View from the Ranges

Many ‘puter troubles. My lead is buggered and trying to acess e-mail on other ‘puters here in Buka I come up with “ERROR-You must be logged in to this page. Go to the loggin page.”???? (I do all this and it goes in circles) All this and the Bank (Quik?) has no money, power shortages are rampant and the telephones work occaisionally. Ricky, if you read this please sort out my ‘puter stuff if you can. I cannot acess my mail..I can see the 26 messages but cant open them. The good news? Well my lens arrived today and I’m to move into a home (base) with District Administrater Simon Pentano, where I will be quite comfortable.Other news? The Foz an Peter left yesterday. Many thanks to them for my introductions, and hope to see em back soon. Spent time with Vickie and Sister Lorraine yesterday, work to be done with Sister on her return from Moresby Now to try and sort out a lead or have to order one from PMG..Em tasol, lukim yu.

Yesterday took a chopper flight south along the coast to Buin, then across to the Panguna tailings area, then way above the mine itself. I say “way”, as anything lower would still be shot at! The trip took us back thru the central ranges, with its volcanic crater lakes and shimmering waterfalls, then on “home” to Buka. The island is so wild, and seems so utterly unspoilt, save for the absolute massive scar of Panguna Mine and its tailings, from which, deep in the “no go zone”, people sluce out a small living searching for gold.I’m making the best of not having my much needed lens. Treading some water. Hope to be fully operational this Tuesday. God willing. Lukim yu!

Stuck inside of Buka with the Boogy Blues again, awaiting lens from Sydney, and splashing out with 2 nites at the Hani Inn from where I now post this missive. Pissed that I am stuck, and will have to make the best of dusty Buka.To-nite drinks at Kuni Resort with the Australian High Commisioner, and tommorow will head south again to Raua, exclusivly digital. Frustrated.Buka is like out of some b-grade “western” and now is Bougainvilles’ centre. One cannot help but think of when this country was, for a moment, at its’ zenith. Many parties contributed to its wars and eventual spin into anarchy. Lets hope its on the mend, as Bougainvillians deserve better.They fought a mining company, another government and eventually one another. They were ignored, and miss-treated by a world too cynical and incompetent, by half, to care. Now is their time to re-build and get it right, otherwise the blood of their fellow Bougainvillians would have been all but wasted. Lukim yu.