It is done...

The season is over. It is finished. It is done. I am relieved.

Yesterday Joe helped to pack up the plane. We worked until way after 6 in the evening. Earlier that morning I was faced with the decision of flying or not. As usual it was a difficult decision with border line conditions but in the end my sanity prevailed. The wind direction placed the runway in the lee of the mountains and the risk of flying (I thought!) was just too much. Of course the day was beautiful - warm, sunny with the popular spots having very calm and protected winds. But for those that were clued up, you'd notice a dramatic change in the wind direction. Some beaches were off shore when they were usually side shore - others were now side shore, noticeably at the MCSS office.

While Joe and I worked some strange winds came through which made the wing dance and jump. "I sure am glad to be on the ground!" I mentioned to Joe. Later still when we were done I got this nice pic. It was a lenticular - they are very rare in Seychelles but it was a beaut. Right above the runway. It made my day and confirmed that I made the right choice. It was the best thing to admire the cloud from the safety of the ground. (My flying friends will know exactly what this cloud represents!:)

Today is tying up all the lose ends but not before I am going to lie on the beach and read...

Wish you were here!

:)

The end comes with big risk...

It is Sunday. The last day, or at least so we thought. As luck would have it we have been send some south westerly winds. These winds are just about at right angles across the runway and makes flying very uncomfortable and if they are strong even dangerous. This morning is one of those days.

Of course the sun is out and it looks like the most perfect day and I guess most people would wonder why on earth we are refusing to fly. It is expected. And it is a tedious and long explenation. Most of it people do not understand because the nature of the conditions are quite technical. There is often doubt. The irony is that the forecast is for the same winds to persist for the next two days. I expected that we would pack up. 5 minutes later David called to ask I don't. He would prefer to wait and see what the winds are going to do.

And that is the nature of this work. Trying to generate funds on the one hand while making safe flying and sensible decisions. Of course David is quite aware of that and does not expect us to fly in anything that we deem not safe. But that does not mean the pressure is any less. The fretting of what the weather is going to do mills in your mind and you are effectively on duty 24/7. It is almost as if one is flying in these conditions in anyevent! It is tough. This is the biggest wear of the job. If the weather is absolutely borderline is it worth taking up someone for a flight? What are you going to do when it is borderline. Then it looks just doable then it doesn't...

Of course I don't believe it is a good thing but we will go through the motions anyway.

You just never know - tomorrow might be perfect...

;)

Wish you were here!

These boots were made for flying…

It had been a year since our last flight (or as Garreth pointed out, more than a year) but the sense of excitement was just the same. The wind was 5k from the NE so we climbed to 3000ft on the west coast. Still, we got rocked a bit more than what a measly 5k wind should be capable of doing. So with the same amount of excitement and now with the same amount of fear as last year’s flight (We got rocked at 5grand over Beau Vallon bay on that occasion!) we settled into a rather exhilarating flight down memory lane.

You would be amazed at how many people come out to Seychelles with only shorts and T-shirts. Not a jean not a jacket or any kind of top in sight. I guess it must be a tropical thing. I supposed it is not that you are going to need a jacket or fleece, for it never gets cold here. But /it pays to be prepared because you never know what might happen or come up, such as the chance to fly in a micro-light. It can get pretty darn cold at 5000ft and when you hit the likes of 7000ft or 8000ft it becomes a different ball game all together. At these altitudes in an open cock-pit plane, wind chill factors become painful and any exposed flesh takes a beating. Well, especially considering that you are supposed to be in the tropics.

People who know will always make a plan and I guess Garreth was not going to let his toes freeze again. Even if the boots seemed made for clubbing and dancing it was still the most class act to fly in my little orange plane!

Wish you were here!
:)

No sharks again

Just finished flying for today. Even if the weather has turned (it is good!) the sharks are not here. Yesterday the boat went out but Neil could not find the mornings sharks again. Today we did not spot any either so the boat trips were cancelled. Sherrie and I flew around the island this afternoon and spotted a few turtles, lots of schools of fish, some barracuda and loads of fish fleeing for their lives! Even if the big sharks are not to be seen there is still lots of action! Will give a more detailed update later.

Now I have to catch that beer with a sunset! (Or is that catching the sunset with a beer..?) Oh, heck! I have to go!

Wish you were here!
:)

Rain stoped. Sharks are here.

This is just a quick entry. The rain has stopped today and Neil found two sharks. It means the boats will be going out this afternoon. Perhaps there is still hope for finishing on a high!

Wish you were here!

:)

Prophecy

Everybody ready for the jump! This was taken earlier in the season.....

It seems there is some prophetic tendency in my blog. As soon as I mention the word drought and no rain, the heavens open up. It has rained for most of yesterday and last night. This morning it is still raining and the met is forecasting rain for the rest of the day with possible heavy falls for the afternoon. Clearing is expected by tomorrow midday only, or so the met office says anyway…

As if the lack of sharks is not enough, the rain has put out even the last flicker of hope we have had of finishing the season on a high. Of course, everybody is trying their best to keep busy and not think about it too much. It is the usual thing. The end of a great season is approaching and when dreams have been realized it is no wonder that no one wants to say goodbye.

From a statistical point of view this has been the second best season ever. Even if the end has been slow we had a lot of sharks. We saw 42 sharks in just one flight, twice! In total Neil and I spotted 594 sharks from the air while the boat crew had 395 in water encounters. The numbers of experiences are just too many to remember and without the daily recording of the interns almost all would be lost. Meticulous detail of each and every encounter is kept – sharks are sized, sexed, photographed, accompanying fish noted and counted, peculiar markings, behaviour, time of day, area, swimmers in the water among other things are all noted on water proof sheets of paper. Afterwards all details are entered into the computer for easier and more in depth and detailed analyses later on. Add to that the data Neil and I gather from the air and the data sets become pretty impressive to say the least.

The MCSS functions as a team. Without the team effort there will be no success and no progress or reward. Breaking previous records is not just the doings of Mother Nature but also great teamwork from the interns. Of course, I am not saying they are all angels – by no means! :) But they worked well together and this year, once again the team excelled. They will be taking with them treasured lessons and experiences.

In the meantime, we are wet but thankfully on the ground!

Wish you were here!

:)

We reach for the chocolate...

This is Kathryn sizing up some comfort food....

“Quick! Somebody give me chocolate and no one will get hurt.” Of course the magical properties of chocolate have been a delicious topic over the ages. And while modern science has proved beyond doubt that there is absolutely no magical ingredient in coco to explain the enhancement we feel when eating this elixir-come- aphrodisiac-feel-good delicacy, chocolate debates (and the act of eating it) continue.

