Loltong Bay #2

I have had the most interesting couple of days, Katie on ASYLUM has been working with an organization out of Denmark doing a questionnaire on womens health issues, pregnancy, and birthing…care and concerns. Yesterday I sat with her and 4 to 6 ladies ( they seemed to be in and out and changing) Oldest Lolawaia, born 1937 and the youngest……..well no one knew really how old they were……maybe 20 something. I took pictures and talked as Katie ask her questions and made notes. All of them said how hard it is raising children, but did have enough food, not enough cloths and hated the walk up the mountain and over the top to the other side to the garden. The one thing they said they never had enough of was soap to wash cloths or themselves, Lolawaia reminded me and Jim of Aunt Minnie, she laughed at her jokes and ours and is a bit mischievous. Her husband is the chief. Lolawaia said she wanted a rope or something from the top of the hill to help get the things from the garden down cause they were so heavy to carry. Today we went back to the village with saop, all our old flip/flops, some cloths, Katie had reading glasses (everyone seemed to want those).

They have one truck in this village and the roads are so bad with all the rain it cannot go anywhere. when it does the men ride and ladies walk. Lolawaia did say a truck for the ladies to ride would be nice, but cost too much.

Tomorrow is a wedding, we have been invited (no cake) tonight is a celebration for the bride… we think! we ask what time the wedding was they said “when the groom walks over the moutain and gets here”

Weather has been awful, rain and more rain. Today we were up to our ankles in mud. My toe nails have never looked so bad. If I could snorkel everyday maybe some of the black would soak off.

Martha