Sunday, October 20, 2019

Odds & Ends


This post is just some fun pictures that we just didn't have room for in our newsletter.

Presedential elections were last week.  In the weeks leading up to election posters were plastered everywhere and we would come across political rallies complete with flags and megaphones.  Voting day was a holiday to ensure that everyone has a chance to get to their respective polling stations to vote.  After voting, the voter's finger is dipped in indelible ink so they cannot go vote at another location.  The next morning when we arrived at work, we asked our guard, Amisse, if he voted and he showed us his finger.



In addition to our normal flight schedule, maintenance, and routine work occasionaly we have a change in the routine.  In this case we coordinated with the airport fire fighters to make sure all of our staff were trained to use our fire extinguishers.

Fire Extinguisher Practice

Sometimes local preschools take a field trip to the airport.  The kids always enjoy taking a look inside our aircraft and sitting up front and imagining being a pilot.

Pre-schoolers on a field trip to the airport gets a tour of our airplane



Dave recently flew to the Niassa Reserve and had to spend the night at the camp because it was too late in the afternoon to fly back to Nampula.  To get to the camp, they had to take a canoe across the river.  Early the next morning they paddled back across the river to the airstrip so he could fly back to Nampula.




For all of my Department of Transportation friends:  Here are a few pictures of some pothole repair in the city.





In August we had some family members come to visit.  We started out their visit with a day trip to Kruger National Park.  In our past visits, we had seen all of the Big 5 except the leopard (lion, cape buffalo, elephant, and rhino).  This time we saw THREE leopards.  So awesome!!  We also saw some other animals we had never seen making the day pretty special!

Leopard No. 1 walking straight towards us

Hyena cub

African Open-billed Stork near a crocodile

African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork and Hippos

Secretarybird (not a great pic but super exciting to see!)


We also did some hiking and visited a bunch of waterfalls in South Africa.

Hiking at the Three Rondavels



 

Rock hyrax




After our time in South Africa, they returned to Mozambique with us for a week.  We went on a hike in Rapale and then visited Ilha de Mocambique.

Hiking at Rapale (we made it to the top of that tall mountain ahead of us)

Tour on Ilha

Ilha de Mocambique

A few bonus wildlife pics:
Leopard No. 1

Leopard No. 2



Zebras and impalas at a watering hole

Black-backed Jackal
Elephants crossing a water hole
  
Lazy lion

Lazy hippo

Chill Croc


Black-headed Gonolek (seen in Uganda)