[These are the edited e-mails I se=
\nnt out during our trip to Papua New Guinea.<\/i>]<\/p>\n
From: \t J. Wi=
\nlliam Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #1
Date: =
\n\t Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:51:52<\/p>\n
So far, so good. Seven baggage it=
\nems (three excess) checked through to Port Moresby. Security cleared, l=
\nunch eaten, and now sitting at Gate 14 in Orlando McCoy Airport. … <\/p=\n>American Flight 1707 to Dallas was originally scheduled for =
\na 1:40 p.m. departure; now leaving at 2:10 p.m.<\/p>\n
Orlando time: 1=
\n2:50 p.m. Thursday Madang time: 02:50 a.m. Friday<\/p>\n
From: \t J. W=
\nilliam Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #2
Date:=
\n \t Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:25:51<\/p>\n
Now in Dallas!<\/p>\n
Arrived o=
\nn time at 4:05 p.m. local, have ridden the train ("SkyLink" be=
\ntween terminals), browsed the DFW terminal, and had dinner. It is now 6=
\n:30 p.m. Dallas time and the next flight boards at 9:15 p.m. I'm si=
\ntting here looking out the window at the big, beautiful QANTAS Boeing 74=
\n7 Longreach. It says "Nullator" behind the pilot's window=
\n and I think that's the name of this particular aircraft.<\/p>\n
O=
\nrlando time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday Madang time: 9:30 a.m. Friday<\/p>\n
F=
\nrom: \t J. William Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute =
\n#3
Date: \t Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:58:32 +1000<\/p>\n
At an altitude =
\nof 8,500+ meters, approaching Mexican airspace (about to leave the skies=
\n of Texas).<\/p>\n
We hit our first snag, and it's a minor thing. =
\n I'm writing now from aboard a Qantas Boeing 747 and it is a beauty.=
\n Also, it is about half full, so we two have a set of seats four across=
\n to just the two of us. But we did leave Dallas around an hour late. Sc=
\nheduled to depart at 10:00 p.m. local it was more like 11:02 p.m. when w=
\ne pushed back from the gate. The Captain was on the intercom telling us=
\n the problems were due to cargo — it took awhile to load it properly so=
\n the weight was evenly distributed.<\/p>\n
Still, they wound up the ru=
\nbber band extra tight and for an hour late departure we are expected to =
\narrive only 45 minutes late. This is not a big deal. What would have b=
\neen a 2 hour, 45 minute layover will now be a 2 hour layover, and that s=
\nhould be fine.<\/p>\n
By the way, as I write this now I realize it won=
\n't get sent until later, so you would not have a chance to read it f=
\nor several hours yet.<\/p>\n
Orlando time: 12:55 a.m. Friday Madang ti=
\nme: 2:55 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n
From: \t J. William Cupp <cupp@computer=
\n.org>
Subject: Enroute #4
Date: \t Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:51:24=
\n +1000<\/p>\n
Speeding across the nighttime Pacific skies.<\/p>\n
Th=
\nis is another note being typed now to be sent later (when the Internet i=
\ns again available).<\/p>\n
It is simply amazing, when you think about =
\nit all. We are more than 40,000 feet (10668 meters) above the ocean'=
\n;s surface, traveling at over 500 m.p.h. (929 km\/hr); outside the aircra=
\nft temperatures have dropped to as low at -46C and yet we are reasonably=
\n warm, at close to normal pressure and able to eat, drink and entertain =
\nourselves in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n
Our flight path passed just a w=
\nee bit north and west of Kauai, Hawaii, and now we are out over the open=
\n Pacific Ocean. According to the little map on the back of the seat in =
\nfront of me, we are only about 1\/4 inch from crossing the International =
\nDate Line and the Equator at the same time. (Of course, the map is not =
\nto scale. If it was, this airplane would be bigger than Texas.)
