27/10/11 The Arrival

 

27 October, 2011

Well, I have finally arrived in the camp I am to be based at. Took forever, but here I finally am. Will be adding pics to a photo group just for Gabon, so have a look....

Such African Time here!!! And ridiculous systems. For example, I have to file a flight plan when flying out of any airport (fair enough). In Port Gentil, I have to file the flightplan, then take a copy of it to the police for them to stamp it (they don't even read the flightplan, so makes no sense to start with!). I then have to walk BACK to the flightplan office for them to sign and stamp it after the police have accepted it, and then I have to walk a copy back to the police for them to keep!!! Crazy!!

 

Video to be added later…

Drainage is a big deal here…

Weather here is as Google Earth suggests - clouds all the time with short rain showers constantly.  I had to spend a second night in Libreville because we just got caught by rain while we were waiting for our flightplan to be processed, so I didn't get to fly with the outgoing pilot, which would have been nice. The video shows how big they are on drainage in this part of the world - very necessary.... Had to try to deal with the strange radiocalls and accents all by my own self today... so proud...

Libreville and Port Gentil are as expected, in that they are rundown, African towns. Potholes you could lose your car in! Everything French, of course, so they drive on the wrong side of the road.

 

Thick, impenetrable bush

As far as the eye can see…

The jungle is DENSE! I am unable to see where the ground is through the canopy. Don't want to think about engine failures. Strangely, though, there are mass expanses of short, lush green grassland spotted around the jungle.

Like a lake in England - stunning green grassland in the middle of jungle

Very weird and I can't see why they exist, but exist they do. Ive already flown to a couple of the camps (3.5 hours today) and they are very organised. Very serious helipads with a ground crew guy who on/offloads the packs, and even guides me onto the pad with his ping pong bats. The pad is lit, although you'd be suicidal to think about flying at night.

I was particularly surprised at the lack of animals both in the towns, and what I could see in the jungles. I'm used to cows, goats, sheep,

dogs etc. everywhere, and there's none of that here. All I can imagine is that because the ground is so waterlogged, any animals with hooves will develop hoof rot almost immediately, so they aren't seen here. It illustrates how everything has to be imported.

Right, the pics will be more interesting, just touching base.