Africa

Since the last post I have spent a great deal of my time in Africa. Initially I was posted to Senegal where I provided openhole logs, explosive perforation and well completions. Two wells were completed; one near the village of Ngadiaga and one near Diam Niadyo. It was mostly work and little play but I did find a beach bar with stunning views; pristine, gently shelving beaches populated only by crabs and I found time to visit Gorey Island. This island is infamous as a depot for the export of slaves and some of the original slave houses still exist. The island also has a fort containing a very large gun used to attack warships. It was used by the French only once. During the second world war the French attacked a British warship in the vicinity. Senegal occupied my attention between July 2005 and March 2006.
After this I was sent to Uganda. The client here was drilling in a wildlife preserve on the shore of Lake Albert which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every day we saw many wild animals, including Ugandan Kob, Bushbuck, Duiker, Warthogs, Baboons, Black and White Colobus and Vervet Monkeys. This is a very pleasant location.
A month in Uganda was followed by a long trip to Tanzania logging in Mnazi Bay, Mtwara. This site was close to the beach, surrounded on two side by Mangrove swamps populated by Mudskippers and Fiddler Crabs, and on the other two sides by mixed coconut, mango, baobab and cashew nut groves. There were plenty of Vervet Monkeys to be seen but no larger wild animals. I returned home at the end of September and have been on leave since.