\nssed my mind: Cuthbert and Chaucer would be simply stunned to think that=
\n all across the world people speak a derivative form of the English lang=
\nuage they spoke. Of course, it has adapted and evolved so that both the=
\n words and accents would sound peculiar to their ears. But then again, =
\ntheir minds would probably struggle with the seemingly impossible techno=
\nlogy if they could see it.<\/p>\n
My problem is this: it's somewhe=
\nre around a couple of hours past sunrise in Florida, and so my body is w=
\nide awake. On the other hand, I've spent a good bit of the past 8+ =
\nhours variously resting, dozing and sleeping in more or less comfortable=
\n positions. By the time of nightfall tonight locally I will be tired, b=
\nut for now I've had enough sleep.<\/p>\n
Orlando time: 10:45 a.m. =
\nFriday Madang time: 12:45 a.m. Saturday<\/p>\n
From: \t J. William Cup=
\np <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #5
Date: \t Sat, 1=
\n2 Jan 2013 10:09:55<\/p>\n
Airborne out of the Brisbane, Australia air=
\nport en route the Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea airport aboard an Air N=
\niugini Boeing 767.<\/p>\n
Yet another note being typed now to be sent =
\nlater.<\/p>\n
So it turns out the culprit was headwind as well as carg=
\no, but the headwind was the source of the cargo problem, as well. I kno=
\nw they told us on the ground in Dallas there was some delay because of c=
\nargo. But shortly before arrival in Brisbane we received the whole stor=
\ny. It turns out this flight routine operates from Sydney to Dallas, and=
\n the return leg is from Dallas to Brisbane to Sydney. The reason is pre=
\nvailing winds. Leaving Sydney they are tail winds and the trip is as mu=
\nch two hours shorter. But leaving Dallas means headwinds the whole way =
\nand the aircraft just can't make it to Sydney — so a refueling stop=
\n in Brisbane first.<\/p>\n
However, according to the Captain "uns=
\neasonably strong" headwinds were such an event last night that it w=
\nas thought wisest to carry maximum fuel. Even though that meant leaving=
\n some cargo behind — some passengers' baggage. About four or five =
\ntravelers were notified their luggage was not on board but would be comi=
\nng on the next flight, the following day.<\/p>\n
We are so thankful th= Now we are heading toward Port Moresby, customs, immigration= Orlando Time: 8:00= From: \t J. Willi= From Madang, Papua New Guinea. We deplaned at the International Terminal and im= The trouble was, this was inside of a buil= *Then* we went to get our air transfer,= It all worked. Maybe 1\/2 hour in line= Then = We took o= Orlando time: 2:30 a.m= Fro= From the campus of Divine Word University, Madang, Papua Ne= We were met on time at the Madang Airport by Brother = Br. Brendan and others were amazed that our fli= We were shown to our house on campus, a woo= The house is air con= On the last leg of th= Monday we in process w= So — the journey itself was an adventur= [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 #1Date: = 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 … Continue reading <\/span>
\nat was not us — especially as we were traveling with a good deal of exc=
\ness baggage. Perhaps those selected were screened for the ease with whi=
\nch their baggage could later catch up with them. I don't think anyo=
\nne with a following flight was impacted by luggage remaining behind.
However, about three parties did miss a connection. Not only did =
\nwe leave an hour late, but we made poor time. The scheduled 6:15 a.m. a=
\nrrival actually turned into a 7:30 a.m. landing. But, 14,124 km and 16 =
\nhours and 14 minutes after leaving Dallas, we did land safely in Brisban=
\ne.<\/p>\n
\n and therefrom on to our last hop to Madang.<\/p>\n
\n p.m. Friday Madang Time: 10:00 a.m. Saturday<\/p>\n
\nam Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Enroute #6
Date: \t =
\nSat, 12 Jan 2013 20:37:12<\/p>\n
\nl in Port Moresby went pretty much as expected, which is not to say enti=
\nrely pleasant.<\/p>\n
\nmediately proceeded to Customs and Immigration. This was very well orga=
\nnized, with various lines for "returning citizens of PNG", &qu=
\not;foreign passport holders without visas," and "foreign passp=
\nort holders with visas" and so on. We entered the latter line and =
\neach set of them was set up serpentine fashion and the lines more or les=
\ns moved right along.<\/p>\n
\nding with no windows and the air conditioning was only primitively effec=
\ntive. Soon, standing amidst multiple lines of people, all of them breat=
\nhing, became quite hot and close. Oh, well, we passed through immigrati=
\non after the inspector studied our passports, our visas, and stamped an =
\nentry stamp into our passports. Then on to collect our luggage (all of =
\nit … LOTS of it), put it on a cart, and take it for inspection. The c=
