Just kidding!

Today is Saturday and we're still on Pohnpei. I say still because we were scheduled to fly out to Chuuk (pronounced chook) this afternoon. Our flight was scheduled at 135pm and set to land in Chuuk at 145pm. 10 min flight doesn't sound bad but it was actually a 70 min flight. Chuuk is one time zone away from Pohnpei. But let me start from the beginning.

There was another storm last night. Thunder and lightning filled the skies and the rain felt great in our humid rooms. I slept so soundly but I can't figure out if it was due to the cooler temperatures brought by the storm or the ambien I took just prior to bed. At any rate, my sleep was also pleasant with the fact that it was my last night I had to deal with the "night terrors" thanks in part to the bugs and creatures. I woke up before my alarm and took a nice long shower. I was so excited to leave, I packed my belongings in the car prior to walking up to the restaurant.

We made our way to the airport a little earlier than we had originally planned. The car rental had 1/4 tank left but we opted to not fill it up because it is cumbersome to get gas here in the FSM. We informed the car rental guy and he acknowledged we did not fill up our tank by first spitting his beetle nut (think tobacco chew but red) then informing us we owed him $35.00. I said not a problem and was about to hand him my credit card and while we were talking about receipts, he said he would be unable to process my credit card and would only deal in cash. He said if I wanted to use my credit card,he would have to take it and run it back at his office which is 15 mins away. Dub tee eff, right? I told him that would be fine so long as it's documented we paid. He hesitated and then wrote 35 on my invoice. I had asked him to put cash right next to it and he put what looks like "c/s" I am not sure if it's because of illiterate or frustration from a failed scam attempt but I had what I wanted which was documentation of us paying in cash including a "paid" on the document and he got his 35 he was asking for.

It was a good thing we had arrived earlier than expected. The airport was full! We were behind a group of people who volunteer their time and go to other countries and build schools for them. I didn't catch where they originated from but they appeared (and sounded like) they were from the Austrailian/New Zealand area. After that group finished, two locals cut in line in front of us and then it was our turn. After we checked in, it was time to go through the scanner. On Kosrae, there was no X-ray machine so continental had personnel go through our bags manually. Pohnpei not only had xray machines, they had A/C in their airports! I even got to watch part of the BYU/Utah St. Game. (for the record, the RB Turin on Utah St. Is a freaking beast).

As we were waiting for the airplane to come, it started pouring rain. When I say pouring, I mean there was about 3 inches of rain a 20 min span. I couldn't even see the pavement it was so high with water. Once the plane landed, the rain coincidently let up. By the time we were walking to the plane (we have to walk outside to the plane as opposed to the entrance being connected to the terminal), the pavement was obviously still wet but not as deep as I had expected. I guess having the landing strip surrounded by water is a quick way to get rid of the run off.

We boarded the airplane and found our seats quickly. Just as we sat down the rain started to pour again. The take off wasn't bad but as soon as we got airborne, turbulence was immediately encountered. It was scary because there were sections where it felt like we would drop a few feet. We welcomed the blue skies and radiant sun as we cleared the clouds. After a few more bumps, the trip wasn't bad at all. We got closer to Chuuk and the pilot began to descend. We were instructed by flight attendants to raise our chairs to their upright position and put away our tray tables. I was a middle seat so I was still able to look outside the window. I saw the atoll, outer remote islands, and even the main island of Weno (the island we were staying at and working from).

Then, I heard the engines get a little fast and felt the thrust from the acceleration of the plane. I knew I wasn't alone as the rest of my cabin mates had a confused look on their faced as well. Than, we began to bank left and again, the thrusters fired up. Even more confused looks on patrons became evident. I still recall the speech.

"This is your captain speaking. We are not cleared for landing on Chuuk as the fire department is not available. We will return to Pohnpei and those of you who were supposed to deplane at Chuuk will get off and stay in Pohnpei. Sorry for the inconvenience."

I guess no airplane is allowed to land without the fire department ready to go. And like that, we lost our afternoon and were back to where we began the day, Pohnpei. We got the first available flight out of Pohnpei to Chuuk, 130am 2 days from today (technically, it's tomorrow night but really it's Monday morning). With that said, we now needed to find a place to stay for (two) night (s). So, back to The Village Hotel for us. The chauffeur immediately greeted us at the airport. Apparently, he already knew the plane turned around and was already at the airport before we even arrived.

I'm sitting in their bar/restaurant writing this blog and both owners came up to us to say how sorry they are to see our business again so soon. They are so nice and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone. Just not for 8 nights like what I am going through. Tomorrow, team two will embark on the Nan Madol (I think I may have spelt it wrong previously) journey. Since I have already taken the trip (and it's expensive), I have opted to sit this one out and try to catch some NCAA football games. Worst case, I'll just watch a movie on my iPad.

Also, congratulations to Gira for her educational talk on rheumatic heart disease yesterday. She had people lined up outside the door wanting to hear her talk. Some have commented that it was their first time exposed to a real live echocardiogram (they have only seen them through textbooks and other literature).

Until next time folks, good night!