We made it! We tracked our progress on this map:
We've been in Maningrida over a week now and we feel surprisingly comfortable here. Everyone is so friendly. Though the poverty is evident in the litter, mangy camp dogs and late night noise as well as a hundred more subtle signs, we feel safe riding our bikes to school and work. Everywhere we have been so far we have felt welcome.
Maningrida is in an incredibly beautiful location. It is on the coast with beaches and rocky outcrops and mangroves. Unfortunately the town and beaches are obscured by an enormous amount of rubbish. It is hard to accept that looking after this beautiful place is not high on the agenda for the local people. In fact our early information suggests that the situation is complicated by cultural practices including leaving the belongings of the dead on the beach to be washed by the sea, preventing their use for black magic.
The other issue on the beach is of course the crocs! They were regularly seen here. Luca is seen close to the water above but a couple were in the shallows fishing here moments before this photo was taken. The only safe place to swim is the town pool!
Home:
The house is comfortable, the neighbours are a range of nurses and teachers. We were welcomed with a huge bunch of bananas and our mornings begin with the cock-a-doodle-doo-ing of the nearby rooster. The kids are very happy to see their toys, especially their lego. We have hung a swing on one of the many trees in the yard and everyone is settling in happily.
School:
The kids are super excited about school here. School attendance in the school is generally poor so the school is very focussed in making school very appealing and fun to encourage the kids to attend. In the first week there was a pool party and a STEM showcase with pizza and popcorn. They kids get paid (yes paid!!) $2 per day to attend. The money is kept aside to put towards annual "prizes" which they can choose for perhaps 100 options of different values.
Work:
Work is also off to a great start. I am way out of my depth medically but that was to be expected. I have seen more dramatic medicine in one week that I would usually see in one year so I am on a predictably steep learning curve. I'll write a specific medical post for those who are interested. This is me heading off on my first day:
Overall a great start!
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