people hunting each other for their ‘skull collection’ only 100 years ago… I’m glad that has changed or our heads might have ended up on the pile of skulls! Back at the base, our guide showed us where boiling water bubbled up and into the ocean. You could actually hear the water bubbling like a spa and hissing as it flows into the ocean. Amazing.

On Sunday we had a fairly lazy day. After an interesting church service (we didn't understand a word, but the singing was amazing), we strolled out to the local hot springs, again where boiling water bubbles out into a lagoon. Soul soothing stuff…. Until we found out that we had been swimming in crocodile infested water! I’m glad I was blissfully unaware at the time. Even though today I feel like a cripple (thanks to an extremely rough boat ride back to Gizo), I think this weekend makes it into my list of top Solomon experiences!

The beginning of the end

After spending one amazing month at home, I am back in the Sollies for my final tour of duty. At the time of writing, I have six weeks left until I am back in Aussie for good… how time flies! As much as I love it here, I am counting down the days… I think I enjoyed my time in Melbourne (and my fiancé) a little too much! So although I am ‘heartsore’ for now, I plan on making the next six weeks count…

This week was certiantly a big one. I spent the week living the village life on an active volcano, known locally as Simbo. This was my second visit here and I am going to try and fit another one in because I love it… The four hour boat ride was worth it!

I came over to check up on one of our project sites where we are in the process of building a children’s centre. Save the Children supplies the nails, fuel for the chainsaw, and tin for the roof, but the rest is up to the community. And what a model community they are! The day before I arrived they had finished cutting the timber for the frame. This is no easy task... the timber comes from the top of a steep ridge where the trees are felled, the timber is cut, and it is then carried down a steep slope and paddled across a lagoon in a boat. And there was so much of it!

The community is so excited that even the smallest of kids are eager to help out to build their centre. So we organized a big clean up day where the kids came with their big bush knives to help ‘cut the grass’ at the building site. It didn’t take long because over 100 kids turned out. The big clean up was followed by an afternoon of singing, dancing, munching on sugar cane and coconuts and playing games with the cutest kids I have ever met.

In our spare time, I walked an hour to the only place on the island which gets mobile reception to send my Benny a text. On the return journey we sank a wooden canoe in the lagoon and nearly burnt ourselves on the boiling water that springs up out of the volcano… I ran/swam so quickly that I almost walked on water!

At night we cooked over the campfire while listening to island tunes crackling out of the old wireless radio. We stayed in a house with a view to die for… And as I sat on the verandah overlooking the volcano and lagoon, I pondered the beauty of the Solomons people and the simplicity of their lifestyle. I could have been sitting in the same place hundreds of years ago and not much would have changed… they have no electricity, no contact with the outside world (except for the old wireless and random white girl)… they still call meetings by blowing into a big shell and they paddle around in handmade wooden canoes… and I question why we are so eager for ‘development’. There is something so beautiful about the primitive village lifestyle. It cant be captured on camera or caught on film… only experienced. And as I sat there I realized how extremely lucky I am to have such an experience. I hope there are many more moments like that in the next six weeks….

Angels Come in All Shapes and Sizes

They say that something good always comes out of something bad… well this week I can say that it is true. Whilst burning my foot was bad (so bad that I have literally been crawling around my house on my butt because I cannot walk), it has also been good because I now know that angels do exist and they appear when we need them most.

After my adventures in Paramatta village, I returned to Gizo in a fairly sorry state. What had looked like a fairly mild burn turned into something that looked like a fat, festy, football of a foot. Across the top of my toes were (and still are) gigantic pussy blisters, oozing a clear liquid. My foot had swollen so much that it could have passed for a football. It was so painful that I couldn’t put any pressure on it at all or it felt like my foot would explode. After a very teary conversation over Skype with my mum (you always need your mum when you’re sick) and my lovely Benny, my work mates had to carry me to a taxi and then I had to hop and butt drag myself around the house.

When I woke the next morning there was an angel on the phone (cleverly disguised as one of my RAMSI friends, Derek)… ‘Hey love, heard you had an accident. What can I do? Need a doctor? Need a helicopter? We’re on our way…’ Click. Derek arrived a bit later with two other angels in tow, also disguised as my RAMSI friend Ace and Doctor Carol. Doctor Carol came armed with medical supplies and told me how to care for my wounds. Apparently pain and blisters are both good… they mean superficial burn. No pain means dead tissue, so I can at least be grateful that my foot is not dead… I can feel it alright! Angel Ace took my dirty laundry and said I am to stay with her for the weekend so she can look after me and cook for me (she makes a mean chocolate cake). Angel Derek said he would be back at six to pick me up for dinner. Shortly after they left an angel by the name of Rosheene called, asking if there was anything she could do. I had to say no!

