It's good just to get this far!

Well, here I am at the Girassol Hotel in Nampula, Mozambique.

God was protecting me all the way here...well, watching out for me would be a better phrase.
I got to ride in First Class going to JFK which was a treat, since I knew what I was facing next!
I had 2 seats to myself in coach on South African Airways which was cool because it is a 15 hour non-stop flight.  By the time we landed in Johannesburg my rear end was numb! But I sat across the aisle from a young missionary couple who were going back to Madagascar and that was nice. I picked up my bag and checked in for my 2 hour flight to Nampula and my bags and I all made it safe and sound...kinda.

You see, I was told I could get my visa at the airport on arrival in Mozambique for $25.  Well, you can do that easily enough in Maputo, the Capitol city...Nampula is like flying into Fresno but not quite so nice.  The nice man took me and my visa-less passport up to the immigration office to call his boss.  While we waited for an answer he suggested I would have to go to the Embassy or maybe even back to the USA!  What a scammer!  His boss finally called back and said for $85 I could get a visa.  Now $85 is a far cry from $25 but what are you supposed to say?  No thanks?

Anyway, once it was established that I was fleecable, the lady turned on her computer with the camera and fingerprint scanner and viola!  I had  a super duper visa all ready to go.  I did get a receipt for the money but, who knows.  Maybe they all will have a nice dinner.

Speaking of nice dinner, I am going to go eat and then go to bed...I am very, very tired.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers,

Baboo

Well....I am off!

It's almost 10 p.m. and here I am at SFO waiting to standby for my first leg of the trip to MOZ!
I will fly to JFK on American Airlines (hopefully) and then fly standby on South African Airways to Johannesburg and then on a confirmed South African Airways flight to Nampula, Mozambique.  I will start my return journey on Feb. 19, and it already has an element of uncertainty as to how I will ultimately make it back...but that is what makes life an adventure!

I spend Wed. night in Nampula and wait for Rodger and the 6 other members of the group to arrive Thursday morning.  Then a 2 hour ride to Mozambique Island or Ilha de Mocambique.

If you not done so before, go to Google and look up Mozambique Island or Ilha de Mocambique, and you will get an idea of what the place is like.  The pictures make it look more inviting than it really is, but it does have charm.

Internet access on Ilha is spotty, so I will provide updates the best I can.  If you are a Facebook friend, I will try to let you know I have a new post.

Please pray for me while I am gone.  This is not an easy trip by any stretch.  We have a lot of work to accomplish and I am praying the weather is not an issue.  Mozambique has had a lot of rain and we are forecast to get rain...just don't know how much.

God Bless,

Baboo