Leaving Chad
Amazing to wake up (early of course) in the comfort of a cool room and a clean bed. Spent the morning in the restaurant of the hotel, getting on Facebook a bit and trying to write a few things down while I was still in the country. Opted not to visit the market to shop for loved ones, as it was the place where a dozen or so people had been blown up in June.
Farewell then to the Shanghai hotel, or the Shangri-La as I couldn't help thinking of it when out in the field. Drove off to the airport, where there were a few dramas. Nine examinations of our passports, searches and lots of men standing about watching other people work. Passiri bless him gave us all a souvenir of Chad, a sort of plate-sized leather disc, and hugging him goodbye I felt I was saying goodbye to a guardian angel, for he had been exceptionally careful of us during our stay. Sorry to say goodbye to Tchang too, who I'd warmed to a great deal.
Finally onto the plane, after faffing about in the midday blaze on the runway waiting to board for a while. As we climbed into the sky above N'Djamena I was expecting to feel a great surge of relief, but I definitely did feel this, but I had not expected the sadness. There are good people there trying hard, there are good people there on the brink of disaster and it felt incredibly lucky simply to be jetting away from it all.
We flew the three or four hours to Addis Ababa, a bit bouncy and we flew past a thunderstorm on the way in. Immediately a different atmosphere, even though we could only be in the airport. More relaxed and wealthy. We had to hang around there for four hours or so, so we found a restaurant and had a couple of drinks and ate. I had a kind of chicken and chips thing.
A strange business of someone dressed like a businessman who was having some sort of episode rolling about on the floor and attacking guards physically, and running into shops and stealing things -- either that or he was uncontrollably drunk. The Ethiopian staff were giving him a wide berth in the airport. I don't think he would have lasted long in N'Djamena airport.
Finally around midnight we boarded the plane bound for London. Next stop home.
Below last team shot before we left for the airport me, Steve, Matt, Passiri, Honorine from the Tearfund N'Djamena office, Pete, Tchang and Brad.
Farewell then to the Shanghai hotel, or the Shangri-La as I couldn't help thinking of it when out in the field. Drove off to the airport, where there were a few dramas. Nine examinations of our passports, searches and lots of men standing about watching other people work. Passiri bless him gave us all a souvenir of Chad, a sort of plate-sized leather disc, and hugging him goodbye I felt I was saying goodbye to a guardian angel, for he had been exceptionally careful of us during our stay. Sorry to say goodbye to Tchang too, who I'd warmed to a great deal.
Finally onto the plane, after faffing about in the midday blaze on the runway waiting to board for a while. As we climbed into the sky above N'Djamena I was expecting to feel a great surge of relief, but I definitely did feel this, but I had not expected the sadness. There are good people there trying hard, there are good people there on the brink of disaster and it felt incredibly lucky simply to be jetting away from it all.
We flew the three or four hours to Addis Ababa, a bit bouncy and we flew past a thunderstorm on the way in. Immediately a different atmosphere, even though we could only be in the airport. More relaxed and wealthy. We had to hang around there for four hours or so, so we found a restaurant and had a couple of drinks and ate. I had a kind of chicken and chips thing.
A strange business of someone dressed like a businessman who was having some sort of episode rolling about on the floor and attacking guards physically, and running into shops and stealing things -- either that or he was uncontrollably drunk. The Ethiopian staff were giving him a wide berth in the airport. I don't think he would have lasted long in N'Djamena airport.
Finally around midnight we boarded the plane bound for London. Next stop home.
Below last team shot before we left for the airport me, Steve, Matt, Passiri, Honorine from the Tearfund N'Djamena office, Pete, Tchang and Brad.
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