Greetings from Fiji - not quite a tropical paradise at the moment
http://www.fijitimes.com/images/artpics/348418.jpg
This link takes you to a picture of homeless families washed out from their temporary shelter.m
RAIN! As the Boeing 737 made its final approach to Nadi and emerged from the cloud cover we could see the brown floodwaters around the town and the swollen rivers spreading out across the fields. Tropical downpours can be devastating. I didn't realise how serious this was at first. I was so relieved to be out of a plane after about 24 hours in the air- and so impressed that my suitcase, last seen in Heathrow, appeared first on the carousel - that I dashed out of the terminal building in search of the bus stop. I'd decided on the adventure of the bus from Nadi, round the perimeter of the island of Viti Levu, to Suva, Fiji's capital. I'd save the Methodist Church a few pounds and have a few hours sightseeing. I struck my best 'Englishman abroad' pose and waited. And waited. I asked a passing airport worker if this was the right place for the Suva bus? Oh yes, this is the place. Of course (and this breaks one of the most important rules of life in the Pacific islands) I had asked the wrong question. Some minutes later the same worker came by again, and took pity on me. Yes, this was the right place for the Suva bus, but no (in response to the question I should have asked) there were no buses today; floods had damaged bridges and made the road to Suva impassable. The only way across the island was by air. So back into the airport. Yes, there was a flight to Suva in an hour or so, but it was fully booked. There were plenty of others in the same predicament and things started to get a bit chaotic. But - and this happens so often here - a thread of kindness developed and thanks to the care of Fiji Air staff I found myself boarding the little plane when it eventually arrived through the deluge. Passengers made a dash across the rain-soaked tarmac like WW2 fighter pilots who'd been ordered to scramble, I tried to put out of my mind just how little visibility our pilot would have as he hopped over the mountains to the other side of the island. I needn't have worried - We touched down safely. A nice touch was the wheelie-bin full of umbrellas as we left the safety of the aircraft. A shared taxi took me the 12 miles to Suva and the welcome sight of the bishop's house with Sue and Winston Halapua greeting me as they have so many times before.
RAIN. If you've read Somerset Maughan's short story Rain ( set in Samoa and featuring a missionary and a prostitute - it doesn't end well!) you'll know that rain can go on for days in this part of the world. And so it has. There was a brief respite - in Suva at least- yesterday morning, but then it resumed and intensified. In the interior of the island it has been raining at a steady 10mm per hour for several days. All schools in Fiji have closed today because of floods and dangerous roads. As if that wasn't enough, cyclone Zena is gathering strength out in the Pacific Ocean and is heading in our direction. For me this is simply an inconvenience - trips I was hoping to make will probably not happen - but I am in a safe place and in no danger. For others, it must be both miserable and dangerous. Today's Fiji Times carries stories of people made homeless by Cyclone Winston 6 weeks ago, now sodden in their rain- soaked temporary shelters.
In a way, cyclones and floods are part of the pattern of life and risk here. But there's more to it than that. The cyclones are getting stronger, the floods more extreme. There's evidence that rising sea temperatures caused by climate change are driving this destruction. Not only is 'no man' an island, no island is an island - the whole world is joined together for good and ill. At mid day I'll be taking part in a service in the cathedral where we'll pray for those worst- affected.
http://www.fijitimes.com/images/artpics/348418.jpg
This link takes you to a picture of homeless families washed out from their temporary shelter.m
RAIN! As the Boeing 737 made its final approach to Nadi and emerged from the cloud cover we could see the brown floodwaters around the town and the swollen rivers spreading out across the fields. Tropical downpours can be devastating. I didn't realise how serious this was at first. I was so relieved to be out of a plane after about 24 hours in the air- and so impressed that my suitcase, last seen in Heathrow, appeared first on the carousel - that I dashed out of the terminal building in search of the bus stop. I'd decided on the adventure of the bus from Nadi, round the perimeter of the island of Viti Levu, to Suva, Fiji's capital. I'd save the Methodist Church a few pounds and have a few hours sightseeing. I struck my best 'Englishman abroad' pose and waited. And waited. I asked a passing airport worker if this was the right place for the Suva bus? Oh yes, this is the place. Of course (and this breaks one of the most important rules of life in the Pacific islands) I had asked the wrong question. Some minutes later the same worker came by again, and took pity on me. Yes, this was the right place for the Suva bus, but no (in response to the question I should have asked) there were no buses today; floods had damaged bridges and made the road to Suva impassable. The only way across the island was by air. So back into the airport. Yes, there was a flight to Suva in an hour or so, but it was fully booked. There were plenty of others in the same predicament and things started to get a bit chaotic. But - and this happens so often here - a thread of kindness developed and thanks to the care of Fiji Air staff I found myself boarding the little plane when it eventually arrived through the deluge. Passengers made a dash across the rain-soaked tarmac like WW2 fighter pilots who'd been ordered to scramble, I tried to put out of my mind just how little visibility our pilot would have as he hopped over the mountains to the other side of the island. I needn't have worried - We touched down safely. A nice touch was the wheelie-bin full of umbrellas as we left the safety of the aircraft. A shared taxi took me the 12 miles to Suva and the welcome sight of the bishop's house with Sue and Winston Halapua greeting me as they have so many times before.
RAIN. If you've read Somerset Maughan's short story Rain ( set in Samoa and featuring a missionary and a prostitute - it doesn't end well!) you'll know that rain can go on for days in this part of the world. And so it has. There was a brief respite - in Suva at least- yesterday morning, but then it resumed and intensified. In the interior of the island it has been raining at a steady 10mm per hour for several days. All schools in Fiji have closed today because of floods and dangerous roads. As if that wasn't enough, cyclone Zena is gathering strength out in the Pacific Ocean and is heading in our direction. For me this is simply an inconvenience - trips I was hoping to make will probably not happen - but I am in a safe place and in no danger. For others, it must be both miserable and dangerous. Today's Fiji Times carries stories of people made homeless by Cyclone Winston 6 weeks ago, now sodden in their rain- soaked temporary shelters.
In a way, cyclones and floods are part of the pattern of life and risk here. But there's more to it than that. The cyclones are getting stronger, the floods more extreme. There's evidence that rising sea temperatures caused by climate change are driving this destruction. Not only is 'no man' an island, no island is an island - the whole world is joined together for good and ill. At mid day I'll be taking part in a service in the cathedral where we'll pray for those worst- affected.
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