I really don't know where to start. I left Port Moresby on Saturday to fly home. At the moment (Monday) I am a whole bag of mixed emotions, restless is probably the best word for summing up how I feel today. So so happy to see the family but missing Team Kick Ass and feeling strangely lonely, I can't describe it. People talk about Kokoda withdrawals, I think I have them. I think it's something to do with the hard work, the build up, forming a close team, the emotions experienced together, the sense of achievement at the end and then you go home.
It's going to take ages to update this blog, what I have seen and experienced over the past two weeks physically and especially emotionally is something that I am not sure I can describe very well in words. In addition, on the very last day on the track my diary got wet. Of course it was in a dry bag but the last day/night was a pretty intense night of raining and flash flooding so it couldn't really be helped. More about that later.
I can only read some of my diary so some of this may get a little muddled as all the days and nights seem to blend into one. Anyway I will do my best.
I stayed with my friends Nikki and Trevor the night before (It was Nikki's birthday and mine the day before so that was pretty great). Nikki dropped me at the airport on the morning of the 18th April. I had a bit of a struggle moment saying goodbye to her and had to blink extra fast and get out of the car ultra fast so she didn't see me getting upset. She would have known exactly how I was feeling though she has known me for a long time, I was glad she was with me.
Our flight was delayed by several hours, but this was made better with a Kelly Slater sighting, vodka shot and a couple of coffees. Everyone was excited. It was good to have the extra time to get to know everyone. Bags all checked in and then off through customs. Much to my delight I was 'randomly' selected for an explosives check and pat down. This is so not a random check. It happens all the time to me, I'm starting to think I'm on some alert list. You just have to make the most of pat downs when you get them I guess. And of course everyone thought it was hilarious and were cracking jokes about it for the rest of the trip.
Outside the hotel in Port Moresby |
We eventually landed in Port Moresby and headed off to the hotel. I had been so excited I had forgotten about the civil unrest going on in PNG. I have always known Port Moresby was one of the most dangerous cities in the world but I was not prepared for the armed guards and the razor wire. Once safely inside we had a team briefing and sorted out our gear. Then it was off to dinner and of course I couldn't pass up the chance to try a couple of local brews (just a couple, honestly).
We are all pretty tired so off to bed. Through the night I could hear fighting. It was quite close. I could hear the armed security guards running up and down outside my room. I wasn't scared but I wasn't getting up to have a look either. The next morning there was a massive hole in the side of our compound where people had tried to break in. Only a couple of us heard this which was unbelievable. In 3 short hours I had landed in a strange new world.
Hi Jen,
ReplyDeleteAm loving your blogs! Keep up the good work!