Blog 9 – Feliz Natal e Properos 2009!

So you may have been wondering where I have been as of late.
A couple things combined that reduced my propensity to blog. First off I was on the road for a bit with a week in JoBurg attempting to source some common mechanical components directly, as well as renew my visa for Mozambique. The trip was not as successful as I had hoped but did afford me a week of fine dining catching up on all the culinary wonders of the rest of the world. I haven’t managed to tire of Mangos and Shrimp yet, but variety is truly the spice of life!
I also travelled up to Beira to check out the new HI office/compound facility to determine what will be required in order to have a functional mechanical department there. With the National demining plan shifting our focus north in the coming years we needed to adjust our assets accordingly. So that had me in an air conditions accommodation for a week which was a treat given that the temperatures have been mid 30’s and up with “Windsor in July” style humidity! Ocean is a beautiful temperature now, just barely fresh near shore on a calm day but if you swim out and down a few meters you are still in for a truly refreshing experience.
Found an amazing kiting spot locally here, in a lagoon not far from Flamingo Bay resort. Flat water paradise, the kind they put on magazine covers! No Flamingos though, but that is the only drawback I assure you!
You may wonder why I don’t have much to say about work these days, or photos of it for that matter. Well in truth I have been working on Standard Operating Procedures and a revision of some of the maintenance paper work. So short of taking photos of me at my desk, in a shirt soaked through with sweat, there really isn’t much to document as of late. The cows have come home to roost now (so to speak!), as the field teams began there end of year holidays so that means a busy week for the maintenance department. With this heat, motivation runs pretty low, it really takes it out of you….
As for me I have a bus ticket for the morning heading for Tete in the Northwest corner of Mozambique. From there I will cross into Malawi to meet up with two friends and spend a handful of nights up on Mount Mulanje, hopefully getting a chance to summit Sapitwa peak weather permitting, at 3001m it is the highest point south of Mount Kenya and north of the Drakensburgs, also perhaps more importantly it is likely the coolest place without AC!
Planning on coming down Christmas morning or thereabout, and then heading North on a solo mission to Lake Malawi for some kayaking, snorkeling, reading, and hopefully some merry-making with new found friends for New Years. So far the rainy season has been delaying its start locally but I have heard I am in for a lush experience in the north.
Miss you all dearly, but thankfully have not had to endure too much holiday style music or festivities so it is easy to pretend it is July or thereabouts and just soak up the sun. Cheers to all and have a safe, fun, cheerful, relaxing, snowy!, family-filled holiday break.
Signing off until 2009,
Nathan
Ps another handful of photos are up, random collection of sights and scenes form the past couple weeks. Enjoy!