Of course, with the extreme lack of whale sharks (note extreme) this kind of indulgence is not just customary but mandatory. It comes at the best of times too. The fact that the whale sharks seem to have made an early departure for this year has been playing on our psyche’s and frustrations. Every day boat loads of people have to be turned away. Painstaking explanations are given to appease customers, as if the words, ‘sorry, there are no more whale sharks around…’, could be construed as if it is a commodity and the shop has run out of stock. Surely with just a bit more planning and better management…

October is the start of the rainy season (Well, a bit more rain than in the other months really) and in previous years us pilots have always had some reprieve from flying on those rainy days. (It was most frustrating since we knew the sharks were out there but the weather was not allowing us to get onto them). This October however, there is a drought. Rain fall is down 70% compared to the average for the month and the met office expects this trend to continue. We have been able to fly every single day but ironically the sharks are nowhere to be found. And while we can’t blame anyone but changing climates and global warming, there is certain expectancy for the magical abilities of pilots to find some whale sharks – though subtle, the pressure is always on us.

Of course, I find solace the traditional way. Who cares about whale sharks if you can have that!?

Wish you were here!

:)

Footprints in the sky…

I had to use that as a blog caption. It is just so good… :)

It came highly recommended from Kate, one of the season’s interns. (Before I elaborate too much about Kate, let me tell you right off that she is Joe’s, our hero photographer’s girlfriend. Kate and Jo spend some time traveling – working in Oz for a year or so while diving and yachting among other things). Kate has long, dark blond hair, startling green eyes and a personality that is a treasure. When it comes to the notion of a good woman (the movie), Kate is right up there. Let me tell you, she is a rare treasure. After our great conversation for the afternoon I could hardly help not to come to that conclusion. Jo and Kate make a great couple and Joe is a very lucky man. (I hope he realizes that! ;)

Kate accompanied me on yesterday’s afternoon flight – we don’t normally take people up with us in the afternoon flights but I figured the extra eyes would come in handy to spot sharks, which have become scarce. On the way back we flew through the Sarron gap, as it is known to pilots – a low gap in the mountains connecting Beau Vallon Bay with Victoria the capital. We flew around some wispy cumulus clouds while to our right the massive Granitic peak of Morney Seychelles dwarfed the wispy clouds and us. It was on the drive home, while crossing the Sarron gap in the car when I looked up at the mountains and realized our view and experience was way better than those tedious and perspiration inspired footpaths along the cliffs. On a whim I pointed up into the sky and said, “Look! There are our tracks…” It was quite a beautiful moment, especially when Kate, in all earnest followed my pointing finger while she peered into the sky too. It was easy to come up with the notion of ‘footprints in the sky…’ It sure makes for a great title. I wondered about all the foot prints I have left up there over the years in the Seychelles sky. What would it look like if they were all visible?

One day, I will write a book about that…

Wish you were here!

:)

Gone, gone, gone…

Here is another one of Joe’s pics. Is this the end of the season for views and encounters like this one?

Well, what can I say? For two days we have gone without a glimpse of the large spotted creatures and it seems like the sharks have disappeared. The few weeks we have all been murmuring about the season coming to an early end and secretly, one and all have been having their fingers crossed while we hoped for the best. All to no avail it seems. Could this be the end, while we are still ten days short of the formal end of the season? Perhaps we might get another spurt of activity – a kind of last gaps so to speak before the final curtain call. Of course the sharks and Mother Nature cares less about man’s labels or concept of time…

Wish you were here!

:)

Speaking of the devil...

Speaking of the devil, the rain is finally here. This morning we woke to the sound of little waterfalls as the water cascaded off the roofs. It was music to our ears. After an hour with no sign of the rain abating, a phone call to the met office, David decides to can the day. Of course just as the decision was taken the rain stops. Slowly the day turns around and Neil flies around the whole island in the afternoon. He finds one whale shark near Theresa Island. That is exactly where we got them yesterday. We all feel we missed out on a good day of sharking.

Yesterday was absolutely awesome. It was one of those days when you had an element of absolutely everything thrown into one. The morning started when I picked up my passenger. Perhaps I should have guessed by then but being a typical male, my passenger’s beauty numbed all other senses. That of course does let the cat out of the bag – Kim is absolutely gorgeous – but that part is a whole different story. Suffice to say we had a great flight and I enjoyed the company of my passenger immensely.

It was a very unstable day. The build-up of cloud over the island was huge and by lunchtime it was raining over the whole of Beau Vallon Bay. This of course was where the boat was departing from and as expected David called – the concern in his voice obvious. I set him at ease; the build-up was localised and over Beau Vallon Bay only. The west coast should be clear. Of course the storm grew throughout the course of the afternoon and I spent my time flying in close proximity of the clouds and rain. The sun bathed parts in sunshine, mixing concern with tranquillity while I danced on the borders of these two contrasts for almost two hours. The lighting was absolutely spectacular and the rain, clouds, turquoise water, island greens, granitic hues, whale sharks edged over white sandy bottoms was a feast that is impossible to put in words. Eventually the rain started spreading towards the Airport and threatened to cut off my return route. It was a beautiful trip back, scenic and completely uneventful too – I had left a healthy safety margin this time. In other cases we would leave just in the nick of time because of the scarcity of sharks. But because the sharks were playing nice and stayed with the boats, it was easy for me to leave earlier, playing it safe. Here are some pics of the scenery – the build up from a distance and inside the action. All in all a grand day I would say!

Wish you were here!

:)

warm cold sharks...

The sharks have been acting warm cold – oddly so. On one day we would have 8 then just one or two the next day. Then a few more and then just one. It has been quite frustrating, especially for Neil and I who have the job of finding the sharks for the dive teams. Flying around for hours focused on spotting a tiny brown tadpole that is not there, is exhausting. On those evening everyone wants to party, except Neil and I – people find it hard to understand why we are so tired.

On another note, we have had another few days of calm weather. Blissful flying yet the whale sharks again is playing hard to get. I would get 4 sharks in the morning and then only one in the afternoon. Then Neil would get just one in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. Thankfully they all hang around and everybody gets a few turns to swim with the whale shark. David and I are not sure what to make of this season. I somehow have a feeling that the season just might be coming to a premature end. That would not be good seeing as the MCSS has two full boats booked until the end of October. It is going to be frustrating and long flights in the last week or so. Of course, not be too pessimistic, as always we remain hopeful. At least the sun has been shining like there is no tomorrow, which brings to a serious issue.

There is a draught on the island. Yes, a tropical island that is supposed to be experiencing rain (and lots of it) at the moment is having a draught. The dam is the emptiest I have ever seen it. Their dam is not very big but as the water is used, it rains again and fills up. At the beginning of the season I noted the dam being the fullest I have ever seen it. Now it is quite the opposite. It has been dry for more than two weeks and before that not much rain – that is very unusual for Seychelles. Every day the water gets cut off for a couple of hours and sometimes, if your timing is off you have to just take a swim in the sea.

Wish you were here!;)

Shark news...

Yesterday was a cracker of a day. The winds were down to less than 5knots. Few Clouds and a slight sea. The best part was that the sharks turned up in some numbers. 8 for the afternoon of which a few ended up being real friendly - many dives were made with the same shark and people could look and look. (I have to say that the flight was actually quite turbulent. The wind though light was east and this put me right off shore into the thermal trigger zone. My flying buddies will now what that means!)

