Hello!

I am back for a few days at home here in Quelimane, Mozambique. So I'll fill you all in on what's been going on this past week. I've been operating mostly on the Zambezi river, where the flood waters are still very high. There are whole villages under water. Many of the people that live in this area were refugees in Malawi during the war, and have just recently resettled and started over with small farms. Now some of them are back in refugee camps. One of the hardest hit areas is Caia. The airstrip and central part of the village are still above water. The place is an island now. There are camps right next to the airstrip, and food is being airlifted in.

Several days ago I was about forty miles down river from Caia at Marromeu on a trip for Food For The Hungry. A young man was brought to the airfield on a stretcher. He had been attacked by a crocodile, and his leg was badly mangled. He had been picking bananas near his hut, usually a safe area, but with the high water, the crocs are there.

I strapped his stretcher in the back of the plane, and flew him down to Beira, where his leg was amputated at the local hospital. At least he lived. The Beira hospital is a pretty scary place, but it is the best in northern Mozambique. If I ever need to go to the hospital I'm going to fly to Harare, or Johannesburg. I have done Medivac flights to Harare, and the facilities are good.

I have been flying to Inhaminga a lot this week, supporting a de-mining project funded by GTZ, a German organization. there is a mine field very near the airstrip. Inhaminga is one of the grass strips that I never wander far from the center of the runway to take a pee.

The de-mining contractor is from Zimbabwe, and they are camped right at the airstrip. They are really nice guys and always feed me when I show up. Good food too. I have been so busy, that I rarely get to a place where I can get lunch.

I was overnight in Sena, on the Zambezi working on a survey of flood damage to a road improvement project, funded by USAID. I go there quite often, and am getting to know the engineers on the project quite well.

After lunch at the camp, The engineers, Ivan and Luis and I went out in a 4X4 truck to inspect what we could get to. It was a great trip for me. It is always a treat for me to get way out into the bush away from the airstrips. We checked the road on the south side of the river. There was a good deal of water damage, but it is salvageable.

We then crossed the river on the railroad bridge. This bridge was blown up by the RENAMO forces during the war, and rebuilt and just opened less than a year ago for trucks and cars. It is currently closed because the Zambezi has been so far over it's banks that the approach road is not useable. Our vehicle is able to negotiate another approach.

When this railway bridge was built by the Portuguese in 1934, it was the longest railway bridge in the world. I have flown over it many times, and it is quite an experience driving over it. It is single lane decked over the rail line.

On the other side (Mutarara) we continue north to the old mission at Inhamgoma (not to be confused with Inhaminga!). The road is in real rough shape because of the flood. At this point the road survey job is completed, but Ivan wants to go farther, he wants to try to make it to the Shire River at the base of Mt. Tembe Tembe. The three of us are having a refreshing break from our normal routine, so we go for it. It is getting late in the day, but we press on. Ivan is driving, and this Canadian guy can really make that truck move. He is going all out, a real road man. I know it is just a matter of time before we get stuck, but I don't care, we're on a mission. Go as far as we can. We came up a few miles short of the Shire stuck in a deep bog. Ivan and I got out and pushed while Luis drove. It took the two of us pushing, and half the local population (4) to get out, and we were covered with mud from head to toe. The sun was going Down, and the Mountain loomed above us. We stumbled in the dark back to camp, late for dinner, tired and muddy but I felt more alive than I'd felt all day. I love a good road trip!

I got back to Quelimane the next day to find out that the town was out of beer! I almost got back in the plane to go get some. A couple of days later a boat came and delivered a load of beer, (and other supplies).

The next day I had an overnight trip north to Nampula for a missionary group. The last time I was in Nampula I flew a load of condoms in for PSI (Population Services International)

I have been flying six days a week, but I do take at least one day a week off for my sanity.

Today a did a flood survey for Save The Children. Four hours of low level flying non stop!

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I'm going to the beach. Next week I'll be flying out of Beira all week.

To be continued.....

Love to all,

Smilin' Mike