Okay tis the end of Week 6! Only a few days to go and there is so much more that I would like to do (but isn’t that always the case?!). I had a very busy week but it was filled with some pretty cool experiences so I’m not complaining. Once again I was writing grants (almost every spare moment I had!), visiting hospitals and conducting interviews for potential candidates. However, in addition there were trips in UN troop carrier helicopters, a beautiful sleepy seaside town, a rampaging pig during dinner (yes you read that correctly), Independence Day celebrations and fireworks.......
I visited two more district referral hospitals this week and got to see even more of this lovely country. On Monday we drove to Baucau which is about 3 hours drive east of Dili and is the second largest town in the country. Once again we drove by the beautiful scenery and the occasional Portuguese church at high speed but I did see some of it, especially when I stuck my head out the window to avoid throwing up!!!
On Tuesday I visited Oecusse which is the East Timorese coastal enclave in West Timor. Max (one of our 2009 Fellows) is the Director of Oecusse Hospital so I wanted to check out his hospital as well as interview 5 potential candidates for the Fellowship program. Normally one would have to either experience the 10 hour overnight ferry journey from Dili or drive for about 8 hours from Dili crossing the West Timor border (with passport and Indonesian visa) to get access to Oecusse. Given my track record in cars, I had reluctantly resigned myself to the ferry journey – surprisingly I don’t get sick on a boat! However, after many phone calls to different people in the UN I eventually managed to find out who was in charge of the UN flights. Armed with the proper paperwork and a nice letter from the Ministry of Health stating I was on Ministry business, I was granted permission to FLY to Oecusse (a 50 minute journey) – in a UN troop carrier helicopter!!
The helicopter flight was fantastic and really noisy (hence the massive earmuffs they handed out). Sitting in it was like being in one of those military movies you see on TV – minus the cute men in uniform and the ‘Tour of Duty’ soundtrack blaring – okay so it was nothing like it, but it was still trés cool my friends!!
Unfortunately Max had been called to Dili for an urgent meeting of all Hospital Directors the night before I arrived in Oecusse but he had arranged everything for me. I was picked up at the ‘airport’ by Antonio and Jac from the hospital who took me straight to lunch at one of the few restaurants around and then on to the hospital for the rest of the day. Max even organised for me to stay the night at “a friend’s home right by the beach” (as he put it) – it turns out that it was the home of the Secretary of State for Oecusse who was away at the time! So I felt very spoilt as I sat on the veranda looking out at the gorgeous beach front in Pantemakassar! Pantemakassar is a sleepy little seaside place even though it is the main town in Oecusse. If Oecusse wasn’t so hard to get to, it would be the perfect little weekend getaway! Flew back to Dili the next day and yes the helicopter was just as cool the second time round – I just had to imagine the ‘Tour of Duty’ soundtrack!!
On Thursday night, I met up with Helen and Anita for dinner again. We’d just received our first dish at the Chinese restaurant when there was a loud crash and a MASSIVE wild pig with tusks burst through the door, bristles standing at attention, and rampaged through the place!!! It was complete chaos and mayhem for about 40 minutes as we clambered up onto tables and chairs to avoid being bowled over - Hilarious! After checking that we okay, Helen went in to save the red wine while Anita and I checked that no one stood on the calamari at the same time as building a barricade around us and taking photos (multitasking and priorities during a crisis is important ok?!) They eventually subdued and "hogtied" (sorry!) the pig to take it out - poor piggy! Only in Timor though!!!!! I have a feeling there may have been roast pork on the menu the next day!
Saturday was Independence Day (from Portugal) celebrations – so I headed to the Palace de Presidente to watch the official ceremony with the masses in the intense heat (even though it was only 9.30am!!). Half way through the long ceremony I located much needed shade (although I think I may have wandered into the local media zone!). I didn’t care at that point since I was just a ball of sweat and needed to be wrung out! Nothing like the feel of rivers of sweat running down your back – yuk! That evening there was a great fireworks display at Parliament House – very close to where I live. Apparently the fireworks were done by the Chinese team that did the Beijing Olympics. I watched them from the Bar at the same time as watching the ‘Whose got Talent’ competition which was a mix of awesome, good and bad (oh and that special category - “didn’t any of your friends tell you that you couldn’t sing?!”).
Week six over and out......
D xx
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