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Memoir: Epilogue
“Welcome to Angola. Something always goes wrong” I used this title the same way as the Angolan official who originally said it, not as a harsh judgment, but as a lighthearted way to deal with everyday struggles. Just like the phrase AWA – “Africa Wins Again,” it reminds us not to take setbacks too seriously.…
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Memoir: Homeward bound, 10 Apr 2020
When Nathan and I got to the Luanda airport, we found a long line of people waiting outside. Riquita and Jason from the US embassy were welcoming arrivals and making sure all our paperwork and loan applications were in order. After one more round of signing documents, we were officially confirmed as passengers. Familiar faces…
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Memoir: Back in Luanda
Different perspective on Luanda Nathan and I stayed at Charles’ home for a few hours. Feeling that the exciting times were over, I was feeling a letdown and only wanted to get to a bed and sleep. At times, I could barely stay awake, and I didn’t feel like a good guest. I had come…
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Memoir: Coronavirus convoy, day two, 04 Apr 2020
An early start As I awoke in Huambo the next morning, I noticed a few bug bites that hadn’t been there the evening before. I hadn’t seen any mosquitos in Huambo, but something had certainly found me. I couldn’t be sure if they were mosquito bites or some other nighttime nuisance, but to be safe…
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Memoir: Coronavirus convoy, day one, part two
Villages and sobas As we drove, I could see a few villages from the road, partially obscured by the foliage. The villages were comprised of no more than a few dozen small homes, even simpler than many I had seen in Menongue. They were made of mud or sticks and covered with grass. Durable materials…
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Memoir: Coronavirus convoy, day one, 03 Apr 2020
Preparing to leave In the morning, the first order of business was to get everything loaded up. The governor had not yet signed our overland authorization, but we were not going to let that deter us. Not content to waste another day waiting, Christy was determined to set out for Huambo that morning. He and…
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Memoir: Afternoon and evening at HALO Trust
Louie and the landmine manual The US Embassy had sent me a document requesting that the holder be allowed passage to Luanda. We went to one of the offices in the long building with the veranda to print the document, and Louie loaned me his laptop to access my email. After wrestling with the printer…
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Memoir: Conversations at the HALO Trust bungalow
When we got back to the bungalow from the Ops room, Christy was on the phone, trying to work things out for our departure. Louie went to continue packing, and I wandered around the grounds. The planters in front of the bungalow were tail fins from bombs, their deadly warheads replaced with an explosion of…
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Memoir: Breakfast and the HALO Trust Ops room
Breakfast Uppermost in my mind was the dying camera battery that I would need to capture the remainder of my journey, whether that be by land or by air. Somehow, it had lasted from home to HALO without a charge, much longer than it had a right to. My battery charger was dual voltage; I…
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Memoir: 02 Apr 2020, The HALO Trust
Wessel and Ericleidy drove me to the HALO Trust base, just as they had picked me up from the airport three weeks earlier. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had visions of hectic motion, packing of vehicles, and a hasty departure. Christy had made it clear that time was of the essence. I…
Welcome to Angola 