Duty of care???

Got back in this morning after a terrible day of watiting at Brisbane Airport - plane delayed by 11 hours, so I never want to see that airport again. Arrived in Moresby at 3.30 in the morning, got out of customs etc by 4am. Air Niugini had told me in Brisbane that finding transport once I arrived would be my responsibility - the fact that we'd be arriving in the middle of the night in a city where it's dangerous to be on the streets at that time was my problem not theirs - so I had rung Sr Angela from Brisbane in a mild panic. I told her my plane wouldn't be in until at least 2am and could she please try to tell a hotel I'd be coming so they could send a car to meet me and take me to sleep somewhere, as it wouldn't be safe for her to send transport until morning.

When we got out of customs at 4am there were 4 hotel transports there, and the one Angela and I had discussed had only 1 name listed (not mine) and no spare rooms at the hotel. The other 3 hotels are all incredibly expensive and I had only 20 Kina on me - and the thought of spending about K300-400 on a room for 2 hours was crazy anyway - but the prospect of having to sit in the airport terminal until it got light and I could call school was also horrible.

Fortunately an Australian man who worked there, either for Air NG or the airport itself, saw me looking lost and about to burst into tears from sheer exhaustion and lack of options, and came to see if he could help. He managed to organise a voucher for me to go and stay at the Holiday Inn and got me on their shuttle bus within 10 minutes.

Saved! By 4.30 I was finally clean and horizontal - and safe.

I was so lucky that he was there - after being shunted around by airport officials all day, few of whom had any sympathy and none of whom would take any responsibility - it was almost unbelievable to finally have someone care and be prepared to do something to help.

I guess having 8 nuns back in the Marianville Convent praying for me that I'd find a bed did the trick!

More later - gotta sleep