So although I am disappointed that my grand plans to go diving this weekend and visit Simbo next week have been foiled, and my foot still feels like it has been run over by a steamroller, I am grateful and blessed to be surrounded by angels… in all their shapes and sizes.

Potato Power

I left on Monday for a remote seaside village called Paramatta (yes, it is named after the Paramatta eels football team). It is a beautiful little village with a population of about 100 (mostly children). I was due to stay for three days to assist my colleague with his work. We were put up in a tiny, but very cute little leaf hut. No running water, no toilet, but at least this time I had my own room (with a door… a nice bonus). It felt like I had arrived for a relaxing holiday, so I didn’t mind the rats at night and giant spiders (the mosquito net is good for more than just keeping the mozzies out!) All was good until the next morning…

I thought I would make some coffee for breakfast, but when I picked up the 100 year old thermos full of freshly boiled water, the bottom fell out of the rusty thing and I my foot connected with a stream of boiling water. Oh my goodness the pain! I ran straight for the coldest thing I could find… the ocean (which here is a constant 28 degrees… not exactly as cold as I would have liked right then). I sat there for about half an hour with my foot throbbing in the water. Meanwhile the community had heard the commotion and gone looking for me. When they finally found me I was very close to tears… the pain was incredible. A beautiful village man offered to treat my foot with bush medicines. At that point I had no other option… The nearest hospital was a three-hour boat ride back to Gizo.

He made some sort of starchy paste out of a potato and put it on my foot. Within half an hour the pain had gone… the magic potato had a great numbing effect. Meanwhile the whole community turned out to see the silly white girl with a bright red foot. A kind old lady (the same one who had supplied us with the 100 year old thermos) brought some aloe vera plant from her garden and gently rubbed it into my foot. It felt remarkably better, despite the colour and small blisters all over my toes. Just the same, I was keen to get myself back to Gizo, but alas, no transport was available until the weekend. That was a whole 4 days away! It was looking pretty dismal, but I put a word in with the big guy to let him know I wanted to go home.

Later that morning, a UNICEF boat appeared… they were on a little tour and were heading back to Gizo that afternoon. I begged and pleaded for them to take me with them, which they kindly obliged… if I didn’t mind the 5-hour trip back (because they had to stop off in villages on the way). Thank you God! The five-hour trip was a much better option than a 4-day wait until the next boat came through. I am so grateful that they were able to take me along because when I woke the next morning my foot was throbbing with infected blisters. It doesn’t take long for things to fester in the tropics! Although I am in immense pain right now and I cant hardly walk, I am at least grateful that I was able to go to the hospital and get some treatment… something other than potatoes!

The Daily Grind

After a refreshing two week sabbatical to the capital city, Honiara, I returned to my little island home feeling energised and full of ideas. Upon returning to my house though I was met with the sobering discovery that not only was our drinking water tank riddled with little wormy, wriggling things, but there was also no power. No power means no shower, no lights, no form of entertainment and no phone. I was quickly reminded that the daily grind can be very difficult in an isolated island community. More than 24 hours later, after a few very quiet nights of going to bed at 8pm (there is little else to do with no power!), a man wearing a towel and armed with a machete came and fixed the power. Despite his attire, I was relieved that I could finally take a shower and do some much needed washing (by hand of course!)

That Monday we began work in our new office. I was excited to be moving out of the old, dump of an office until I saw the new one. How I wanted the old office back! Sure, it is new, but it is tiny, hot as hell and has no internet (yet). There are 12 staff sharing the space and I have no desk to sit at. This is bad for me, but worse for our community based staff who now have nowhere to sleep when they return to town once a month. So now we have some homeless staff and no space to do the work we need to do… and no form of communicating with the head office! Great planning that was.

That same day when I went for lunch break, I found that the shoes I had left outside the office door (which is the custom here) were gone. So I then had to go tramping barefoot through town looking for a new pair, which is harder than it sounds. For one, the road is unbearably hot (I’m sure I burnt all the skin off the soles of my feet), and the shoes they sell are usually one-size-fits all. I was fortunate enough to find a pair that almost fits though… at least my feet wont burn!

It’s difficult to complain though when you spend weekends lazing in a hammock on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. At the same time I am counting down the days until I am due to grace Melbourne with my presence… 30 days to go! It’s all the small things that I miss the most… a haircut, a hot shower, reliable electricity, good coffee… and of course those of you who miss me enough to read my blog!

Theatre for Development

I spent the last two weeks in Honiara with my co-workers, attending workshops and planning for the next few months. It was great to catch up with the other volunteers and share stories… they have some whoppers like me! I was also able to experience the famous ‘Top 10’ (a very seedy island club), and enjoy good coffee and pizza… ahh.

