Nov 18th - 20th

Nov. 18th Tuesday - I left the guest house in Johannesburg and headed to the airport - arrived 11:30. Check-in was smooth. I went to the gate, waited an hour and then they changed the gate to the other side of the terminal where I started. I guess long walks are good for me. There was no seats in this area so we stood for 45 minutes until boarding. Landed in Maputo and went through immigration and baggage claim. They were having people open there bags and checking through them then they pushed on the front of mine and said go, so I went. The flight to Quelimane was moved up 2 hours which I thought was great. We left in the rain and the ride is bumpy but the flight was not full so I had an empty seat to the side of me. That always helps to have elbow room. The gentleman sitting in the row with me is part of a group putting in power lines and equipment across Africa. He was from Canada. The Dina’s met me at the airport no immigration no passport check. This was the easiest stop yet.

Nov. 19th Wednesday - Nice place. I’m going with john to a meeting today about 120 miles away. It will be interesting because they speak Portuguese. We left at 6 am and picked up people along the way. The terrain changed 3 times in the drive from flood plan for rice fields to coconut palms to what they call forest. The place we went to is mud huts sitting on logs held up by branches that had the Y standing up. The meeting lasted 5 hours. No more complaining about padded pews. Lunch today was white rice and chicken. You eat with your fingers and that is messy and some what different. You wash your hands in a bowl with everyone else before and after the meal. Then the long ride back to the house and dropping off people on the way. We saw Baboons crossing the road ahead of us. We stopped but they ran off before I could take a picture. Back at the house we had spaghetti and salad there were some deep fried pastry with meat filling. I got on the internet an talked with Sharon and read my emails. It's nice to hear from people and know they care enough to send a word of encouragement and know that they are enjoying hearing some of the thing happening here.

Nov. 20th Thursday - No place to have to go so today, it was fix it day. The truck need some attention battery cable repair, lock repair, body work straightening some dents. Now we are ready for a long drive for a 2 day meeting - sleeping in a tent overnight. Here the rainy season starts in Dec. and lasts through March. That is mosquito season as all the low lands flood and causes a breading ground in the rice fields. John says they get so thick that you wipe them off not smash them. You can’t keep up. And at times you can hardly eat if you are outside. Hard to imagine. They are barbecuing tonight, wild game of different types. This will be interesting.