One of the interns is a young gun, David. Fit and strong he is very into free diving and just the other day he had quite a remarkable experience. Diving down to 60ft he was hanging motionless in the blue - no bottom in sight, no surface in sight, when he got this sense that he was being watched. Looking around he noticed this long thin body and realised it must be a marlin or something. Not moving, it slowly glided closer at witch time David took a few stroke closer. Right at this moment the fish raised its extra large dorsal fin. A Magnificent sail fish! He had been down for quite some time and still had a long way to go back to the surface so could not hang out for much longer. Heeding the warning of the large sailfish not to come any closer he gently made his way up to the light. He was pretty stoked that day.

Neil, is flying today and the wind is up a bit more and still from the east. The whole west coast should be turbulent and I advised him to fly high... Will hear later how it went.

Wish you were here!

:)

PS: I have published a new web site. Why not check it out. If you like it please spread the news. Comments are welcome too. :) click the link "hangcheck" in the sidebar...

Age, flying and risk

Pat and I amongst the clouds...

The other day, Garreth and I talked about flying and age. It was no coincidence talking about these interesting companions – I have been around long enough to know a few retired pilots myself. Of course our conversation was not about pilots and age but about the act of flying people that are not so young anymore. I mentioned to Garreth that some would consider my act of flying Pat as nothing but gross negligence and we pondered this notion.

Pat we guessed must be around 80 – I never asked her age but later friends let me in on it. I noticed her frailty when I helped her into the back seat but it really struck home after the flight – after I helped her out of the seat I had to support her while she regained her balance and footing. It took a while and it was during this time that I had a myriad of thoughts on the responsibility and the risk I was taking by allowing her into the back seat of the little orange plane. I cannot even begin to describe the depths of the compassion that flooded me at that moment too and it were these thoughts that really spurred my conversation with Garreth.
We jested of course about what family might say, “Are you crazy granny! You are too old to do this kind of thing. You might die..!”
“What do you mean I might die? I am dying right now! Come on sonny, lets get up there…” and we both chuckled about that.

Of course the reality is that when it comes to the aged we get hung up about risks far too much right at about the time when the other side of the coin should be considered more. We argued that it is worth considering the risk when you are young – losing one’s life at that stage is quite tragic, (not that we think it is not tragic for an elderly person to lose their life, just perhaps less so) but consider for a moment that for the aged the benefits become even greater. Making a tick on a bucket list is far more than a mark on a piece of paper. In the same way we will never really know what it must have meant to Pat, being up there, enjoying vistas and sensations for real that she had spent her whole life dreaming off. And what about the aftereffects of such an experience? Is the spirit lifted? Is life made lighter? Is living made more sensible? Surely all these things must be worth the possible chances of dying.

It was then that I remembered the movie ‘second hand lions’ and the truth struck me that there is value even in the act of dying. If I were aged and got the chance of dying while flying in a micro-light I would jump at it in a flash. It sure beats lying in some old age home waiting for death, hands down.

“Get out of my way sonny! I want to get into that seat!”

Wouldn’t you?

Wish you were here!
:)
J

Good weather and risk

This morning Neil left with a surprise on his hands. The flying he is about to experience will be of the best he has ever done. The sea, if it can be called the sea for it is so calm a baby could float on it. (Have no idea where that came from! But you get the idea :)

Yesterday I had a taste of it with the wind steadily decreasing from 5 mph in the morning to zero that afternoon. Many would say this can hardly be called work. But it is. Much of my work constitutes the stress of flying innocent people (OK, they have agreed to get onto the back seat voluntarily so that can hardly be called innocent) however, I know most people are completely un aware of the risks, even if you explain it to them. Of course, I am. This is my work – the stress and worry of ‘what if things go wrong..?’

I flew two dear ladies this week – they loved it like there was no tomorrow. (Now there is some truth in that statement I tell you!) But these were the kind of ladies that I knew would be useless if anything should go wrong. Like landing in the sea. It would be game over for them. Of course we fly out over the sea for most of the time…

But the enchantments of tropical waters, the magical colours that seduce even the most ardent and steadfast adventurer is triumphant once again. It is so impossible not to be lured into the tranquil beauty that it is a sin not to make use of the moments. Going lower for some high speed flying resembles that of a speedboat skimming along the water. Just better.

Oh magical indeed!

Wish you were here!
:)

The sharks are back...

This is one of those pics you just have to love. Does it not fill you with a sense of awe? It should. This type of agrigations are very rare and I was lucky to be in the right place...

We have had a bit of a spurt of whale shark activity. Yesterday we encountered 8 sharks in the south. The two boats with full passengers (that’s two groups on each) had a great time. Some of the sharks just did not want to go away! I saw quite an amazing thing. After years of flying this was the first time I witnessed such a thing.

I spotted a hammerhead shark of about two meters, cruising near the surface. This guy was swimming about, seemingly at random, I guess sniffing the waters to find out what is going on. At the same time a whale shark started to surface not far from the hammerhead shark. I could see the hammerhead shark was on an intercepting course. The whale shark, about 6-7meters in length rose out of the clear depths like a living submarine – its dark outline becoming clearer every second. The hammerhead was closer to the surface before it spotted the whale shark. At this stage I could only imagine what it must feel like to look down and there, slowly rising out of the inky depths is the biggest mother shark you have ever seen. I too would not hang around to ask questions. That hammerhead burst into action with the fastest U-turn, running away like a yelping dog with its tail between its legs.

It was hilarious!

What about the sharks...

Here is a pic of a big whale shark next to the boat. The boat is ten meters long...

I have been very secretive about the sharks this season. (Actually, I have been quite silent when it comes to most of our groups doing for the most part). But after an initial boom period of sharks during September the beginnings of October has seen some slow days. The sharks have been few and far between for the last week. Most days we have sighted 1 or two in the mornings and then have multiple encounters on just two sharks for the afternoon. It means that the tourists are still getting their share of swimming with the worlds biggest fish but it is hard work for the group. For Neil and I as pilots our eyes are not given much rest - we are constantly scanning the sea surface for any movement or suspicious shape to give away the presence of a whale shark.

On another note, one of the interns, Jenny is leaving us today. She has actually been one of the party animals, no that might be too wild a description, perhaps energetic and outgoing is better, of the group. She will be dearly missed I am sure. (she is doing her masters in the UK on shark matters...)

The weather has also been warm and sunny yet the winds have been wanting to go to the southwest. As I have explained the southwest winds are very turbulent around the runway and Neil and I have been flying very cautiously. It has actually been quite stressful. The actual direction has been between 180 to 200 degrees which is turbulent but manageable around the runway, however if it switched just 20 degrees more we would be in trouble. The air around the runway becomes that of a washing machine. It has been difficult to relax knowing that the wind could change, (unlikely but it could!). It has made us ponder if it is worth the risk on many a time...

Still, we have not been having those windless calm days. That is something to look forward to!

Wish you were here!

:)

now it works....

What the!? It worked! OK here is another...

The pics are from the water in Anse La Mouche bay and the other from the air next to Bay Turney. This is as far as you can get from the airport on the island! :)

No pictures on this blog host...

Still not able to upload pictures - workingonthe problem. Perhaps it is from the blogger website. I notice quite a few people are having the same problems... I am going to try just pasting it onto my blog from Word...

