Moni, the hospital party and mud, glorious mud

Ok, the internet seems to be faster than usual here today so I'm going to take the opportunity to include lots of photos in this post..

After the excitement of finally getting my KITAS last Saturday, three of us from Maumere headed off to Moni in the mountains on Saturday afternoon to meet Dany, my programme manager from the VSO office in Denpasar who was here on a holiday trip for the weekend with some friends before a few meetings on Flores next week. The trip to Moni seemed much easier this time around than the last time, I think that the inside of my helmet has now adjusted somewhat to the shape of my head and I'm able to wear it for much longer periods before the discomfort becomes too much, also I'm better used to going around endless corners ion steep hills. As usual, Moni was a lovely spot – we didn't go up to the lakes this time around but chilled out (literally – Moni is about 1600m high and so much cooler than Maumere) on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning I left at about 10.30 am as I wanted to get back for the hospital party at Sao beach near Maumere. This was partly a farewell for Dr. Hendradi, an ENT specialist who is leaving the hospital soon after two years here but mainly just an excuse for a party for hospital employees and their families. There were about two hundred people there, including lots of children and plenty of party games (including one which involved transporting leeches in a glass of water...).

The first group I met on arrival was the breakaway "adult" group, engaged in a more traditional Maumere activity !

Echae McQueen, chief MC for the day :

Pak Edmon on keyboard, still going after last Thursday's wedding !

Dewa, the hospital gardener, strikes a cool pose in my sunglasses...

Okto and Igo skiing in the sand

A serious spectator..

Marlena and Ika

Igo & Okto celebrate something or other (probably the end of another bottle..)

Igo with a covering of soy sauce after one particularly messy game

Transporting leeches (well, it is a hospital after all...)

Echae rallies support

Ika

Party games

Dr. Asep always organising

Monday was a tanggal merah (literally, a red day which means it's a holiday) so the morning was spent relaxing and reading Patrick Leigh Fermor's fascinating account of a walking tour from London to Constantinople in 1933 and 1934 (sent to me all the way from Canada – thanks, Robert !). In the afternoon I headed out with Daniel, who works in the blood transfusion unit in the hospital, to explore the coastline west of Maumere and travelled about 45kms along far better roads (and flatter too) than I experienced between here and Moni. Some really spectacular scenery, with rice paddies in the foreground and mountains behind, and also some sunbathing water buffalos. My journey took me into the Kabupaten (regency) of Ende, the next one to Sikka (which is Maumere's Kabupaten).

Daniel with rice paddies in the foreground.

Flores is at the top of this map - Sikka District is the purple one towards the eastern end of the island and Maumere is on the north coast.

Cooling off..

Mud, glorious mud !