Lying off the west coast of Africa, Principe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of Sao Tome and Principe. It has an area of 136 square kms and a population of approximately 5,000. Wikipedia. The closest countries are Gabon and Angola.
Four weeks ago, Mark, Zachary and I touched down in Sao Tome. That day we had; woken up at 3 am, flown on three different flights and by arrival, were one suitcase, one Portuguese phrase book and a pram short. Zachary was understandably extremely tired and very hard to handle. After the experience of the incredibly slow, non-English processing at the sweltering Sao Tome airport (which was under MAJOR renovation) and a VERY angry, pram-less Zachary, all we wanted was to go to our O'Mali lodge room. After a short trip in the hotel minibus (without a car seat) we were welcomed with flowery drinks and cold clothes, though with Zachary being exhausted, and totally overstimulated, the glamour escaped me and I asked for the room keys instead. Making our exit to the room, Zachary darted for the pool edge and I tramped on a Dum Dum (said, Dun Dun) trying to save him. Eina is an understatement and this was like the cherry on top! A Dum Dum is some sort of biting, Driver ant and they are everywhere. It was more like the sting of a bee and I'm now very cautious to put our shoes on. We spent one night at Sao Tome and after a breakfast of delicious, unheard of, tropical fruits and little, sweet Portuguese rolls and Parma ham, we boarded the Africa's Connection Dornier 228 (18 seater) plane for the 45 minute flight to Principe. Zachary perspired, wriggled and cried most of the flight, but the bird's eye view of the islands and the humming little plane were a unique experience. Thankfully, Principe airport was wonderfully small, quick and friendly. I clumsily accepted a few Portuguese double, cheek kisses from some of Mark's work colleagues, our bags were hoisted into the waiting Prado, by the Bom Bom Island Resort driver, and we were off to the resort. The 15 minute drive along the bumpy, dirt road initiated me into the thick jungle covering most of the island and the pace of island travelling.
I haven't even mentioned the stress of packing up our house, the flight we nearly missed due to Zachary's last minute 'number two' or the hostility at the Luanda airport, but enough said, I'm sure you get the idea! I think it has taken us most of these nearly four weeks to recover from travelling through hot, African airports with an energetic toddler and adjust to our new, quite rustic environment. Perhaps that's why I'm only starting my blog now. Although all the photos look like an endless holiday, there have been incredible challenges which have often felt insurmountable. A toddler does not adjust to change easily. The simple loss of the pram and lack of a suitable cot were a real problem, as replacements are not easy to come by. Zachary did not react well to the stress and change and began having unbelievably prolonged, puking, yelling, running, kicking, fighting tantrums, nearly biting me a few times. Imagine all this in a formal restaurant for three meals a day. I am so grateful that these tantrum episodes have subsided as we've all settled in here. Mark and I did not realize at the time, the difficulty Zachary was having with all the upheaval and discomfort.
Bom Bom Island Resort will probably be our home for another two months, while our pre-fab home is being constructed near the airport. A guy came out last week, from South Africa, to assess the pre-fab units as they have been standing in their packaging for around two years near the military base on the island. The report came back that the units have water damage. The next step is for the parts for repairs to come from South Africa, along with a team to carry out the maintenance and erection. Two pre-fab homes will be constructed, one for Brian Brynard, Mark's colleague and one for us. The sites are being prepared so long, with French drains and other services. The planning and preparation for the units construction is quite a thing as if any parts are forgotten out when the team comes, they will have to be ordered and shipped from South Africa, further slowing down the process. They have a saying in Principe, 'leve leve' (of which I need to track down the spelling) which means, easy easy...an attitude which we are cultivating.