... errr... (should be GRRRR..!!!!) It is not working. Maybe I should think about changing my blog home page....

No wind, lots of rain

One of the interns for the season is Joe Daniels. Joe is passionate about photography and his pics so far are amazing. He is a really worthwhile photogropaher to watch. Here are a few of the pics he has taken this season. Pretty hey! :)

Oh! Is that not just like murphy! I am having difficulties iploading pictures. Will keep trying but it does not seem to be working for now...


Of course, the beauty of these calm days is often off set by rain. And the rain can come down in buckets – the likes of which few have ever seen. The torrents are so overwhelming that it often makes you sit up and take note. At this moment I am sitting on my veranda and admiring the rain. It seems to soften the green edges yet those yellow coconuts stand out even more as they shine and glimmer in the wet. I do admire the rain but perhaps it is not a thought shared by those who want a tropical island holiday and the associated sunshine one dreams of. It does dampen the whale shark trips and prevents aerial support. For locals I guess, it fills the few fresh water dams, something the island desperately needs.

Talking of fresh water, this year it has rained more than any of the previous years for as far back as I can remember – a fact that the fresh water lake I often fly over testifies to: it is fuller than I have ever seen. That does not mean it is full – something I wonder if anyone has ever seen, but the rain is needed by locals. They still have serious water restrictions with water supplies being cut off at certain times during most of the days. It is hard to imagine a country with so much rain to have a water shortage. Of course it is also something that obviously is born from bad management. Private freshwater tanks should have been part and parcel of each house right from the beginning. Ironically, the country invested heavily into a desalination plant some years ago. Even that has not been sufficient to fulfil all their needs and all the rain bucketing down just flow right back from where it came – the sea.

Another change the calms and rain bring is the swing in wind direction. The southeast will eventually make way for the northwest but before it does it can bring those dreaded southwest and westerlies. When these arrive the flying becomes horrible. (To get a good idea of what I am talking about check out last year’s entry in October – I think it is called the event of the year. It will give you a good idea of the kind of conditions I am talking about. Besides it is actually a cool story too. ;)

But the fact that the southwesterlies are coming is a clear as day. The only option we have is how we negotiate them. Fingers crossed!

Wish you were here!
:)

What calms...

It seemed I spoke to soon.

Yesterday the wind came back with a vengeance. Even worse, it rained too. The stormy weather put a damper on things but senses prevailed and the day was cancelled. Just as well. even later in the day the winds pick up even more with frequent gusts over 30k at the airport. I sure am glad to be on the ground.

Eisha, a young local dive master who works for the Dive Centre was suppose to come flying with me. Instead, all we could do was watch the weather and talk. Of course I am always up for a chat and it did not take me long to carry the conversation to God and the importance of making Him part of your life.

Especially if you are going to fly in a tiny little plane like our micro-light.

Naturally.
;)

Wish you were here!
:)

The calms are approaching….

Today I noticed far towards the north the mirror calm surface of the sea. These are the days of zero wind, absolute calm when not a ripple is in sight. Can you believe it is a promise of even better times to come..?

We have been moving towards the end of September – the end of the South East Monsoon season. This marks the end of the windy season. The last week or two have seen a steady drop in wind strengths – the usual 15 knot plus days making way first for 10 to 15 knot days and then the 5 to 10 knot days and now, finally the days with less than 5 knots. These are the days when the island life become the best there is. I am taking nothing away from the windy seasons that carry its own special charms but there is just something that mirrors the soul when these windless calm days reflect not just the drifting boat or the rocky point but part of you.

It is a funny thing this calm reflection. It does seem to be part of being human. Somehow we all long for some peace of sorts and in whatever form your life needs it, it is brought out by these tropical reflections. Everybody is happy.

Neil and I have been sampling some of this good weather and it has been a bonus – adding to the joy of this work.

Here is a pic I got of some of the whale shark action yesterday. (There is a shark in there too!) The wash was strong towards the rocks and in the effort to get away from them some of the snorkelers put in a few extra kicks in a bit of a panick to get away from the rocks. Of course, as experienced divers we know what frantic panicky kicking does in a wild ocean – an ocean with sharks. Out of the blue a few black tip reef sharks appeared and rushed at the divers. They circled the brightly coloured fins for a while and I guess not finding any trace of blood, (OK, I am dramatizing here! ;) disappeared into the depths. But for a while there were a few pounding hearts doing the rounds! The tourists loved it though and after diving on 8 sharks swear the experience was the best they have ever had.

Wish you were here!
:)

Coco nuts and dogs

Spot the rabid dog...

23 September 2010

Today I went for a walk to the internet café. I had been brooding about updating my websites and finally decided to pay the exorbitant browsing fees these old age internet shops charge. (They are still on a time basis and not a data rate – which is made doubly frustrating because the connections are anything but fast. (No such thing as broad band here).
I (or the webhosting site!) made a hash of things and ruined a whole hours’ worth of work. It was time to call it quits and retire to a more off line based web design package – one where I could take my time and not have to pay for it.

Well, the walk is what is quite cool. It is a short cut and you end up walking through the rural back yards past little homes on a little access footpath that winds its way down the hill towards the central part of the village. It is quite an experience. Steep in places (very steep!) that make you kind off catch your breath about slipping and falling, and every now and then you walk right by a back yard with a line full of washing. Invariably you lower your eyes in case they wander inadvertently into a kitchen or bedroom and see something private.

It was on the way back while brooding about the internet woes, that I got bitten by one of those stupid Seychelles dogs. They have a bad reputation let me tell you and I am no stranger to these temperamental dogs. Anyway, I got a good squeeze on my right calf and two neat holes where the long K-9 teeth sunk in. In a way it was my own stupidity and I am perhaps more peeved off with that than the fact that the dog bit me.

She was a black half breed of medium size and quite obviously breast feeding. She just jumped into the road out of nowhere and growled. It was a warning to me – I should have known her pups are nearby. Yet I kept on walking, ignoring the stupid animal thinking that I am not scared of dogs – also nothing wrong with that but my mistake was as I passed I looked away, just for a second or two and that’s when she took her chance. There was this sharp pain in my calf and before I could react she was gone, down the slope and out of reach. No amount of cursing from my side could undo the two blood seeping holes. And no amount of calling in any manner could get her to come back towards me (She knew what I had in mind!) Of course it is not her fault. I was supposed to be the intelligent animal and failed miserably.

Plastered up with Bactroban I should be ok but for my dented ego. What on earth beseeched me to turn my back on such an obvious dangerous animal – a breast feeding mother!?

Oh the woes of paradise!

Wish you were here!
:)

PS: Neil had a fantastic days flying – light winds and he is stoked. We should get a pic from him soon too.

More coco nuts...

Here is a picture of a Coco de mer in its more common state. It is de-husked.








And my price-less immigration stamp.

