Thursday, October 28, 2010

Crossing The Borders by Foot

I did mentioned in one of my last post a long time back that I would write something about the walk-a-bout I did which practically, literally and physically took me from the Gulf Province over to the Western Province.
I calculated that the walk would be about 40kms at most (give or take) but when I finished the walk, it amounted to 55kms and a swollen right ankle!!!!

The picture here is a handrawn locality map of the Mt Bosavi villages who on their own initiative registered an area as a WildLife Management Area (WMA) under the Environment & Conservation Act. This stopped the logging operations in that area and my entry into that area was to assess if they would accept seismic operations (which is just one part of the petroleum exploration work).


We departed Haivaro, a village in the Gulf Province, administered by the West Kikori Local Level Government Council at about 5.30am and basically followed the logging road.




After an hour, on the unused, overgrown logging road, the walkers are so far apart with the 'old dogs' way, way ahead and us the 'un-used to' ones so far far behind. And this is after an hour but having covered 5-6kms in a brisk quick pace walk. By this time I am already feeling the pull on my legs.



Another hour (later) we had only covered 4 1/2 kms - see how much I have slowed up? If you look at the board in the background, you will notice that we are 35kms away from our destination, Musula.

This is where I had to munch into my first two cakes of Bikpela Wopa biscuit (this is the locally manufactured biscuit - its got a very bland to no-taste at all but somehow I like to have it on long walks and it goes very well with Orange Tang juice. I carry heaps of Orange Tang in my back pack always).


I thought it was only I that was going through this until we stopped for a rest 2.5 hours later.


Some of the local boys have never walked this way before (except for my main man in the above picture) everyone including me were a newbie.

We walked another 5 kms along this unused, overgrown logging road (by now I was tripping on the creepy vines every 10 steps or so as my legs got heavier by the minute) and by the time we were to turn into a bush track, off the logging road I was knackered - I was not going to take a picture of the scenario too as I was not in the mood by then.

The main man said we had to keep moving (by then it was 2 pm pushing 3pm) in order to get to some proper shelter before dark and the probable rain.

We got to the location at about 3pm but then first we had to cross the Turama River (which by when near the hills was fast flowing and the stones in the river were so big they were not even rocks but boulders. So you can imagine the river water rushing past and into this boulders and the force of the swirl around the rocks - I wonder how the mothers and children cross this river to go making sago or to walk down to where I just came up from!!!!!)
I did not bother to take pictures here,as it is, by then I was totally drenched, tired, hungry and then some. All I wanted was to get out of the wet cloths, soak my body in hot water tub ( or something close to it) and go to sleep with my feet up.

The leaches were no solace and I was itching all over.
We arrived at a resting place where the lead man said we'd have rest and walk 5 kms more up the hill to Musula (the villages was just over the top of the small ridge).

I acted as if I was not listenng and started stripping off my wet cloths and unpacking rice and tinned fish which prompted everyone else to decide we over night. The boys cooked a big pot of rice and we openned two 777 mackerel tinned fish and just had that straight out of the can. That is serious hungriness if you ask me..................


Banana leaves acted as plates and we had a big serving of the rice and tinned fish - for those whose experienced the taste of rice in the bush, it is definitely good.

We walked up the ridge the next day to get to the village......and came across this huge tree that was felled by the wind (whew!!).


3 hours later we reached the village..............................



And the people were a curious but friendly lot who were welcoming as well. It was a surprise when some man knew me from long ago when we did some drilling work (didn't know I was that well remembered, but the feeling is good though).



My mate from some 8-9 yrs back is now a councillor in this village. Here he is leading his village in constructing the official dais/ stage for the independance celebrations - but back then you should have seeing us; rough, loud, silliness and most of all disobeying and or bending rules was what we got high on.

I guess as you get older you get milder (or is it wiser??

Everyone came down to the small airstrip to see me off................



and I departed then with a swollen ankle, two cucumbers, a pineapple, a water melon and a long sugar cane that I gave away to the pilot.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

'SINCERELY APOLOGISE,' means Something else.......

‘We Sincerely Apologise,’ means you’re EFFED!!!!

This is a sample of email sent by my administrations to the Airlines of PNG for the service that they were providing which is getting frustratingly worse each and every day – week in and week out!!!

What is happening I have no idea but you get reasons for delays and cancelations due to technical problems, shortage of aircrafts, pilots running out of flying hours etc; etc; etc - all sorts everyday now. Then to add salt to injury APNG get passengers fitted into aircrafts running another sector hoping for a round trip that never happens, luggage’s loaded onto aircrafts scheduled on a different sector (ensuring passengers will catch it at the other end), inform passengers 2 days after the flights are cancelled, change sector schedules and the list goes on………..of course poor Papua New Guineans having no other options of third level service provider had to just make do with this service. Need you be told about the airfare prices too………it’s as if you are paying to cross the continent in two places with premium overnight stays in the choicest of accommodations!!!!

Its getting bloody worse – to be honest it is coming to stage where loyal passengers are coming to loggerheads with the front office staff – even the odd isolated APNG agent (mind you this person is not a dedicated APNG employee – more self employed) get abused by his own local people for the ****up of APNG Operations.

So if you are sitting out there at the airport with an APNG ticket and the voice on the PA system goes, ’APNG sincerely apologises……blah, blah, blah etc,’ you know very well you are seriously ‘EFFED’ in a big way.

Sometimes you can just pick up the tone of embarrassment on the voice coming from the PA (this person knows it’s time to look for a better employer), and then there is the tone that comes on very smart and with a don’t-give-a-EFF attitude – this one has a very narrow brain space and has no other job options in life; the best he/ she can hope for is stay there until death crosses his/her path.

