BLOGGING AT 37,000 FEET (On Monday 10-3-2011)

As I write this I am on the Ethiopian Air flight from Lubumbashi to  Addis Ababa via Lilongwe, Malawi.  I think it is a little more than four hour trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  

Last night I did most of my packing.  Much of the personal things which I brought were left behind:  long sleeved shirts, Vaseline Hand Lotion, my last MRE, and part of my heart.  This morning I was up about 6:15. Quickly finished packing, for breakfast I had two slice of bread, Laughing Cow Cheese, and an apple.  I found some iced tea mix which I mixed with warm water for my caffeine fix.  About 7:45 hot water was delivered to my room so I topped everything off with hot Via, but no creamer or sugar.

Everything being in place I went out to watch the morning happenings in the bush.  While in place in my usual chair in the breeze way, a little boy came pedaling along on an elderly bicycle.  On the back of his bike were two little boys, I assume that they were brothers.  I waved them over to me so I could take their pictures.   When the picture was taken the three little boys each had big smiles on their faces.  The bike was soon headed back down the road, but before it left the one who empowered  the bicycle called to me, “Papa, I love you.”

About 9:00 Pastor Didier came to get me so I could  take gifts to his wife and Mama Angelique.  He had warned them that I would be bringing gifts and taking pictures so they were beautifully dressed.  It was my great pleasure to tell them how much I appreciated their hard work taking care of the children and then to give them material for clothing which Didier had chosen. Needless to say they were thrilled. 

I had to have some good-by time: pictures and holding the orphans.  Little Matthew who adores men began to cry.  Pastor Didier said that he knew I was leaving. I had to pick him up and comfort him.  Then I transferred him to Annie’s open arms and left.  Matthew will soon be in the Layton’s  home in Shingle Springs, Ca.  He will have an adoring family.  He is so cute. 

Didier took me to the Airport and got me on the plane safely without any problems I am writing now from Ethiopia where I spent the night as my flight out was cancelled.  I had a night without mosquitos, and plenty of hot water all courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines.  

The Mundane Things

It is hard to believe that in January the vision for my September trip to the Congo was born. One of the first things which I did was to check my passport. I found that it had expired earlier this year. Having applied for and received several, I thought it would be simple. All I would have to do is get some new pictures, go to the local Court House, present an application with my old passport, pay some fees, wait a couple of weeks and have a new passport in my possession. In an age of terrorism this no longer works. Earlier this year thing had changed.

I found that I needed to make an appointment at the Post Office. This appointment was for the gathering of information as to how to apply for a passport. I found that I needed to fill out an application on the Internet which I printed. I then made a trip to Wal-Mart for two passport photos. My old passport, the application, my birth certificate, the two pictures and a personal check to the State Department went off in the mail. Before long I received a new passport in the mail. For some unexplained reason this was a major step to me.

My next step was a phone call to the Center for Disease Control to inquire about inoculations necessary for permission to enter the Congo. Yellow Fever is required; Hepatitis A, Malaria and Typhoid are highly recommended.

Could I get these shot from the Veterans Administration so I would not incur any expenses for them as they are very expensive? My doctor told me that she could not give them to me. She inquired about the danger of entering the Congo. I told her about a two hour gunfight that took place at the airport in Lubumbashi this February. She dropped her head and became very quiet. Raising her head and looking fully at me, she said, "I don't think you ought to go."

I replied, "Doctor there are somethings more important than my life." She became very quiet and I thought she was going to start crying. Then she said, "I just don't think that way." At that point the phone rang. She answered the phone and I patted her on the forearm and walked out telling her, good by. She is more than just, my doctor.

I made a trip to Folsom to visit a doctor's office which specialize in travel medicine.There I got my Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A vaccination. Pills were taken home for Malaria and Typhoid plus antibiotic pills for diarrhea.

Next my passport, shot card, two more pictures, an application for a visa (four pages duplicated), a cashier's check and two copies of a notarized invitation to visit the Congo provided by Pastor Didier went in the mail. They were mailed to the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Washington, D. C. In about a week, I had my visa which was a stamp in my passport written in French, the official language of the Congo.

But could I trust that there was no clerical error made? I was not about to buy tickets, arrive in D. C. and be told that I could not fly because of an error which I knew nothing of. Sharon took a picture of the visa and we electronically sent it to the Congo to be read. The visa gave me permission to enter the Congo one time, stay one month and stated that I must be out on or before the 4th of October. That was exactly what I wanted.

On September 8th I will fly to Washington D. C. to spend a long weekend with my daughter Ann, son in law Terry and granddaughter Hannah. On Tuesday the 13th at noon I will fly from D. C. to Rome. From Rome I travel to Addis Abba, Ethiopia and then to Malawi. From Malawi I go to Lubumbashi, Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I will be in the air for about 20 hours.

I have found that the "Mundane Things" can be very exciting. The process is to be enjoyed as well as the event.

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