The Coco de mer is a seed and not a fruit as some people think and the biggest in the world at that too – sometimes weighing as much as 20kg. (No wonder you die if it falls on your head!) It is unique to Seychelles and not surprising has become an unofficial National emblem. My pass port is full of coco de mer stamps too. Every visit for the past 9 years the immigration officials have adorned the inside pages of my pass port with this priceless stamp. I have come to like these cute little stamps with growing affinity. This year however I got a different stamp. I almost want to call it a traitor stamp. A bland stamp. A stupid stamp. Have the local officials gone nuts? What on earth could have persuaded them to discard this priceless stamp?

After some inquiry, it turns out that an Islamic leader complained that the stamp was too “explicit”. Apparently it reveals too much of the nature of a woman. Of course I can’t help but think it takes a foul mind to think like that – even if there is a striking resemblance.

Hey Seychelles government. What’s up with that?

It of course brings me to another subject. A more controversial one and one that I am probably going to put my foot into, no matter how delicate I try to handle it. Consider the fact that Islam extremists have burned heaps of bibles and nothing happened. So one Christian Pastor wants to burn the Koran and all hell breaks loose! (Pardon the pun.)

Poor Pastor. I mean, think about it. He is probably very aware of the Islamic influence in his country and of the 9/11 disaster and of the heaps of bibles that has been burnt and one can understand how perhaps he has just had enough. It is of course NOT the Christian way of doing it (The modern Christians do not go about burning other religious books) but heaven knows, I can sympathise with the man!

Double standards?

It seems the pastor is not the only one who is getting fed up. Apparently the French have banned the wearing of the traditional face cover for Muslim women – with a 200$ fine and up to a year sentence for men who are found to have enforced their wives to do so. Of course I am aware that this has nothing to do with the Islamic religion either but it serves to illustrates my point.

Interesting indeed!

:) Perhaps this is what I should write about to get some feedback. Let’s see…

Yes, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with flying or sharks…

Still. Wish you were here!
:)

Risky but fun...

Well, here is another pic. Far out to sea... But Abi seems very happy and enjoying the experience. She is one of the MCSS teamleaders and certianly knows the score! ;)

Risky business…

The last two days have been hard days – strong winds and rain storms. The flying has been extreme and it is no wonder that only the most experienced pilots can do this work. Although Neil is not very experienced when it comes to micro-light flying he is very experienced as a pilot. Not only is he a commercial helicopter pilot but he has been flying paragliders and hang gliders for a number of years. It is on these grounds that I chose him for the project in the first place. Of course the fact that he flies hang gliders was really what swayed him in favour of the project. You see, I know what it takes to fly a hang glider, not just because of the knowledge you need of micrometeorology but also being able to judge glide angles and being on the lookout for landing areas and the mind-set that goes around flying these types of aircraft. I do not believe any pilot can get a better foundation for any flying career than starting with hang gliding.

Needless, Neil is still enjoying a very steep learning curve.

The day before yesterday he pushed it a bit – according to me. Of course he is the pilot out there and making the decisions, however inexperience sometimes can make you shave off safety issues in favour of the whale shark project. I know. I was there once too. Of course the truth is nothing is worth compromising your safety.

This brings me to another topic – that of the nature of the flying with the whale shark program. Let’s get one thing straight. This is not a passenger commercial flight service. There is absolutely nothing in our flying that is geared towards flying passengers. If anybody comes flying with us, it is as our guests, non-paying guests at that. They get to see what the marine survey pilots do, how we do observational sampling and gather all kinds of information pertinent to a project of this nature. They certainly do not get a “how cool is it to fly!” kind of stuff. Instead they get a briefing about the dangers of the type of flying we do – that it is for research purposes and not with the safety of the public in mind. We take risks, (As Neil told a lucky guy who was flying with him, “We break almost every rule in the book…” which made the poor guys eyes bulge! Neil quickly set him straight though. We do not break every rule in the book. Just one – we often fly out of glide of safe landing areas.) What I am getting at here is that after having made a statement of ‘nothing is worth compromising your safety’, we find ourselves involved in a project of this nature. This seems quite contradicting, and it is. But let’s make sure who ever comes flying with us, is aware of that. They are putting themselves at great risk.

It can also be a pretty damn cool experience too…

Wish you were here!
:)

PS: The pic shows the flying - stormy rain clouds and out of glide of beaches...

continued...

Today looked like a difficult day. The wind was blowing near our limits for the morning. I sure hope Neil is coping. Yesterday I had a nice day by comparison. The morning was clear with few clouds. Only by late afternoon did some large rain cells move in from the south and I had to run for the airport. It was a great afternoon though – a south day. The two groups on the boat had a, wait for it, here it comes.., a whale of a time! :) (OK. I won’t use that cliché again) Here is a pic of some of the action we had. Can you see the whale shark?

Has the whole world gone nuts?

While on the subject of coconuts, I am sure you must have heard of the famous Coco de mer? For those that can’t speak Arabic, it means “nut from the sea”. This was what they were named when these very peculiar nuts washed ashore on the northeast African coast some 1000 plus years ago. No one had any idea were the nuts came from except that they were from the sea, and highly sought after. Trading in these nuts was a lucrative business. Sometime later a few Arab traders must have decided to try and trace the source of them and followed the trail “up current”. It is believed these traders were the first to discover and set foot on Seychelles. Of course because the traders were secretive about their sources, they kept no record of it. However, it is pretty official that they traded in fresh Coco de mer’s , indicating that they must have discovered its source. That they discovered Seychelles perhaps as early as 500AD remains the unofficial version. This is a pic of a few Coco de mers in their natural habitat.

Wish you were here!
:)

Yellow coconuts...

There are a couple of bright yellow coconuts hanging from a tree outside our apartment. Though they have been there ever since we have moved into the apartment I only really noticed them from the comfort of my hammock. You would forgive me for saying that they have been on my mind and thankfully not on my head. You see, I have strung my hammock between the said coconut and a hefty jack-fruit tree and it was whilst lazing in my hammock that I looked up and noticed the bright yellow coconuts. Of course the first thought that crossed my mind was the fact that every year more people die of falling coconuts than shark attacks. Quite a ridiculous thought actually but it set my mind into action. I wondered too if most of these people were lazing in hammocks at the time of death. Of course it is authentic and traditional to string your hammock between coconut trees. In hindsight it was perhaps not the most intelligent of ideas but one can understand the temptation to use coconut trees given their usual idyllic locations. My trees too are strategically placed, offering a splendid view of the bright bay of Beau Vallon – the turquoise waters just adding that extra dimension to a session in the hammock.
I pondered too if hammocks were traditional to times of sailing – you know, in those old pirate ships, where below deck strings of hammocks with smelly, farty old sailors come to mind. Perhaps those same hammocks were strung between two coconut trees after a shipwreck and that was where the coconut-hammock tradition started.
A sudden gust made my hammock sway soothingly from side to side. The coconut tree however creaked ominously. In a quick scramble I made an about turn. It was an easy solution. By placing my head under the canopy of the jack-fruit my toes were left to ponder the notion of falling coconuts.

I’d say, a worthy sacrifice with this kind of view…

Wish you were here!
:)

PS: We have had some good flying and great whale sharking. I spotted 42 whale sharks in one flight the other day! Not bad! :) Today is windy and rainy and tom looks like more of the same. It has been a slow day for all...

