The final push

August 21, 2010

We are in Savusavu right now making our final (yes, we really mean it this time) trip to Gulabdas Hardware Store. I think we have gotten the final truckload of supplies to finish the projects. Things are going great - the bridge crossing in Vunikura is finished, the new pipeline has been installed, and all we have to finish up are some pipeline fixes inside the village and backfill the new pipe. In Loa, we finished all of the pipeline repairs needed inside the village as well as upstream near their source (the source is basically in the middle of the jungle - the Fijian guys make it look so easy to climb up steep embankments through heavy foliage, but that is definitely misleading as I almost took a header off the side of the cliff while climbing up there). We have also installed one of the biosand filters in Loa and will construct the remaining two next week. In Buca Village, we are approximately 3/4 complete with the pipeline installation - all of the new 4" and 2" pipelines are in the ground. We plan to install the remaining 1" and 1/2" laterals by Tuesday and turn on the water by Wednesday (crossing our fingers).

It is hard to believe that we are in our final week here - the time has flown! Despite a few mishaps - a few of us have gotten what we have termed the 'black virus' (basically a pretty nasty stomach flu) - we are all hanging in there. We are taking a well-deserved rest day for the rest of today to prepare for the final push next week - it will be very busy but great to see everything get finished. The villagers have already started planning our going away parties and we have been told to get our dancing shoes on (the villagers LOVE to dance) so that should be good fun, though I think we have all sworn off the kava (famous last words).

That's all for now. See you all next week!