Island visits

With the coming of the  new year and only a month left I arranged to visit some VSO volunteers; first Eric in Ambae then Lucy in Banks Islands

The plane took about 30minutes to Ambae, a volcanic island with lush green slopes and generally very craggy inhospitable shoreline. There are occasional black sandy beaches.
I spent the week at Lolowai Hospial, an old Anglican hospital built next to Lolowai harbour, a natural volcanic crater  providing good shelter. The hospital is tucked into the right side of the aerial photo.

The arrival of a boat from Santo provided some entertainment as people struggled too get on and off without getting too wet. In the middle picture a pig is being hauled ashore in a crate and gas bottles are returned for refilling. The Efate Queen is a definitely more comfortable option.

Lolowai has a few stores, a bank and post office and a small cafe.
There is a small market once a week and of course a nakamal or two for Kava consumption.

I stayed in the 'doctor's house' which I shared with Dr Tracey, a Canadian doctor and her  geologist husband and four children who were visiting to look at the volcanic crater on top. Dr Tracey is part of ViVa a small charity that has sent doctors from Victoria BC to Tanna island for the last 15 years. There is a lovely garden with many shrubs and a glimpse of the harbour.

Eric was my guide and mentor. He is a Kenyan nurse, ever positive and cheerful, who has been trying to get the message across to the people of Ambae, Pentecost and Maewo. Life is slow in Lolowai!

The hospital had two wards and at the time had one female and two male patients.  This little house is their isolation ward for TB patients,
I spent the mornings with Handsom (an experienced female nurse practitioner) and in the afternoons gave talks to about 8 nurses about this and that. They were eager to learn and showed a very positive attitude.

One day I went out to Lolovange Dispensary, an hours ride away over very poor roads. Again I was welcomed and spent a day with a charming eager young nurse with the unfortunate name of Hitla.

After 5 days I felt my heart rate slow and my general metabolism grind to 'dead slow' so I was glad to get back to the busy streets of Luganville. I may have stopped moving altogether after another week.

After a weekend in Santo with a visit to Port Orly, I was off to Banks islands to visit Lucy at Sola in Vanua Lava. The plane diverted to Torres islands and I was pleased to meet up with Leni the nurse at Loh airport who was seeing her grandchildren off (covering them in Baby powder as is the custom). We then flew back over the Reef islands.

The clinic here has had major extensions and appears large but it still functions as a medium sized clinic and could easily exist on a staff of three rather than the 10 that the sacked previous manager managed to install, five being his relatives.

Lucy is working closely with Colenso and has had a punishing schedule from last year. She has a pleasant house and has planted all kinds of vegetables. A local farmer keeps her in other vegetables in exchange for seeds.

Lucy looked after me extremely well and we chatted about Brighton and her home town Lewes. Jasco a Japanese volunteer popped in and we met up with Amanda a peace corps from Ohio doing preschool education to savour some Kava.
Douglas is the excellent nurse practitioner here. The midwife was away taking a patient to Luganville and the other on holiday. So teaching was limited to Douglas who seemed a bit preoccupied and a nurse aid.

I went off one afternoon visiting Lucy and Colenso in their office and then along the beach. It was a lovely day.

Past a nakamal and the mangroves to end up at Karen and Capt Ian's guest house. Diane the sister in law was looking after it and after  a chat I wandered back. The heavens opened and I sheltered in a house for an hour whilst it passed.

 The beautiful blue sky and sea were now a pale grey!!
After five days it was time to be enlivened so off back to Luganville and a weekend in Aore.