May 14, 2011
You need an example? Yesterday we were waiting for our pickup from Dar with the monthly food supplies and 7 people on board, among them Mzee Octavian, our human resources manager. 2pm they departed from town. 5 pm they were 10 km from the lodge at Gama village but with one flat tyre and unable to go on as the road was completely flooded by Wami river.
We lost them for three hours and found them on their cell phones after 9pm still at Gamma, with 3 flat tyres, into the bush with no hope to arrive to the lodge. The youngsters wanted to walk 10 km. into the dark African night carrying meat and chicken for not letting the stuff get rotten.
Incredible Africans! We advised them to stay united there, eat some meat, sleep and this morning we would pick them up with our safari boat. This is what we did. We travelled 15 kms. into the twisting river with limited fuel (we ran out on the way to Gamma actually) and found everybody tired next to a hut.
The road is like a river as you can see. After three hours, the guys carried all the stuff into the boat, left the car with local Simba watching it and we got back to the lodge safe and sound after 6 hours! Vula was biting her nails, she was so worried. Now the situation is still tricky as we can’t get supplied by car from Dar.
We already ran out of petrol and during the week we will run out of diesel as well. No diesel means no electricity. Plus, we are running out of bottled water and river water (for washing) as we can’t run the water, petrol pump. But we are in Africa. We will find a way to survive. There is always a way, even if a funny one, to survive in this country…_A.Temperidis
Our old website is here!
