Random trip continued.

The differences between Windhoek and either Luanda or Menongue are astounding. You could pick Windhoek up from Namibia and put it down anywhere in Europe or America and you couldn't tell that it wasn't always there. I guess that's what 20 years of war and strife will do to a country.

Windhoek has a very European feel. Well more British, since they drive on the wrong side of the road. But nobody is perfect.



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Location:Windhoek, Namibia.

Eerrrp?

I think they fed me snake tonight.


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Location:Menongue, Angola.

Pics from a random trip

I've been farmed out to a different company for a trip this weekend. We're hopping around southern Africa in a Lear 60. First stop is Menongue (field elevation 4500 ft.) where we stayed at a lodge that was a funny mixture of the traditional and the modern.



But it's still pretty cool.



(Yes, I'm still using my crappy iPhone camera. I'll get a better camera when I can.)




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Observations.

In a surprising hollywood got it right moment.

Women here actually do carry everything in baskets balanced on their heads. I read somewhere they can carry up to 10 times their own body weight.

Here we are.

Or me rather. I'm sitting in a hotel in Luanda, Angola now. Waiting to hear from the new job. My thoughts on Africa so far. South Africa was a strange mish mash of England, America and something all their own. But that may be because I was in a casino for the 4 days I was there. Angola is seriously under construction. There are buildings going up everywhere. Most of the money appears to be coming from China. At least that's what all the electronics and other machines are labeled in. Someone told me that China put 5 billion into Angola last year alone. But that's not surprising when you consider how much untapped resources Angola has. If I were a country bent on massive development like China, I'd put a lock on all the resources I could for at least the next 25-50 years. Oil, minerals, diamonds, Angola has it all.

Talking with the other pilot I came over with, the dollar is crashing bad against all foreign currency. Not surprising, given the way they've been treating the printing presses back home.

One thing that struck me as I came in were all the crashed Migs that were still scattered around the airport and I'm told there are still hulks of tanks left over from the war with South Africa down south in Angola. I'm told there was a very large tank battle in Angola. I'll have to do the research on that and read up on it.