Port Moresby – Day 1

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Quite a good flight to Port Moresby. Everything left on time and connections were met – not normal for flights to PNG. Was met at the airport by my friend Jane, who currently lives and works here. Went straight to her place as she needed to go back to work and I needed to sleep.

There are a lot of guidelines if you are visiting in Port Moresby. The flat is in a secured complex with a 24 guard. The company Jane works with insists that all employees are driven to all destinations for security reasons. You can’t leave the complex without calling a car to come for you. The car will then drive you where you are going – and either stay if you are going to the supermarket or if somewhere more remote, leave and you call another car to take you home. Going for a walk is not approved of. It is all to dangerous. I have actually left all my jewellery at home as it is just asking for trouble to wear it here.

I was invited, very kindly, to a dinner party with a group of people from her work last night.  We watched the sun set over the ocean, and tried to workout if we could see planets near the moon or if they were just stars.

This morning we went to Ela Beach Resort for breakfast and then, after checking company rules, walked the 100 yards back to the local craft market. The market was varied a bit of fresh produce (mixed veg surprise), pots of herbs, lots of local arts and crafts, and traditional dancing. Called the car and went back to the apartment for lunch, and, for me, a nap. The Botanical Gardens were highly recommended so we put that on the agenda for this afternoon. Paid our money to get in, and decided to risk not having security with us as we walked around. Not the best gardens I have been in. Allegedly there is a Bird of Paradise in the aviary, but we couldn’t find. However there was a bird flying around outside that we feel may have been a Bird of Paradise. We met up with some people on the way home at the Yacht Club on the way back, trip to the supermarket (3rd one so far) to get some nibbly stuff for dinner tonight and to take with us tomorrow.   The reason for the 3 supermarkets is that they very “local” we both try to buy as local as possible, but sometimes they just don’t have anything on the shelves.   It makes you appreciate what we have at home.  The reverse side is you notice how consumer driven things are in Australia.  Most of the fruit and veg we have bought today I would never buy at home.   It would be either in the compost bin or to the chooks.