Back from the north!

What a crazy trip... It all started on Thursday lunchtime when suddenly my supervisor remembered that I exist and asked if I wanted to go to another department- of course I do, I want to go to anaesthetics, apparently they are prototyping some kind of new anaesthestic technique here which involves using an EEG. Unfortunately the anaesthetic department is the one which he didn’t want me to say, so I can’t go there. Nor can I go to cardiology as they are too disorganised and there is no infectious diseases department! So I might be goin to A&E or dermatology. I was meant to tell him on Friday but I skipped to go up north!

We got the car and somehow managed to navigate through the Noumean streets to the motorway, which after travelling on for about 5 seconds I got pulled over by two motorcycle police. This was for driving too slow in the fast lane. It wasn't so bad as they just thought we were two daft Australians. Suitably mortified we carried on, pretty much heading straight to the tribu of Wégap, just outside Hienghene. This is 375km from Noumea, in a Kia Picanto, on the wrong side of the road, and it gets dark at 5:30pm. Oh and right before we found the tribu (which is up a dirt track for about 7k, turn left at the volleyball field, there’s no signposts), and it’s pitch black and we are in the middle of nowhere, the petrol light comes on. Somehow, and I’ll never know how, we found it and it was all good. (I’ll have to tell you just how scary it was, driving the pitch dark, miles from anything, over wooden bridges- the next morning when we could see where we had been driving, well it was probably just s well we hadn’t been able to see!)

The case we slept in was pretty basic, actually it was freezing cold and the next morning Tate and I were almost blue and I had developed a rubbish cold. We shared the case with a French couple from Lyon who were the complete anthesis of us, ie, very well prepared, with polar sleeping bags and head torches! Haha, the joke was on them, we then could get their blankets the next night!!!! Actually they were really kind, they helped us get out of our petrol pickle by bringing us some gas! Crisis averted!

Later on we visited some amazing caves, they were really the most amazing place, I will have to show you all pictures because words just couldn’t do any of it justice! There were bats and EVERYTHING! Actually the whole place was like some thing from Jurassic Park, words just escape me. And I had been coping ok with all the driving!

We went to the beach, swam a wee bit, and it even seemed to help my cold a bit. We went on the last remaining ferry in Caledonia. All the rivers used to have ferries but they have been gradually replaced by bridges, some of which look like they are from an Indiana Jones film. It was hilarious. (Tate’s going home on Tuesday so she’s going to put up a video of the crossing). Across the river we some les cascades de Tao, a beautiful waterfall. Everything was just so different, the trees, the landscape. It was so beautiful. Sigh.

At the tribu that night we had bougna for dinner. It is basically meat (chicken in this case) with lots of starchy veggies like taro, yams, choucroute and plantain, soaked in coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and slow cooked under stones. This sounded a lot better than it actually was. It just felt like it was lacking something, but it was still a great thing to experience. Another night in the case, the stars were spectacular, you could see so many, galaxies, stretching on and on.

The following day we got up early, had our obligatory coffee and got on the road. We drove cross country sooner than we had previously, coming out at Kone. This drive was even more spectacular- up and up through the mountains til we felt like we were in the sky! Another good thing was coming down- I had hardly had to touch the accelerator once. We stopped a couple of view points but otherwise kept going until we got to Bourail- home of Caledonia's only mosque and it's also cowboy country (I do not know if these two facts are related!). We had lunch in a snack, disappointed that once again the Lonely Planet had let us down; the pizza place was closed), got chatted up by a belligerent drunk man and decided to skip the cultural delights of Bourail and head to the beach at Poe, aka paradise. Our luck was somewhat out as was the tide, so it wasn't quite as perfect as it might have been but finally a beach not entrenched in dead coral, what a delight. Saw loads of cool creatures like tiny fish and sea snails, bigger fish and yes more coral.

Back on the road and heading to Mont Koghi, we found a radio station playing good music! They played Duffy and Coldplay, ok, so maybe it wasn't that good but it was good to hear some music we recognised (the last song had been just after leaving Hienghene, Wham's Last Christmas, I kid you not!)

On the way up the mountain we stopped for kava. I am not really sure what exactly this is made from other than it is not made in Spain and it is not fizzy. It looks like cold tea and it tastes like... well, kind of peppary, burny but not spicy. It made my mouth go numb like I had just brushed my teeth very efficiently with very strong toothpaste. Apparently, it's ok to drive after this so onwards up the mountain we went. We had made reservations to stay over and have raclette, but it was not to be. They had not reserved us a room and since it wasn't really an option to drive home, we made it quite clear that we weren't happy, and despite the head chef saying we could both stay at his house (errrrr...... I don't think so) we left. We called Alex at the hostel in Nouméa and she sorted us out with a room. When we got back she also recommended an excellent French restaurant where I had a superb dinner of chicken liver paté, lamb shank and crème brulée (no cheese for some reason, will have to go back!) and red wine. Then we went to this crazy bar which was having a Mad Max themed night. I nearlygot a KB because I was wearing flip flops!!! (Would you go to a nightclub in Scotland in flip flops?? Yes most certainly I would and have!) It was completely ridiculous as there were about 10 people in the place, and we were wrecked tired from all the excitement.

Today we drove to Anse Vata and got a taxi boat to Ile des Canards. This is a tropical island just like you would imagine, sandy beaches and palm trees and an overpriced café of course! We rented snorkelling equipment- I'd never done it before and I think I need a lot more practice but it was amazing! Saw so many fish, big ones, little ones, ones with teeth, a purple one, zebra fish, a pink fish.... and the coral reef was sensational! And I only saw a tiny bit of it. It was such a great experience and I just can't wait to go again!

Totally exhausted now so I'm going to bed!!
xxx