8 sharks without eyes in the sky...

As you can see from the caption the boat managed to get onto 8 whale sharks without aerial support. It was Neils turn to fly and the regular rain cells coming through was enough to keep him on the ground at the airport. So sounds like he missed out. He sure seemed glad for having stuck to his guns and staying on the ground. It is easy to be pressurised into flying when it is not really safe to do so. Of course I support Neils and his decision completely. Here is a pic of Joe on his birthday. Pretty good gift hey!?

Wish you were here!

:)

Storms and sleeps...

Here is a pic of the two of us near Conception Island. There is a little glory on the cloud below...



Neil and I have the windows open while we sleep. The south east breeze blows through the room all night which helps to cool things down a bit. Right next to our room is a small bit of tropical forest. There is a tall Casuarina tree, a Bodiman tree, an exceptionally large mango tree, a Jack fruit tree and some others I am unfamiliar with, the leaves of which orchestrates into a scary rumble when a wind of sizable proportions comes by. It serves as a warning to those sailors taking to the seas or sky – beware the swaying trunks and rustling leaves spell. A spell that sometimes creeps through your sweet sleep we so desperately seek. Our desperation is evident too from the ingenious ways we have found to block off the outside world, even while you are smack bang in the middle of it. I for one have the most softest and sound proof earphones for my MP3 player. With these babies in my ear and my black eye patch cover on it can be midday while the party is my room and I would sail away to another world… Well, you get the idea at least. Of course sooner or later you need to switch of the music – which has happened sometimes an hour or two after I should have been sound asleep. In semi-wake mood the player is switched off and the pillow ear plug removed. The upper ear is still needed for those pesky and irritating barking local dogs. They really are a problem on this island.

Sleep is hard won.

Later I walked into the MCSS staff house with the words, “Right. Who ever does not get scared easily can come flying with me…” Outside the ocean was white with spray. Leaves where swirling about inside the kitchen. Suddenly everyone was busy or ‘still sleeping’, and 2 minutes later I left – alone. It was of course just a tease from my side. No one was actually going to fly today…

Ironically I managed to get airborne just after 3 in the afternoon managing a great flight around the island on my own. Coming back I flew high above the island and clouds – the usual safe and turbulent free route.

Today Neil is up. Though windy it looks fine. Some developing clouds around but sunny mostly. I am sure he is having a great time and will sleep well tonight.

It is 7:30 in the evening and it is raining outside. Neil's flight went well but he said he just managed to scrape into the airport before this mother of low clouds with rain swept into the airport. It has been with us for a while. Like I said. Sweet sleep for him tonight.

Wish you were here!

:)

Steep learning curve...

4 September 2010

It is Neil’s turn to fly today and even if I thought of going with him yesterday the good weather made me think otherwise. He was sitting on our balcony overlooking the bay. From here you could see the strength of the wind lines.
“Looks good.” I said as I joined him with a bowl of Pronutro.
“Yes. Nothing too bad.” He answered.
“I am not going to go with you but you can take one of the interns with you.”
“If it is ok, I would prefer to just fly on my own first.”
“Sure. You get settled and when ready the guys can join you.”
“Is it ok for you to come with me just to the airport? That way at least you can use the car…” It was a generous offer but probably more a ploy to entice me to go with. Smiling, I politely said no. It was time to cut the apron strings.
“Call me if you are not sure but go out there and enjoy yourself.”

Of course the weather turned nasty. A big storm approached from the south east and before 11 in the morning I had received 2 phone calls and three sms’s. It poured and the whale shark trips have been cancelled for the afternoon. It is now after 1 in the afternoon and Neil is still at the airport weather watching. No doubt his learning curve is very steep today…

Wish you were here!
:)

Word just in is that Neil did have a flight later in the afternoon. He said he only managed to do the survey on the south of the island before he had to scuttle back to the airport as another rainsquall moved in from the south. This is his first for the season and you can bet it won’t be his last!

PC problems..

Well, I have written a few entries but somehow managed to undo my wireless connections of my laptop. I am doing this from the work PC. Thought I would just let you guys know that we are working on the problem.

Today started with the bats going backwards and trees blowing over our high way. It was way too strong to fly, up to 35knots at times. But very late in the afternoon I managed to get a gap and did a survey around the island. It was a wonderful (and exciting!) flight. Managed to get 5 whale sharks on the north side near Conception island. Finished off with a very bumpy but aced landing! ;)

It is Neils turn to fly tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will bet better.

Wish you were here!
:)

Solo pic...

This is a pic of Neil before going on his first solo around the island. I did the usual cheeky last minute, get off the plane move. It was a great day for a easy intro the the place in his own....

Eureka...

For more than twenty years teaching has been part of my life. Of course since most of that has been teaching pilots the art of hang gliding it will come as no surprise that my most favourite method is through a process we call self-discovery. Oh, I like other methods too but nothing quite equals that moment of eureka when your pupil suddenly gets it – with just a bit of your guidance he had worked it out for himself – and you as the tutor can relax for a moment.

Neil of course is not new to flying but I have been showing him the ropes to our air survey program and have answered the usual questions as he is getting used to the flying conditions around this Indian Ocean tropical island of ours. It can be very demanding at times. After his morning solo flight around Mahé I was looking forward to catching a snooze while he goes out for his second solo of guiding the boat onto the whale sharks. He had already done two of those flights with me and was fully capable of doing it on his own. Of course it was then that David advised that he had two boats going out. Now directing two boats at the same time can be a different ball game and putting my ideas of an afternoon nap aside I thought it better to go with him. You know. Just in case. So sitting in the advisory back seat position I settled in for the three hour flight. Neil soon got the hang of it though and I relaxed a bit, finding the time to have a snack – a chocolate to be exact. (On these long flights I often take a chocolate bar or two). And later when things were quieter still, I hooked my feet over the foot rests and snoozed.


Imagine that.


Oh, and would you believe, it was actually quite comfortable too…


Eureka! Wish you were here..!
:)

All in a days work...

2 September 2010

I flew one of the interns this morning – in fact it was the first intern to go up in our little orange plane for the season. Karen is a beautiful brown eyed brunette. Originally from the eastern side of Australia, Brisbane, she got bored of her job as the Marine biologist for a popular tourist resort. The internship with the MCSS was a nice change in scenery, before she decides what to do next. Of course we had a great chat.

The weather was real border line. It put a certain ominous anticipation in our trip to the Airport. Even so, our conversation was light and easy. Then would you believe we got a flat tyre! It took a while to sort that out – the fact that we did not have a spare did not make things easier either. And then in my own way I pondered if God was perhaps giving me a sign that I should not be flying today… (Many times too I have told God that I am a thick skinned man and if he does not want me to do something to please hit me over the head with a large pole so that there can be no confusion! ) Of course all the time I was making light conversation with Karen. At the hangar it was drizzly but we went through the motions of preparing the plane – if we got a gap we could get up within just a few minutes. When it stopped drizzling some low level cumulus clouds whizzed over head at high speed but the wind was almost plum down the runway so up went.

