Back in Suva

February 2, 2008 @ 1340
South Pacific Dispatch / Suva Motor Inn, Suva, Fiji

So roundabout I have come once again to the Suva Motor Inn. It is funny to me, perhaps to be expected however, that this is the loneliest part of my trip. Neither coming nor quite yet going I feel I am just at that in between place, hovering, waiting and suspended. My short term course is set and clear yet the long-term is uncertain, full of longing, excitement, sadness, doubt, and unknowingness. Being comfortable with that part of it is what is hard for me at times. I wonder about others.
The rest of the Loloma Foundation ‘gang’ are all home in America, save our stalwart leader, Linda Kwasny. They have all been a joy to work with and to spend luxurious time with them after our work day is complete.

I left Lalati Resort on Beqa Island yesterday and spent the night in Rukua Village on the other side of Beqa. My friend in Santa Rosa, Sailasa Rogogo is from that village. Interestingly enough, my fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, Chris Schorn (now in Seattle) lived in Rukua and as I was drinking kava with the boys last night it was a full on reminiscing of Chris and Sai stories over the years. I even saw an old foto of Chris and that brought back many memories.

It seems that everywhere I have gone brings back a rush of memories. I drank kava till 1200 pm last night, got up at 0500 and left on the boat at 0645 for an hour’s boat ride to Navua. From there I caught an ‘Express’ bus (read slow and maddening into that but some things never change!) and got off in Suvavou Village just past Lami. Suvavou is where my ex-in laws live so it was good to see them again. Now I am so tired and lonely that I am just going to take a shower and a long nap. I am so exhausted from working, the constant travel, and the emotional demands from memory and by just being alone in what is still to me, in the end, a foreign culture. I slept on the floor last night with a bit of foam pad but out of deference to me the boys lit mosquito coils but I was eaten up anyway. I usually travel with my mosquito net but had left it behind in Suva because I have not needed it. They also closed up the windows so I was dead of the heat and sweated all night.

So why write this? This is what it is like when you have to travel so much here. You lack control over your immediate environment to a large extent and are subject to the whims and vicissitudes’ of those around you and the travel gods. I could have stayed at Lalati Resort which is unbelievably comfortable and beautiful but I had to spend at least one night in the village. I did this not only for myself but for my friend Sai. Resorts insulate you so much from the people and this was my first time to experience resort life. I loved spending time with the staff, drinking kava and so on and so forth but also enjoyed the great food, service and other benefits of resort stays.

The last four days we just worked in the clinic. I drained an abscess on an eight year old that had been ‘drained’ in December. It was still very infected and very painful. One of the primary challenges here is keeping things clean so it is very possible that they let it get dirty and it healed over without sufficiently draining and the infection being stopped. Sterility is a joke in the tropics, in the bush with insufficient control over the environment. We called a Doctor in San Diego (or emailed him) about what antibiotics might be best for this foot abscess.

Plan for today and tomorrow is to simply rest. I have a few small things to do, recharge my phone with more minutes (I simply love the pay as you go plan they have with Vodaphone Fiji). I might buy a few more shirts since the three I brought got trashed since they were so old. On Monday I catch the 1630 bus to Nadi and my flight leaves at 1030 that night. I arrive into Los Angeles, wait for a bit and transfer to Horizon Air (Alaska Air) for my flight to Santa Rosa.

Although I have loved my trip I am so very tired and look forward to seeing those I love once again and fold them into my arms. Sometimes not knowing what to do is a blessing. I have a day to recover, unpack, clean and then off to work at MS II if I still have a job, if the Hospital is still open and on and on, ad nauseum (sp?).
Thanks for reading this far. Will try to get to a computer and post this with a few fotos later or tomorrow.

David