2011 - NZ To SF - Day 8

Day 8: (21 May 2011):
- Woke up, some going to toilet problems. Food poisoning?
- Talk, Sarah say doctor specialists visit once a month in these communities.
- Go to Kone market. Christelle afraid to go by self before due to perceived Melanesian distrust of whites, but very welcoming, fruits, vegetables, food, music. She realises silly to be afraid.
- Difficult to recognise & large avocados.
- Chou Kanak. The island cabbage stuff. Expensive.
- Spent rest of time writing, talking, TV on, she surf forumns. Breakfast my pate, lunch veal schnitzel w/ pasta & sauce. Talked a lot about NC culture. Some stories of her first encounter with Kanak when she arrived. (Go to toilet in front of car, etc.)
- Sarah say arrive 2-3pm, finally here at ~4:15.
- Transfer in town. Sophie & Boris(?) Beuriz (?) siblings -> drive car. Car very full. Much faster than bus.
- Pass by Vavuto mine site. Large factory under construction. Site preparation, etc.
- Stop Koumac for buy food. All towns surprisingly small for population. Pop. counts region & hidden tribes?
- Buy ~7500F of food. One large bag. 1/2 cabbage was ~500F!
- Small road, potholes. Falling apart. Turns out this goes to Poum: buses go here! Niaouli trees.
- Turn off to unpaved road. Stop on a crest: last chance for cell phones.
- Descend, at Relais au Poingam. Sophie's parents own it!
- Get small room w/ 2 beds. Camping toilets: no paper or seat, find paper in room closet.
- The coconut tree stump table. Cut due to falling coconut on house.
- Met some other "friends" & friends of friends. Have cocktail. Selling salt & soap. Chat with the mom.
- Talk about tribe stay. Say Tourist Beaureau organises OK trips, but artificial. She offer call tribe & see if anyone will be able to take me & provide transport.
- Niaouli soap smell very good.
- Hotel eat/bar area fancy, in front of water.
- Wood lampshades on path: cozy.
- Cooked, but issues, took long. Old ovens requiring manual lighting.
- Outdoor kitchen. Staff & family area in house of grass & leaves.
- Kiba & Miami (?). Very close: watch eat. Attention hog. Feed bones & leftovers. Floppy ear & straight ear. "donne le pate" "doucement"
- Lizard under unfinished grapes.
- Bright moon, but cloudy, no stars.
- Ask for massage for shoulder problem. I started with what she called "sensual massage" and with increasing force, became "you're hitting me."
- Sleep, windy, very loud rustling.

Photos available at: http://mandarinmanmarktravelbriefs.blogspot.com/