Surprisingly it was rather good. The sun came out, the clouds parted and we had a clear run to the south. Once again, in my own way I relaxed knowing that God honored my usual request the other way round too. (If we were meant to go he would light the way:) Far to the south east the horizon was grey though. These rain clouds would not get to us in another hour at least. Of course Karen was overjoyed and who could blame her. Even I had that usual tinge of sincere appreciation of this work. It sure has its moments, often and then some!

At South point the wind turned on to nearly 30mph. No doubt those stormy clouds to our south east would be upon us a lot faster than I thought. Already they were just 10 miles away and looked pretty dark and intimidating – Karen had no objections to heading back earlier either. This is the nature of flying in Seychelles on those stormy and windy days. It does take a fair amount of experience to know the conditions and to judge just how far one can push it.

I let Karen fly back and like a seasoned champ she surfed the clouds and the rising winds.
“Just think of it as a surf board and ride it back home…” I said. Well, I just assumed she would know something about surfing coming from a coastal city in Australia. Either way, it worked and I took over just for the landing – the gauging water lines from the gust-front and driving rain just a mile or so away not even noticeable to her.

Safely in the hangar with smiles coming from the both of us, I realized that that was way too easy. Outside the rain was pouring down. Whether I had made it look easy or that God was looking out for us was not the point. Rather the fact that it was not easy at all. I pondered too the notion that perhaps I have become complacent. That perhaps others who look on could be deceived into thinking that this is easy…

God can be very subtle too. Perhaps tomorrow I’d better go to the airport with Neil…

Wish you were here..!
;)

What a Spring gift..!

1st September 2010

(It is my parents anniversary today..:)

Neil has just taken off on his first solo flight around the island. I figured after three flights with him he knows enough to do it on his own. That is the best way to learn in any event. The winds are light. Looks like nothing more than 10 knots. The skies are over cast but with high cirrus clouds. There are a few scattered cumulus clouds around but nothing too threatening. It is perfect for him to go around and get the feel of the place on his own. He is a grown man and perfectly able to make his own decisions. (Well, so I argue anyway! ;) It is 10 in the morning and I expect him back by 11:30. So it’ll be a bit of a wait.

Here is another shot of Neil and I on our way back from spotting whale sharks in the north west corner of Mahé. Pretty spectacular hey! By the way it was just as a spectacular day. We found two aggregations of whale sharks feeding actively within two schools of bait fish. There were at least 8 sharks in each group. Neil loved their spots when we went down for his first closer look. Unfortunately I did not have my better camera with me so we did not get any pics… I will work on that!

Wish you were here!
:)

Oh by the way, if you do like my blog and posts, please join the followers section. It makes a great change to know there is someone out there that is actually reading this stuff!

Spider spider on the wall...

Almost there…

Neil loves the bats and the spiders. On our arrival while sitting in the open aired airport cafeteria at 9 in the morning, in broad daylight he sudden dropped his yaw and asked, “Am I just tired or did I just see a bat the size of dog flying past in broad daylight..?” He has not stopped his fascination.

Neil is a great help. Thank heavens he has some electronic training too – we made short work of some faulty connections of the intercom and the magg switches on the plane.

Our accommodation this year is in the old Beau Vallon flats. They have been used on a yearly basis but mainly for the general staff, interns and volunteers for the program. Last year I moved into the top of these flat but it was just for the last half of the program period. (In the beginning I lived in luxury. Air-conditioning, satellite TV, washing and cleaning services. What happened to that?) The two of us have moved into the bottom right side of the units. It is a two bedroomed flat with a lounge, kitchen, shower-bathroom and a nice balcony. Four of us are staying here. Yes. Gareth and his girlfriend Laura has one room and Neil and I are sharing the other. Certainly nothing wrong with sharing but certainly nothing wrong with wanting your own bedroom too… It sure is taking some getting used to getting my mind back to the army days of sharing a room. Thankfully Neil is a gentleman. Even if he snores occasionally (he warmed me about it – I too warned him of being pelted with anything within arm’s reach at the time too!) but it seems to working out ok.

Upstairs we have Caiara, Abi and Jenny. Caiara and Abi are old-timers to the program – this year they are team leaders, while Jenny is new and one of the interns.

The interns went out on the boat on Friday morning for the first time. Would you believe they found three whale sharks!? They had a fantastic time by the sounds of it and have been on a real high ever since. On Saturday night we had our official welcoming bash at David’s house. As usual he excelled with a great feast. I loved the ice-cream and his special homemade chocolate sauce. Out of all the years in Seychelles I met another interesting person. Laura (I never got her surname) but she is doing some research into the socio-economic changes within the nature reserve areas of a few Indian Ocean Islands. And if that was not enough she turned out to be a balloonist (I’m sure there is a word for that?) What a grand time we had. Would you believe that Neil worked for a Balloon operator when he was 16 for 6 months, chasing around the country side for him and never even got to go for a ride once? Is life not just like that!?

Wish you were here..!
;)

More oil business...

Here is Neil in his hightech sunscreen mask (and suite). Ninja turtle go!!!!

Oh and the rig...

Oil in Seychelles...

To cut a long story short...

We are flying. It has been epic flying too. Loads of whale sharks and loads of turbulence. :))) There is a big oil rig anchored on the west north west side of the island. Today Neil and I managed to get a closer look...

27 August 2010

It was a stunning sunset – pinks and blues that Picasso could not have imagined. And then bats; oversized bats descending onto fruit trees from everywhere. It is quite reflective of life – the beautiful and the not so beautiful and quite accurately reflected my mood. I don’t think I have been so stressed in my life. For three days in a row I had a headache – woke up with a headache – went to bed with a headache. And then yesterday morning David and I clashed – big time. I know him quite well and the worst thing one could do is to argue with him or go against his wishes or ideas. But I did. I took a stand. Of course it was never going to go anywhere good. I knew that too. In the end all my standing ground and having my say lost its meaning with the words, “Well you have a warped sense of reality then…” There was no need for me to comment since nothing would change. So I kept quiet. But I was so fuming mad. David was fuming mad too. Stress is a different sort of a character…
Is one not supposed to feel better after such a blow off?
Anyway…
We have run into a problem with the renewal of our Authority to Fly. To help those that are not familiar with the workings of the civil aviation authorities let me try to explain it, briefly.
Every aircraft needs an annual inspection for airworthiness. This inspection must be done by a so called Approved Person or AP. The AP signs the forms which are sent to CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and after the aircraft owner has paid both the AP and the CAA, the CAA issues a certificate of airworthiness for the aircraft. In the case of the micro-light it is an Authority to Fly certificate. Our problem this year is that we have no AP person to do the inspection. Our plan was to use our good friend Peter who is a qualified AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) but as it turned out, Peter does not have the appropriate rating (cloth and tubing rating). Unfortunately we only discovered that on Tuesday – the day after my arrival.