\nustoms inspector asked a few questions about what all we had in those ca=
\nrtons. Then he asked what food I was bringing into the country (I had m=
\narked "yes" on that question). I told him I had several bags =
\nof flavored coffee and one candy bar — all Christmas presents — and he=
\n decided that was okay. Then he sent us on without anyone opening or che=
\ncking any of our goods.<\/p>\n
\n to the last domestic leg. Another serpentine line, another closed room,=
\n and this time actually no air conditioning at all. It was well past 98=
\nF and crowded with people, and we received our first big lesson on "=
\n;Papua New Guinea time." There was only one clerk, and each party =
\nof passengers probably took over five minutes to process. Needless to s=
\nay, we were pretty spent by the time it was our turn. She determined th=
\ne excess baggage fee we had paid only applied to the Qantas legs of our =
\nflight, and we needed to pay additional excess baggage for the domestic =
\nleg. But then she helpfully showed us where to make payment, printed ou=
\nt our boarding passes, and told me to just come back with the payment re=
\nceipt to get the passes.<\/p>\n
\n waiting for Customs, another 30 minutes or so processing the visa and l=
\nuggage, another 45 minutes waiting for transfer boarding passes, and a f=
\ninal 15-20 minutes paying the excess baggage fee. All in all, done in j=
\nust around two hours and we had a 3 and 1\/2 hour layover.<\/p>\n
\nonto the Domestic Terminal (outdoors — humid), through security again, =
\nand into the waiting area which was quite crowded. We waited about 45 m=
\ninutes during which time it seemed almost nothing was happening but righ=
\nt at the end they did call and begin boarding a plane and soon afterward=
\ns, it was our turn. The aircraft, a Fokker F100 (little guy), was ready=
\n in the gate area, but there was no air conditioning or even air blowing=
\n during the entire boarding. So we sat and soaked in sweat until they c=
\nlosed the door and started up the ventilation system.<\/p>\n
\nff on time, had an uneventful flight, landed on time and yes we flew ove=
\nr some breathtakingly beautiful scenery.<\/p>\n
\n Saturday morning Madang time: 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon<\/p>\n
\nm: \t J. William Cupp <cupp@computer.org>
Subject: Arrival # =
\n7 (and last travelogue report)
Date: \t Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:50:58 +1=
\n000<\/p>\n
\nw Guinea.<\/p>\n
\nBrendan Neilly, who is the head of HR for the school. Our luggage was s=
\nomewhat expeditiously unloaded, we managed to cram it all into the car h=
\ne had brought, and he drove us to DWU. It takes about ten minutes; he d=
\nrove a slightly longer route so we could see a little of the city area n=
\near the campus.<\/p>\n
\nght from Port Moresby to Madang wasn't delayed or suffered some majo=
\nr schedule problem!<\/p>\n
\nd frame, metal sided, two bedroom house. There are ways in which it is =
\na little rustic, but there are ways in which it is more than we had expe=
\ncted. We dined at the staff mess, which is being specially opened for n=
\newly arriving staff such as us, and we had two circuitous tours of the c=
\nampus, driving to and from the staff mess.<\/p>\n
\nditioned and the wall units work well. The campus is enclosed and monit=
\nored by a security service, and there is even an alarm switch we can wor=
\nk that starts a siren. Br. Brendan assures us this will bring an immedi=
\nate response from the security patrol. Madang is an area with many poor=
\n but most of those aspects do not carry onto campus. The buildings on ca=
\nmpus are all functional, not what you would call elegant, and it seems t=
\nhere are several expansion projects in the works. It also turns out DWU=
\n really has several "campuses" in the nearby area, and more ho=
\nusing units which are off campus. These are used by national faculty me=
\nmbers, not expatriates such as ourselves.<\/p>\n
\ne flight the time zone jet lag caught up with Cindy and she went straigh=
\nt to bed after dinner. I am heading there next, in a few minutes. We h=
\nave tomorrow, Sunday, to unpack and straighten out the houses. We'l=
\nl probably get some pictures on the way.<\/p>\n
\nith HR and begin the "settling in" … opening a local bank ac=
\ncount, look into PNG cell phone service, do a large-ish shopping run for=
\n groceries, etc. Afterwards, early in the week we meet our new Head of =
\nDepartment (e.g., "division chair") to discuss courses and res=
\nponsibilities. Then we have from there onwards to work on preparing for=
\n the courses to start.<\/p>\n
\ne, but it went off extremely well. The real adventure begins with the n=
\new school term and I hope soon we have a more detailed schedule of that.=<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"