Day 11 ~ Last Day in Buzwagi

My last day at Buzwagi, I am ready to get back to civilization but also wish I could have done more. Everyone has told me how great the training was, but I wish I could have done better. This class (#3) has impressed me the most. I have stayed on one subject repeated time and time again till they start to understand.

Fred is still in the hospital showing little improvement there is talk of life-flighting him to South Africa if he doesn't start improving. Steve form New Zealand will be leaving today to return to his family. He's the one that told Fred he had Malaria and should get to the doctor. I ask how he knew before Fred did? He said he has worked in Africa almost 20 years and had malaria 17 times, and you get to recognize it. Had a good surprise for dinner last night we had steaks. They smelled great cooking but when I got one it was as tough as shoe leather and had the same taste as everything else. A comment was made that one of the oxen pulling the carts must have died.

Jerry, the operator trainer e-mailed me stating he was coming here to train the operators. He asked me all kinds of questions about the place. I could really just give a picture if I wanted, so we are going to stop in the local village and take a picture of the local hotel and send it him and tell him this is his place. Take a picture of a donkey cart and tell him this is his ride to and from the mine.

When I come and go from the camp, the guard at the office gate snaps to attention and gives me a smart salute. I always give him one return. I asked why does he do this? I was told, he thinks that I am an admiral in the U.S. Navy. I guess one of the students told him I was in the Navy from some of the private conversation we had. I gave all the students Komatsu automatic lead pencils at the start of the class, but they did not know how to make the lead come out. One asked me if I had a sharpener.

I will be leaving the camp at 6:00 am and flying to Dar at 9:00 AM. I then will fly to Amsterdam Saturday at 10:00 AM and then on to Cincinnati. I finally arrive Salt Lake at 7:00 PM on Sunday. It has been a great adventure but very tiring. My feet are just now starting to get use to wearing steel toe boots 12-14 hours a day. The people are very friendly, nice and content in their situation. The question is; who has the better life???