Of course, the back-up plan has always been to fly an AP out from South Africa but this was as a last resort only. It also meant that it was going to take a few days to get all that organized. In the meantime we are missing out on flying and surveying days which of course is making everybody edgy – especially David and me. (We are both ticked-off by the whole predicament…)

Our alternative was to ask special permission from the South African CAA to do the inspection – given my experience and that Peter has agreed to help (even though he is not cloth and tube rated). It was worth a shot but this in turn opened up more cans of worms. We needed to write motivational letters – agreements from Peter, formal flight permission letters from the Seychelles CAA giving us permission to fly in their air space (which though has always been openly accepted by the Seychelles CAA it has never been put in writing), proof of experience etc and all of these needed to be emailed to RAASA (Recreation Aviation Association of South Africa) who has been delegated by the SACAA to look after the airworthiness of micro-lights. RAASA in turn needs to have a board meeting and decide if we could do it or not. All of this of course takes time and it has been a difficult to decide which of the two options is the better - one is more expensive but a certainty (flying an AP out to Seychelles) the other is cheaper but not a certainty at all. To be honest, we didn’t even know when RAASA will make a decision nor if they even would say yes in the first place. It is small wonder we are stressed.

And if you did not follow one bit of that – don’t let it bother you. It’s just business and politics. Like me, I am sure you are interested only in the flying and whale sharks. J

In the meantime we have been doing loads of maintenance on the micro-light. It was quite necessary too. Surprisingly the wing is in great shape. We did a major inspection of her today and frankly did not even need to change one bolt. The undercarriage required some attention. Would you believe I discovered a smooth patch on the front tyre! (Pointed out by Peter!)

Wish you were here..!!!

We are here but still with red eyes...

And red eye it was – or still is... It is Monday night and we are all hanging out in the lounge after a long day. Laura, Gareth, Neil and I. Each with a book, laptop, iPhone. Own thoughts. Own ideas of the day and tomorrow. We are all knackered. Neil and I more so since we have had hardly any sleep from last nights flight. We have pushed through though and will have sweep sleep tonight. In spite of the dogs – that are already barking – and the three blonds from upstairs, who’s music and chats are youthfully piercing the tropical night. Thank God we are tired…

Today Neil and I have done some good PR work. After the introduction to the new interns, including happy hugs from last years in-turns now turned group leaders, neil and I managed to get our flying show on the road. Visits to Airtel – reactivating the mobile, then Frankie from Air port security for the nec permits and permission to enter the appropriate gates and access to the airport grounds, Chatting to Donn about hangar permission and then, the real problem for the season. Visiting IDC and Peter. We need to ask Peter to do the AP inspection on our plane. He was not there so will give him a call. Person to person is so much better.
Afterwards we had a great chat and coffee with Glynis and David at their house. Got odds and ends of the plane – radios, intercoms, new prop blades etc. (Tom we will sort through all this.) We finished the day with a pizza at Baobab but would you believe they had no chilies!? This was almost sacrilege. But we endured and in the end it was the local brew, Seybrew that helped to finish the evening.

Old friends that shared the evening included Abi and Caiera. So it was a bit of a reunion…
Its lekker to be back!
Wish you were here! (Really!:)

On the way....

I am sitting at Jhb International waiting for the red eye flight to board. It is 10:30. This midnight flight is a killer. (Arriving in Sez with red eyes in the morning is a certainty!) Of course I have just had to send off a few emails to try and get a few last minute glitches rearranged. We are missing a small spares box - this will have to be placed on the next flight to Sez (which is only on Friday!). This is a bit of a nuisance but not insurmountable. In light of the start of a new season these things seems to be par for the course.

I met Neil a while ago. He is our new pilot that will be helping out this season. Understandably excited but surprisingly he arrived with just one small bag. (Oh yes, I expected the small spares box to be with him so even more of a surprise to me) But it seems he has decided to travel minimalistic - something I have never been able to do. Even if I vow to do so every time, next time. Neil's girlfriend, (Monique) was seemingly not impressed with him galavanting off so early on in their relationship. Apparently they only started dating 2 and a half months ago! Of course I know too that she will be on a flight to Sez in the not too distant future too! They both seem like a nice couple.

I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting the new gang. It all happens tommorrow!

Wish you were here! (Well, almost!;)

Snow on the NZ mountains...!

I have 5 min to post this! Need to rush! ;) I am in NZ and trying to tie up loose ends for the up coming whale shark season in Seychelles. Tricky when internet connectivety is intermittend! I can tell you guys one thing though - I sure am lookiing forward to the warmth of the tropics after this visit past down under!

We have had the ussual roler coaster ride with gettign things organised for the whale shark season. one has to wonder what it is about the human race that can make life so difficult for themselves. It leaves me speachless to be honest. Simple things just needs to be made a big deal - people cant just do what they said they were going to do. Do you experience the same? I have no doubt you do. Of course I see the devil at work in all these things! ;)

Anyway, we are just about there with the organising of everything. A few minor (perhaps major but it depends how you look at it) still needs to be ironed out but I am sure it will come through.

Now I know I have just written like a politician. Wrote a lot of words but said nothing! No details... (Devils is int he details...) I will let you know a bit later. just not yet. Dont want ot annoy people at this stage of the game! ;)

Anyway, my internet time is up. Got to go!
:)

that tima again...

Yes! Would you believe it is that time again. The whale shark season for 2010 is starting in one and half months time. Everyone I have spoken to is just as excited as I am about this. Nothing like a tropical Island break in the middle of our winter! Seriously though, it is hard work and every day we are getting the logistics in order; nuts and bolts, tools, new engines, odds and ends and making sure all these items go into the right box. Of course there are also those items that comes to you after the main lot has left port - at this stage we are trying hard not fall into that trap.

But we will keep you guys posted at least once a week about our progress. Please sign in and join the post that I will be sending out. Apparently it makes a difference in the "ratings". ;)

Chat soon!

J

3 March

We are home. Who could have thought there could be such meaning in such a simple phrase. Lying in my own bed it felt more than a home coming - it felt as if I have arrived. That place we all seem to be searching for, what ever it might be for you or me for that matter - that it is a specific place is irrelevant. The importance is in being in that zone where one can feel it in your soul that you have arrived. Arrived after searching for all your life. There is such comfort in that feeling. Perhaps there are some out there that know what I am talking about.

The adventure of living on a ship, flying over what can only be described as breath taking scenery everyday for a month is over. As is usual the hardships are forgotten and what remains are the good stuff. The pleasant memories that makes one want to return and do it all again. We did have great success. For Fred, John and Mick their flying adventures have really just begun as they embark, now unsupervised, on filling their bags with experience. This is were the real flying starts and we wish them lots of extra luck. (Remember that bag of luck story? The aim being to finish your flying career before your bag of luck runs out..?:) Other than the flying I can already say I miss Evelyn's cooking and Maria's friendly smile, doing laundry while the smell of softener lingers around your nose. For a bachelor like me that was a special treat...

The flight back home was another story. But I am here and already having dipped into our cold ocean with a spot of kite boarding. Needless, today I am sore and stiff from the exercise - def became even more unfit during the month on the ship but it is a step in the right direction.

Strangely, on this Wednesday I am filled with a sense of urgency to work. How strange...
;)

Pictures...

Our mess table and the name...