[These are the edited e-mails I se=
nt out during our trip to Papua New Guinea.]
From: J. Wi=
lliam Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #1
Date: =
Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:51:52
So far, so good. Seven baggage it=
ems (three excess) checked through to Port Moresby. Security cleared, l=
unch eaten, and now sitting at Gate 14 in Orlando McCoy Airport. … American Flight 1707 to Dallas was originally scheduled for =
a 1:40 p.m. departure; now leaving at 2:10 p.m.
Orlando time: 1=
2:50 p.m. Thursday Madang time: 02:50 a.m. Friday
From: J. W=
illiam Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #2
Date:=
Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:25:51
Now in Dallas!
Arrived o=
n time at 4:05 p.m. local, have ridden the train ("SkyLink" be=
tween terminals), browsed the DFW terminal, and had dinner. It is now 6=
:30 p.m. Dallas time and the next flight boards at 9:15 p.m. I'm si=
tting here looking out the window at the big, beautiful QANTAS Boeing 74=
7 Longreach. It says "Nullator" behind the pilot's window=
and I think that's the name of this particular aircraft.
O=
rlando time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday Madang time: 9:30 a.m. Friday
F=
rom: J. William Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute =
#3
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:58:32 +1000
At an altitude =
of 8,500+ meters, approaching Mexican airspace (about to leave the skies=
of Texas).
We hit our first snag, and it's a minor thing. =
I'm writing now from aboard a Qantas Boeing 747 and it is a beauty.=
Also, it is about half full, so we two have a set of seats four across=
to just the two of us. But we did leave Dallas around an hour late. Sc=
heduled to depart at 10:00 p.m. local it was more like 11:02 p.m. when w=
e pushed back from the gate. The Captain was on the intercom telling us=
the problems were due to cargo — it took awhile to load it properly so=
the weight was evenly distributed.
Still, they wound up the ru=
bber band extra tight and for an hour late departure we are expected to =
arrive only 45 minutes late. This is not a big deal. What would have b=
een a 2 hour, 45 minute layover will now be a 2 hour layover, and that s=
hould be fine.
By the way, as I write this now I realize it won=
't get sent until later, so you would not have a chance to read it f=
or several hours yet.
Orlando time: 12:55 a.m. Friday Madang ti=
me: 2:55 p.m. Friday
From: J. William Cupp <cupp@computer=
.org>
Subject: Enroute #4
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:51:24=
+1000
Speeding across the nighttime Pacific skies.
Th=
is is another note being typed now to be sent later (when the Internet i=
s again available).
It is simply amazing, when you think about =
it all. We are more than 40,000 feet (10668 meters) above the ocean'=
;s surface, traveling at over 500 m.p.h. (929 km/hr); outside the aircra=
ft temperatures have dropped to as low at -46C and yet we are reasonably=
warm, at close to normal pressure and able to eat, drink and entertain =
ourselves in a variety of ways.
Our flight path passed just a w=
ee bit north and west of Kauai, Hawaii, and now we are out over the open=
Pacific Ocean. According to the little map on the back of the seat in =
front of me, we are only about 1/4 inch from crossing the International =
Date Line and the Equator at the same time. (Of course, the map is not =
to scale. If it was, this airplane would be bigger than Texas.)
ssed my mind: Cuthbert and Chaucer would be simply stunned to think that=
all across the world people speak a derivative form of the English lang=
uage they spoke. Of course, it has adapted and evolved so that both the=
words and accents would sound peculiar to their ears. But then again, =
their minds would probably struggle with the seemingly impossible techno=
logy if they could see it.
My problem is this: it's somewhe=
re around a couple of hours past sunrise in Florida, and so my body is w=
ide awake. On the other hand, I've spent a good bit of the past 8+ =
hours variously resting, dozing and sleeping in more or less comfortable=
positions. By the time of nightfall tonight locally I will be tired, b=
ut for now I've had enough sleep.
Orlando time: 10:45 a.m. =
Friday Madang time: 12:45 a.m. Saturday
From: J. William Cup=
p <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #5
Date: Sat, 1=
2 Jan 2013 10:09:55
Airborne out of the Brisbane, Australia air=
port en route the Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea airport aboard an Air N=
iugini Boeing 767.
Yet another note being typed now to be sent =
later.
So it turns out the culprit was headwind as well as carg=
o, but the headwind was the source of the cargo problem, as well. I kno=
w they told us on the ground in Dallas there was some delay because of c=
argo. But shortly before arrival in Brisbane we received the whole stor=
y. It turns out this flight routine operates from Sydney to Dallas, and=
the return leg is from Dallas to Brisbane to Sydney. The reason is pre=
vailing winds. Leaving Sydney they are tail winds and the trip is as mu=
ch two hours shorter. But leaving Dallas means headwinds the whole way =
and the aircraft just can't make it to Sydney — so a refueling stop=
in Brisbane first.
However, according to the Captain "uns=
easonably strong" headwinds were such an event last night that it w=
as thought wisest to carry maximum fuel. Even though that meant leaving=
some cargo behind — some passengers' baggage. About four or five =
travelers were notified their luggage was not on board but would be comi=
ng on the next flight, the following day.
We are so thankful th=
at was not us — especially as we were traveling with a good deal of exc=
ess baggage. Perhaps those selected were screened for the ease with whi=
ch their baggage could later catch up with them. I don't think anyo=
ne with a following flight was impacted by luggage remaining behind.
However, about three parties did miss a connection. Not only did =
we leave an hour late, but we made poor time. The scheduled 6:15 a.m. a=
rrival actually turned into a 7:30 a.m. landing. But, 14,124 km and 16 =
hours and 14 minutes after leaving Dallas, we did land safely in Brisban=
e.