On the work side, we attended a camp/workshop called ‘Theatre for Development.’ It was a laugh and a half… crazy games, acting workshops, uno at night… it reminded me a little of school camp days. The workshop itself involved discussing with the group personal issues which have affected our lives… it was amazing the honesty that came out of the group. Confessions of drug and alcohol addiction, stories of incest, early and arranged marriages, child abuse and domestic violence just to name a few. We were then able to turn these issues into a drama which we presented to a local community. Although the content was fairly heavy, it was mixed with lots of good humour to get the audience laughing out loud. I was given the role of a young girl named Priscilla who was unaware that the boy she was madly in love with was her half-brother. Other characters in the drama included a young girl who fell pregnant to her uncle, a corrupt politician, a drunken father who forced his 14-year-old daughter to be married to an old man and a young man imprisoned for wrongly being accused of murder.

All of the characters were based on the real life experiences of workshop participants. At the conclusion of the week we presented our dramas to communities in the Honiara area. Discussions with the audience after the show confirmed that every one of the issues raised in the drama were present in the community. Where people were once very reluctant to discuss their issues, the drama paved an opening for constructive discussions with community members, proving that theatre is indeed a very useful tool. We returned to Gizo enthused and keen to try out our new acting skills with village children.

A week in the life of a Child Advocate

This weeks work has seen us traveling all over the Western Province in our bright yellow ‘Save the Children’ tinny. Monday morning we left for Simbo island, a beautiful active volcano, with sharp jagged mountains surrounded by lush green jungle. On arrival we went for a swim in the hot mineral water, where boiling water flows out of the volcanic mountain and into the ocean. This soothed our muscles after a very rough two hour boat trip. After our refreshing dip, we talked with community leaders about the issues which affect children on the island. Some very interesting issues came up, including children swimming across croc infested waters to get to the local school. We stayed a night in the village before heading back to Gizo to prepare for our next trip.

Wednesday we traveled two hours to a very beautiful island called Vella La Vella to visit a village where we have an established Child Club. We were greeted by fuzzy haired, naked kids who eagerly joined in with games and discussions on children’s issues.

Thursday we traveled to a very well established, pro-active village. It was a refreshing change to see a community which has built their own schools, health clinic and churches. However, despite the outward appearance, the same issues of child neglect, abuse and discrimination still exist. It was encouraging though to work with community members who are keen to be involved in advocating for children’s rights in the community.

Friday we made our last trip out to an island called Rendova. We almost didn’t make it though because we hit a reef and badly damaged the propeller. We had to paddle to a nearby island where the skippers managed to repair the damage and we continued on our journey through one of the most beautiful lagoons I have ever seen. Electric blue water and countless tiny islands on every side. The village we visited was quite a contrast to the other places we had seen that week. We were shocked to be greeted by kids covered from head to toe in a horrible itchy fungus. It is a very poor community… no school, no clinic, appauling sanitation and barely standing leaf huts. We held our session in a ‘kindy’ which the community had attempted to build. It had the appearance of an abandoned tin shed which was in disrepair. We were very saddened to hear that the kids have no access to education or adequate health care, and even more saddened to hear that the work which was meant to be done by the field officer was non-existent… the community had no knowledge of child rights (which could clearly be seen). Im sure there will be many more visits to this community in the near future.

At the end of a long, tiring week of eating nothing but rice, noodles and tinned tuna (a standard Solomon diet), Ben and I celebrated with a dinner at the Gizo Yacht Club. Ben ordered the lobster (which is cheaper than a steak) for the very first time in his life. For someone who previously screwed his nose up at the mention of the word fish, he has become quite the seafood connoisseur. The next day the staff celebrated surviving the week with a picnic lunch on a deserted island. It was a great finish to a very tiring, and yet strangely energising week. By the end of the week we had spent over 20 hours in our little boat, bouncing around on rough seas, being drenched at times and sunburnt at other times... I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything though. We sang a lot, laughed a lot, and achieved a lot. Our whirlwind tour of the Western Province has shown us both that we have a lot of work to do, and that we have the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of village children. I am feeling very inspired about the work that lies ahead and hope that on our next tour we will see a difference in the villages that we have been working with.

In Sickness and in Health

The last month has felt a bit like a pre-marriage boot camp. Lately we have both seen each other at our worst as we have spent the last few weeks battling various illnesses. After climbing Kolombangra, Ben contracted some sort of jungle fever. He was very ill for about 10 days. At first we thought it was Malaria, but all tests proved negative. The doctor put it down to some sort of virus, for which there was no cure. So poor Ben endured 10 days of fever, headaches, lethargy and vomiting… and I had to endure 10 days of rubbing his head and back and doting on him like a little child. Just when we thought it was over and we could go back to enjoying our trip, I developed some sort of nasty tropical ear infection. I have never felt so much pain! And then it was Bens turn to rub my back and put up with my whining and crying (yes, there were tears).

