18/12/11 Back to baking in the bush

 

18 December, 2011

I saw the helicopter parked on the apron as we landed in Libreville. Great, I thought. If I can just let them know I'm here maybe I can catch a lift with them and save myself the pain of waiting for a commercial flight to Port Gentil. But how to get through security with no ticket or pilot to escort me...

Main, upstairs restaurant in airport	Downstairs bar/café

 

Queuing to go through security for a domestic flight. This is the main concourse.	Loading guy taking his security very seriously. No chance of passengers becoming confused about where they should go!

I ran through immigration and baggage collection and into the main arrival area, hoping to see the pilot I'm replacing waiting for me. No-one. I rushed through to Domestic Departures, searching the dark, sweaty faces of the masses milling around, sweat pouring down my own shirt in the very very humid, coastal, tropical heat. And then I had to stop and take a photo of the most unlikely scene one could imagine in Gabon...

I know SA is hardly much better, but I never expected to see snow and reindeer in Libreville!

Fortunately once before I had been taken to the helicopter via a back way through someone's hangar down the runway, and I thought I'd give that a try - although walking as if you are meant to be there and have a job to do while dragging your baggage along with you is a little tricky to pull off. However, no-one stopped me and I managed to find the engineer of one of the company's planes (the chopper had already left) and managed to hitch a ride with them when they left for Port Gentil at 15h30.

How awesome is the instrumentation in this caravan?!	A little bit of Libreville on climb-out

Something to rival Moses Mabhida Stadium perhaps?	Libreville waterfront/coastline. This is a big city!

The heli pilot met me in the hotel where we did a handover and went out to dinner before I collapsed into bed and slept like the dead. The next morning he casually got up for breakfast and came with me to the airport just for something to do. He was on his way home and thus was in no rush, and I was flying four passengers the long route to almost the southern boundary of Gabon to Banio2 (where I had to spend the night on my last tour when the clouds descended). Talk about hitting the ground running! I had just landed after two very full days of travel and was immediately flying 5 hours along the coastline, with an impromptu concert of rude songs sung with exuberance into my headset (I'm the only one with a plugged in headset) to keep myself awake.

I returned for a second night in the hotel before flying out to the Onal camp this morning. I am now finally unpacked and settled into my little container in the bush, ready to get back to the Decimator, some jungle flying, and some R&R from the stresses of Durbs, in no particular order.

Stay in touch, all, and chat soon...