24 May. Lae, PNG. Finally went ashore in PNG to work. Like many industrial ports, the area around the docks is rough and certainly not scenic. The country-side really is beautiful - lush, green, very high mountains, most of which are tree-covered. However, some of the ranges are green but have no trees, perhaps more recent volcanic ranges. The cloud formations hanging over the mountains add a dramatic effect. The rain showers offer many opportunities for rainbow sightings.
The people are very nice and friendly. But it’s very poor. It’s a 1-hour bus ride on the Lae Highway to the Wampar Clinic. There are many roadside market stands, and although there is bus service, there is a near constant stream of people walking along the side of the road. We travel the roads in a convoy with armed national defense and local security. An American woman confirmed how unsafe it is in this area - armed robberies, carjackings, roadblocks set up by armed thugs. The reports of violent crime seem such a contrast to the smiling, waving throngs yelling “Hi” and flashing us the index finger (meaning we‘re #1 good). I watched a video of the Opening Ceremony made by one of our attendees and noted that the ceremonial dancing in PNG is much more primitive/less refined than the dancing in Tonga and Hawaii. The traditional dress is interesting and rather minimal - the women are topless (and the effects of gravity are obvious) and the men’s loincloths are skimpy.
The Wampar Clinic has 2 small buildings, which we augment with 5 MASH-type tents. The people do hard manual labor, so most of the adults have complaints of back and knee pain along with other medical conditions. Malaria and tuberculosis are not uncommon. Some children have serious hearing loss due to untreated ear infections. Dental hygiene is minimal, so the dental team is busy with extractions. The teeth of many adults are a bizarre red color due to chewing betel nut (do you remember “Bloody Mary” from Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific?). The darkest teeth I saw were the color of red beets! The betel quid that they chew is a mix of betel nut, mustard stick (a type of pepper plant), and powdered lime produced from coral. It’s a stimulant, stress reducer, and hunger suppressant. We saw a man on the roadside spit a giant red stream during our return bus ride - yuck, betel juice!! But they also grow healthy tropical fruits, and the patients bring us delicious coconuts, papayas, lychees, bananas, guavas, oranges, and sugar cane. Our work days are unbelievably hot and humid, and after seeing over 900 patients/day we are totally drained. But some of our Aussie colleagues, ever the party animals, turn on tunes on their iPhones and entertain us with sing-alongs on the return bus ride. Our day-on/day-off schedules are paced, and we’re encouraged to rejuvenate on our day-off (meaning do your laundry and take a nap). We had a treat the other night when we couldn't return to Cleveland by the LCU and they brought us back on the 2 RIBs (rigid-hulled inflatable boats) - what a blast, those puppies fly through the water! The wild wind on our faces was a huge relief from a very hot, sweaty day.
Cheers to all!
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