We both became very familiar with the Gizo hospital, which is an adventure in itself. It’s a half hour walk to the hospital (which is not nice when you are sick and its boiling hot). On the morning I was sick there was no doctor on duty (it was a Saturday), so the nurse asked me what kind of drugs I thought I needed. They were all out of painkillers so I had to endure the pain for the weekend. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I obviously chose the wrong medication because I was allergic. So I spent the weekend with a terrible earache, stomach cramps and an allergic rash. By the time I got to see a real doctor (which had to wait until Monday), my ear drum had perforated, my face had gone numb and I couldn’t hear out of my ear at all… I was not in my finest form! Thankfully the doctor was able to give me the correct drugs and some painkillers (although it was too late by then… I had reached the numb stage), and two days later I am on the mend.

Whilst it was an experience neither of us are keen to repeat, I am happy to say that while I was sick I really felt like God had sent me an angel. Ben was so good to me and I know that when it comes to say our vows, I will know that he is genuine when he says he will love me ‘in sickness and in health.’

Climbing Kolombangara

On the weekend Ben and I attempted an incredible feat… we attempted to climb Kolombangara, a nearby volcanic island. It was undoubtedly one of the most challenging hikes I have ever done (it came very close to hiking the Kokoda trail). It was two days of hiking through dense vines, mosquito infested swamps and lush jungle, 1700m to the summit. We were accompanied by three guides who smoked marijuana like it was going out of fashion, which made for some interesting moments.

We spent the night camped out on the rim of the crater, with an amazing view over Gizo and its surrounding islands. The following morning we feasted on a fruit cake, which our hiking buddy Will had hauled up the mountain to celebrate Bens birthday… it was quite amusing when we broke the news that Bens birthday is in July!

After a hearty breakfast of rice, baked beans and birthday cake we began the 2 hr climb to the summit of the volcano. It was so hard that it was just ridiculous! We had to use every muscle in our bodies to get through the steep, dense jungle… over logs, up rocks and along narrow ridges. Unfortunately the jungle got the better of Ben and I… we reached the point where we literally could not go on. So we sat and looked at the amazing view, while our crazy friend Will pushed on to the summit, where the crater can be seen. We were disappointed to have made it so close to the end, but we were defeated. When we made it back to the base, completely exhausted after 8 hours of walking (and sometimes sliding), and looked up to the jagged mountain slope we had just come from, I felt proud that we had even come so close. Its definitely not for the faint hearted!

I do not recommend attempting such a trek in a pair of chucks… my feet ended up covered in festy blisters and I walked the last part of the track barefoot. I also lost count of the number of times I slipped over coming down the steep muddy incline. We definitely had fun though… although we don’t have any photos to prove it. Ben dropped and broke his camera as we were getting on the boat, so all of our memories are in our mind… somehow though, I don’t think I will ever forget climbing Kolombangara!

A month of firsts

What a month… I don’t even know where to start, so many new and exciting things have happened… In the last two weeks I have been robbed for the first time, spent my first Christmas overseas, experienced my first earthquake, had kittens for the first time, seen my first active volcano and the biggest first of all… been proposed to!!! That’s right, I am engaged to the wonderful, handsome Herr Drieschner!

So I know you are all wondering how he did it… Well, I met Ben at the airport on Christmas Eve and we went out to a fancy restaurant and had a nice romantic evening. We went to a church carol service, had a nice romantic stroll thorough the streets of Honiara, got picked up by the cops because a guy was following us… anyway, he told me he had a surprise for me in his bag… of course I knew what it was but pretended I didn’t. He made me wait until Christmas morning, and I begged him to give it to me. He made me close my eyes, and when I opened them he was down on his knee with the most beautiful, perfect ring I have ever seen… the rest is history! Needless to say, neither of us has stopped smiling ever since… earthquakes and all!

I cant explain how wonderful it is to have my Benny with me… we are having so much fun! We went out to a little volcanic island where we stayed in a village with no electricity for two nights… it was beautiful. We saw boiling water coming up out of the ground, swam in waterfalls, swam on a beach with black sand, played with the village kids and came up close and personal with the local dolphins. It has also been great to show him around my little island home, Gizo. This morning we both experienced our first earthquake… it took us both a while to realise that’s what it actually was! Apparently it even generated a small Tsunami on a nearby island… there was a Tsunami warning issued for Gizo but nobody in Gizo knew about it… my housemates girlfriend called from England because she heard it on the news… that’s how we found out!

We are due to head off to a nearby island for another adventure later this week, but the word has just come in that there has been some damage from the earthquake where we are meant to be staying and apparently their boat has been sunk… apparently its also just a rumour, so we will find out I guess! Stay tuned for more on the adventures of Mr & Mrs Drieschner (to be!)