Now we are heading toward Port Moresby, customs, immigration=
and therefrom on to our last hop to Madang.
Orlando Time: 8:00=
p.m. Friday Madang Time: 10:00 a.m. Saturday
From: J. Willi=
am Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #6
Date: =
Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:37:12
From Madang, Papua New Guinea.
l in Port Moresby went pretty much as expected, which is not to say enti=
rely pleasant.
We deplaned at the International Terminal and im=
mediately proceeded to Customs and Immigration. This was very well orga=
nized, with various lines for "returning citizens of PNG", &qu=
ot;foreign passport holders without visas," and "foreign passp=
ort holders with visas" and so on. We entered the latter line and =
each set of them was set up serpentine fashion and the lines more or les=
s moved right along.
The trouble was, this was inside of a buil=
ding with no windows and the air conditioning was only primitively effec=
tive. Soon, standing amidst multiple lines of people, all of them breat=
hing, became quite hot and close. Oh, well, we passed through immigrati=
on after the inspector studied our passports, our visas, and stamped an =
entry stamp into our passports. Then on to collect our luggage (all of =
it … LOTS of it), put it on a cart, and take it for inspection. The c=
ustoms inspector asked a few questions about what all we had in those ca=
rtons. Then he asked what food I was bringing into the country (I had m=
arked "yes" on that question). I told him I had several bags =
of flavored coffee and one candy bar — all Christmas presents — and he=
decided that was okay. Then he sent us on without anyone opening or che=
cking any of our goods.
*Then* we went to get our air transfer,=
to the last domestic leg. Another serpentine line, another closed room,=
and this time actually no air conditioning at all. It was well past 98=
F and crowded with people, and we received our first big lesson on "=
;Papua New Guinea time." There was only one clerk, and each party =
of passengers probably took over five minutes to process. Needless to s=
ay, we were pretty spent by the time it was our turn. She determined th=
e excess baggage fee we had paid only applied to the Qantas legs of our =
flight, and we needed to pay additional excess baggage for the domestic =
leg. But then she helpfully showed us where to make payment, printed ou=
t our boarding passes, and told me to just come back with the payment re=
ceipt to get the passes.
It all worked. Maybe 1/2 hour in line=
waiting for Customs, another 30 minutes or so processing the visa and l=
uggage, another 45 minutes waiting for transfer boarding passes, and a f=
inal 15-20 minutes paying the excess baggage fee. All in all, done in j=
ust around two hours and we had a 3 and 1/2 hour layover.
Then =
onto the Domestic Terminal (outdoors — humid), through security again, =
and into the waiting area which was quite crowded. We waited about 45 m=
inutes during which time it seemed almost nothing was happening but righ=
t at the end they did call and begin boarding a plane and soon afterward=
s, it was our turn. The aircraft, a Fokker F100 (little guy), was ready=
in the gate area, but there was no air conditioning or even air blowing=
during the entire boarding. So we sat and soaked in sweat until they c=
losed the door and started up the ventilation system.
We took o=
ff on time, had an uneventful flight, landed on time and yes we flew ove=
r some breathtakingly beautiful scenery.
Orlando time: 2:30 a.m=
Saturday morning Madang time: 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon
Fro=
m: J. William Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Arrival # =
7 (and last travelogue report)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:50:58 +1=
000
From the campus of Divine Word University, Madang, Papua Ne=
w Guinea.
We were met on time at the Madang Airport by Brother =
Brendan Neilly, who is the head of HR for the school. Our luggage was s=
omewhat expeditiously unloaded, we managed to cram it all into the car h=
e had brought, and he drove us to DWU. It takes about ten minutes; he d=
rove a slightly longer route so we could see a little of the city area n=
ear the campus.
Br. Brendan and others were amazed that our fli=
ght from Port Moresby to Madang wasn't delayed or suffered some majo=
r schedule problem!
We were shown to our house on campus, a woo=
d frame, metal sided, two bedroom house. There are ways in which it is =
a little rustic, but there are ways in which it is more than we had expe=
cted. We dined at the staff mess, which is being specially opened for n=
ewly arriving staff such as us, and we had two circuitous tours of the c=
ampus, driving to and from the staff mess.
The house is air con=
ditioned and the wall units work well. The campus is enclosed and monit=
ored by a security service, and there is even an alarm switch we can wor=
k that starts a siren. Br. Brendan assures us this will bring an immedi=
ate response from the security patrol. Madang is an area with many poor=
but most of those aspects do not carry onto campus. The buildings on ca=
mpus are all functional, not what you would call elegant, and it seems t=
here are several expansion projects in the works. It also turns out DWU=
really has several "campuses" in the nearby area, and more ho=
using units which are off campus. These are used by national faculty me=
mbers, not expatriates such as ourselves.
On the last leg of th=
e flight the time zone jet lag caught up with Cindy and she went straigh=
t to bed after dinner. I am heading there next, in a few minutes. We h=
ave tomorrow, Sunday, to unpack and straighten out the houses. We'l=
l probably get some pictures on the way.
Monday we in process w=
ith HR and begin the "settling in" … opening a local bank ac=
count, look into PNG cell phone service, do a large-ish shopping run for=
groceries, etc. Afterwards, early in the week we meet our new Head of =
Department (e.g., "division chair") to discuss courses and res=
ponsibilities. Then we have from there onwards to work on preparing for=
the courses to start.
So — the journey itself was an adventur=
e, but it went off extremely well. The real adventure begins with the n=
ew school term and I hope soon we have a more detailed schedule of that.=