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After the usual coffee and bread for breakfast, we
headed off to the Internet café. Very strong wind and heavy rain seemed to come from nowhere while we were at the Internet café. Later we went to the Edelweiss restaurant by regular taxi (because it was still
raining) to meet Bernhard, the German man who offered us accommodation for our last night. During lunch Olivier and I had a serious talk about the difficulties I was having dealing with the last leg of our
expedition. I had been taking strain recently with many aspects of our expedition and for the first time I really poured my soul out to Olivier revealing that the seven and a half months that we have been on the go
for, has taken it's toll on me. I have a great ability to endure the most severe mental and physical hardship without complaint, but the continual stress of the flying (so often over areas where engine failure would
mean serious injury or even certain death), the never ending strain of fighting and negotiating for everything we want to do, the incredible patience needed for such a trip, the living in difficult circumstances,
the worry about running out of money, my concern of what lies ahead of me when I return home, all added together made me feel like I was really digging into my last reserves of strength to keep going. I am still
enjoying the expedition immensely, but it's been a very long trip and I feel I need to get home. Olivier has been travelling and living his life like this for so many years that he was managing far better than I
with our circumstances. He was very understanding and supportive. We agreed to pick up the pace of the flying a bit. After my verbal outpourings to Olivier I felt better and stronger. I never for a moment thought
that I would take such strain with this expedition.
After lunch we headed off to the market in Bernhard's
car with a young black guide to find two fuel cans. After some serious negotiations and bartering we eventually settled on two 33 litre plastic cans and landed up paying the full price even with Olivier using all
his bargaining skills and experience. Once the old woman with droopy tits realised that we definitely wanted those particular fuel cans she stood firm on her price. From there we went to the airport to get our kit
that was locked away in the club workshop and to fill the tanks. A quick drive to the hotel to collect our luggage and then back to Edelweiss. Bernhard was quite drunk and was laughing in the funniest way. Olivier
and I had a good laugh at him.
The three of us squashed into his car with all our
luggage and three full cans of fuel and headed to his house for the night.
We went to bed early to get a good nights rest for
the tough flight ahead the next day. Again I hardly slept …. I should've taken a sleeping pill.
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