So spit back our money as quickly as you swallow it at the purchasing counter. Oh and SMILE while you are at it……………..


(Reservations) / Operations / Accounts,

Airlines PNG

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

We had only been informed on Mon.10th May that CG5373 ......... dated Friday 07th May '10 was cancelled without notice. It was very disappointing to us and the operating team as it has disrupted the Doctor's program and work scheduled to be carried out there. As well as that, the related logistics and costs incurred to get him in and out. We had people in the Aramia District all waiting for the distribution of medical supplies. ADI Doctors Australia has voluntarily provided such service to the people in remote communities of PNG. They might reconsider such services if frequent cancellation of flights was an issue here.

We hope that won't happen again but to look forward to a better consistant service in the near future.

Provided below is the copy of the ticket and we request for a refund for unflown sectors at your earliest please.

Thank you


----- Original Message -----

From:

To:

Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 10:26 AM

Subject: Emailing: Online Booking - Booking Confirmation (2)

http://booking.apng.com/apnggraphics/emaillogo.jpg

Please do not respond to this email.

e-ticket Itinerary, Receipt and Tax Invoice

Airlines of Papua New Guinea Limited GT7584

We have made the following booking for you:

Booking Reference:

Date of Issue: 20/04/2010 10:23:25

CONTACT INFORMATION

PASSENGER INFORMATION

FLIGHT TICKET NUMBERS


ETKT626 ................../01
ETKT626 ................../02
ETKT626 ................../03

Tel: POM TRAVEL/3213400/

DEPARTING:

Date

Fri 07May 10

All Times Local

Flight-Number

Cabin (book class)

From:

Kiunga

Departure

12:15

CG 1311

Y (q)

To:

Daru

Arrive

13:20

Rules Flight 1: CORPORATE ADVANTAGE (Q) Flight and date changes are permitted at any time and no change fee is payable. The new fare must be of equal or higher value than the original fare. If the fare for the new booking is higher than the original fare, the difference in fare must be paid at the time of changing the booking. Name changes are permitted at any time free of charge. Re-routing is not permitted. The fare is fully refundable (a refund administration fee of PGK110.00 or AUD50 per passenger applies) or the amount may be held in credit for further travel for up to 12 months from the date of issue of the original ticket. Full payment must be made within 24 hours of making the booking. Failure to check in for a PNG domestic flight by the deadline, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will incur a fee of PGK165.00 or AUD85.00 per passenger payable at the time of rebooking, or deducted from any refundable fare amount. Children (2-11 years) pay 75% of the full adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) who do not occupy a seat travel free of charge. Infants occupying a seat pay 75% of the full adult fare. .


NEXT-FLIGHT:

Date

Fri 07May 10

All Times Local

Flight-Number

Cabin (book class)

From:

Daru

Departure

15:05

CG 5373

Y (q)

To:

Awaba

Arrive

15:35

Rules Flight 2: CORPORATE ADVANTAGE (Q) Flight and date changes are permitted at any time and no change fee is payable. The new fare must be of equal or higher value than the original fare. If the fare for the new booking is higher than the original fare, the difference in fare must be paid at the time of changing the booking. Name changes are permitted at any time free of charge. Re-routing is not permitted. The fare is fully refundable (a refund administration fee of PGK110.00 or AUD50 per passenger applies) or the amount may be held in credit for further travel for up to 12 months from the date of issue of the original ticket. Full payment must be made within 24 hours of making the booking. Failure to check in for a PNG domestic flight by the deadline, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will incur a fee of PGK165.00 or AUD85.00 per passenger payable at the time of rebooking, or deducted from any refundable fare amount. Children (2-11 years) pay 75% of the full adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) who do not occupy a seat travel free of charge. Infants occupying a seat pay 75% of the full adult fare. .


NEXT-FLIGHT:

Date

Sat 15May 10

All Times Local

Flight-Number

Cabin (book class)

From:

Balimo

Departure

11:45

CG 5352

Y (q)

To:

Kiunga

Arrive

15:40

Rules Flight 3: CORPORATE ADVANTAGE (Q) Flight and date changes are permitted at any time and no change fee is payable. The new fare must be of equal or higher value than the original fare. If the fare for the new booking is higher than the original fare, the difference in fare must be paid at the time of changing the booking. Name changes are permitted at any time free of charge. Re-routing is not permitted. The fare is fully refundable (a refund administration fee of PGK110.00 or AUD50 per passenger applies) or the amount may be held in credit for further travel for up to 12 months from the date of issue of the original ticket. Full payment must be made within 24 hours of making the booking. Failure to check in for a PNG domestic flight by the deadline, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will incur a fee of PGK165.00 or AUD85.00 per passenger payable at the time of rebooking, or deducted from any refundable fare amount. Children (2-11 years) pay 75% of the full adult fare. Infants (under 2 years) who do not occupy a seat travel free of charge. Infants occupying a seat pay 75% of the full adult fare. .

PRICING

PAYMENT

Total of (1) Passengers

Form of Payment Cheque

Price PGK 1831.82

Payment Amount PGK 2025.00

Taxes and Charges PGK 193.18

Total Price PGK 2025

Agent Name:

Agent ID:

Agent Office: Port Moresby


VERIFICATION STAMP (IF REQUIRED) ___________________________________

CHECK-IN TIMES
Check-in will open 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure time. You must check in NO LATER THAN 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. You will not be able to check in after this time. Arrival after this time, not showing up for the flight (no show), or failure to board the aircraft after checking in for the flight will result in loss of the fare with all fare types except Premium Economy (E class) and Corporate Advantage (Q class).