Miss Mtwara

"Take it easy and fly helicopters".  Some good advice given me as I whined about the recent changes in base policies, paraphrasing a t-shirt logo.  Surprisingly it works.  Everything just seems to gel when I actually get behind the controls and get airborne.  Flying does get in one's blood.  Thankfully I should be getting a fair bit this tour.  I've got lots of training to do; an upgrade to SAR Captain underway plus numerous recurrencies will see me airborne quite frequently in the next few weeks, with two hoisting sorties after lunch today.  Yes, I'm smiling.  I've got a very capable Captain I'm taking through the instructor's course as well and that is almost as much fun as hoisting off decks.  Earlier this week we had our night deck recurrencies, as three landings at night on a platform every ninety days is required by the authorities.  I miss the night operations of EMS, and even offshore out of Nova Scotia in years past, and it's nice to get out and be challenged once in awhile.

Otherwise still putting lots of miles on the new mountain bike.  I did go cheap and after pounding out a few miles on Tanzania's hard packed dirt, I am wishing I had gone up a few price points.  The East African weather has been ideal.  The rains are over, the air is dry, and one wakes to  temperatures in the low twenties (Celsius), as opposed to the early morning mid-thirties where you broke a sweat just walking to breakfast only a few months ago.  I'm still looking at other options, but I know I'd miss Africa.  A few headed to the Miss Mtwara pageant last night, as usual the music blaring at insane volumes, speakers clipping with distortion, drowning out any chance of a conversation.  My V.I.P. ticket had me seated right in front of the speakers, so I stuffed Kleenex in my ears and ignored the curious looks.  One of the local waitresses we knew placed third and we cheered loudly.  Many drank far too much and I'm glad I was drinking water.  We stood out as mzungus and I had to issue a strong "F##k off" last night to get rid of one pest, and pushed off more than a few overly drunk well wishers, but it was a fun night nevertheless.  I do love Africa.