"sidewalks" AKA anklebuster 2008

So Port Vila "sidewalks" are really only sidewalks because they are adjacent to roads and it is possible though perhaps not recommended to walk on them. it appears as though each property owner is responsible for their stretch of land next to roads and some pave them as sidewalks. however there is no regulation width height. (the same lack of regulation is apparent in stairs as well.) Even the "sidewalk" in front of the parliment building is in a poor state.

as a result expats and volunteers are regularly seen sporting ankle braces or knee braces or ace bandages. you never see a ni-van wearing any such item. here are my theories as to why...

1. ni-Vanuatu have as many injuries but are just much tougher and more stoic than the expats. This is my top theory because only one in 50 women in labor here so much as whimper.


2. the Ni-Van are trained from birth to walk on even more uneven terrain - this is obviously true...


3. why waste money on such ridiculous luxuries?

I spend nearly all of my walking time staring at my feet or just in front of my feet to avoid an embarrassing face plant. i had a neck and headache for much of the first week here before i got used to it. I thought that perhaps the uneven surfaces would act as a kind of physical therapy for my ankles but that was foolish. i have of course sprained my ankles and twisted my knees many times despite usually doing a good job of looking where i am going.