The Pencil of Death

Yes, the pencil of death. So nicknamed by the pilot. If you have had the opportunity to ride in the pencil of death you will certainly know what I'm talking about. For the uninitiated they are these tiny planes that all 165cm of me had to bend double to get into, 2 seats on either side of an aisle. There was no air con until about 20mins into the ride so it was a cramped, hot, stinky, hard to breathe in ride....and some people do it every week. I'm hoping I get the other plane on my way back out in 9 days.

I'm in Maningrida for 10 days to see what they want me to do for a crust....and yes, I can feel my accent broadening and slang becoming prevalent. Its quite shocking to be out here, the department of housing has a lot to answer for. There are some dog issues too which make walking around impossible. The work is heartbreaking and heartwarming - and I'm sure it'll be more so when I have a community to call my own. I've had a few moments where I seriously thought I can't do this (and they're certainly not paying me enough money to do it).