A steamer to West Africa

Looks as if I'l be a little busier than I have been, waiting ever so patiently for an elusive Turkish Visa, hanging out at home for far too long.  I see I'm booked into a hotel in West Africa, somewhere rated by Time magazine as "Thee Most Expensive City in the World", smack dab on the equator on Africa's coast, flying the Super Puma L2 offshore.  Often referred to as Africa's Eden, with low population density and massive resources, offshore petroleum has driven prices for everything through the roof.  It's considered one of the most prosperous countries in sub-Saharan Africa.  A former French colony,  I'm sure my fluent French will come in handy.  I'm glad I took that job in Northern Quebec in the eighties!  Nothing like total immersion to learn a language, but I'm now trying to read some French novels to tighten up my grammar.  My French came in handy in North Africa last year as well, as my Arabic is pretty much relegated to short greetings.  I'm not sure why my travel arrangements haven't come in yet.  I'm hoping I don't have to get myself there, as I'd soon find myself down at the port in Halifax trying to find work on a steamer bound for Africa, but I'm pretty sure flights will be forthcoming.  It could be a great gig, and should keep me busy for awhile, if they don't pull me out for something else.  There are some very interesting tours into the jungles to see gorillas, and possibly forest elephants, but the cost is daunting.  Perhaps I can shenagle some sort of deal once I'm in country and make some contacts.

I still haven't heard anything about Turkey, nor why there's such a delay securing a VISA.  I figured it may have been easier to get me into Syria and I could hook up with Kurdish refugees and smuggle myself across the border, then work my way over land to Istanbul, but it seems like a lot of effort for a job.  I imagine it might have made a good book though!

It's been a very long haul, as today is exactly 107 days since I actually flew (in Suriname with an ex-U.S. Marine) though I shouldn't complain about being home and relaxing, but it's been a tad unnerving not knowing what's next.  I packed a few times for various jobs, and missed out on an Approved Check Pilot recurrent course out West, and some maintenance starts on a Super Puma in Vancouver, plus a few other things, while waiting patiently for that damn Turkish VISA that still hasn't arrived.

Now I have to go through the daunting task of what to pack for six weeks into one 23 kilogram bag (actually it takes me about thirty minutes to pack for a tour).  You would not believe the selection of knives I have, even after giving away a bunch last year.  I'm thinking my new DPX HEFT 4 (it's a pretty kick ass survival knife!).  I still have almost two weeks to decide, and to put a few more miles on my Norco, and catch some more trout.....

No Bears

I elected to go fishing today.  Heading offshore Nova Scotia in S61s and then Super Pumas in the early 2000's, I was always scouting for prime fishing spots. I eventually discovered a little series of remote and quaint streams that looked accessible from abandoned logging roads, so in my trusty Subaru Forester, a compass (I'm partial to the Cammenga Tritium Military compass), some google map printouts, and a few miles of boot leather, I found some very prime speckled trout fly fishing holes that were relatively untouched (sometimes they aren't going for the flies or it's too windy to bother so I cheat and use a spin rod). A lot of trout found it's way into a cast iron pan of hot butter and then onto our plates from those fishing holes, but not without some adventure.  Typically I'd go by myself, driving about an hour into this very remote spot via abandoned logging roads, then I'd hike another thirty minutes to the first hole, so as you can imagine, I'm quite exposed.  I noted all the white tail deer tracks in the mud on the hike in, but was a little concerned about the fresh bear tracks on the hike out.  Now black bears in Canada are generally not any trouble, but having been charged twice, I'm a tad wary.  Next time in I took some bear spray.  So imagine here I am, wearing chest waders and deep in one of the pools, teasing the trout with flies and having a great time, when into the brush in front of me waddles the biggest black bear I've ever seen.  He doesn't seem at all concerned about me, he just starts tearing up the rotting log about thirty feet inland from my fishing spot digging for grubs.  Maybe he doesn't know I'm there so I start singing.  He doesn't care.  I can't really focus on the fishing with this beast so close by and me so exposed, and I have to get by him to get out, so it's a stressful day out but I eventually get back to my car uneaten.  I run into this bear at least twice more before I decide I ain't going in there alone anymore.  During bear season, which coincides pretty much with white tail deer season in Nova Scotia, I figured there's some meat to stock the freezer, but with a 30-06 in hand, I never did see that bear, only his tracks.  For those of you that haven't tried bear meat, it's a gamy acquired taste, best roasted with lots of cloves and all the fat removed.  If you can get bears from areas where all they eat are blueberries, it's a little better, but my family was never overly fond of bear roasts.  Regardless, I never did get that bear, and he never got me either, but feeling a little ballsy, that's where I went fishing today, no 30-06 but I did have some bear spray handy.

If you don't mind, I'll do a quick plug of my rather awesome Courteney Safari boots that gets me into and out of all these remote spots.  These bad boys are handmade in Zimbabwe with tough Cape Buffalo hides with impala trim, and tire tread soles that don't quit.  Toughest most comfortable boots I ever had, and africansportingcreations.com in the states sells them too so you don't have to go all the way to Zimbabwe, although I'd highly recommend the place.  Think Selous Scouts footwear.  I've actually got a request in for a pair in black so I can use them as my flying boots......

Well, there is not much information coming out of Turkey on just why my VISA application is in process for well over a month now, nor why holding a resident permit in Turkey in 2011 is complicating matters as much as they are, but I am getting frustrated.  Having managed an operation in Turkey for most of 2011, and the exportation of two Super Pumas and an entire base, up to another job based in Romania, I am well versed in Turkish bureaucracy, but come on guys....it's beginning to look like I'll be missing this job completely over VISA hangups.  But, I do have a fresh Gabon VISA in my passport, and I have been missing Africa......