Might be offline for a few Weeks

   / Might be offline for a few Weeks
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#71  
Great shots Gary! Looks like a nice climate. Did everything go smoothly? Any wild stories to keep us entertained?

Nothing too wild, but we did find some bodies in the plateau. A few months before I got there they found 2 soldier that had been shot in the head and left unburied. They got the authorities out and removed the bones for proper burial.
While I was there we found 6 more partial buried in a mass grave(photos). Looks like these were as late a 1998 as per dated concrete in the vicinity.
About the only other excitement was the 5 foot cobra that was found crawling around on of the office sites and killed (no photo of that) and the large cat tracks and snake tracks fond in the loose dust of the work site. No idea of the type of cat but prints looked to about the size of an American bobcat. Snake tracks were prevalent and some very large at about 4" wide on the belly so likely a big boa constrictor. We did have a large on frequenting the gate guards at night for a while that they claimed was 6 meters long but after we cleared all the brush and grass for 100 feet around the tents the snake wasn't seen again. Several Secretary birds were seen in the area and they keep the small snakes in check (check these out on Google). I have distant photo of one that was over 4 feet tall (photo) . To put into perspective the size, the grass was more than knee high which was not even up to the birds body.
 

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   / Might be offline for a few Weeks #72  
Hi Gary, didn't know that you were gone.:ashamed: But, now that I think of it, haven't seen you informative posts for some time. Cheers, Mike
 
   / Might be offline for a few Weeks #73  
Glad you made it back Gary and thanks for all the photos and updates along the way.

Not to exciting, just a few bodies, bones, and 20' Boa constrictors and big birds that eat the 'small snakes" I would think that's enough to stay close to camp!

Well, I am sure you are happy to be home and with family on this holiday too!

Carl
 
   / Might be offline for a few Weeks
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#74  
It is always good to be back home. My daughter from Denver came to spend a few days with us and she has been keeping the visiting grandson busy. She took him on a short hike this morning while I was readying the boat for a cruise tomorrow and now he is passed out in the bedroom. 15 year olds just don't have the stamina that I did when his age.
 
   / Might be offline for a few Weeks
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#75  
I found another interesting photo here. This marine off loading facility is being built by a Chinese company (CHEC= Chinese Harbor Engineering Company)for loading iron ore onto ships whenever Angola completes the railroad into it. The entire surface is hand laid with 3"x5" paver brick. Of course they brought these in from China by the shipload and also imported all the cement from China. There is a cement factory not 100 meters from the marine facility. Also all built with Chinese labor which is typical of the Chinese companies when they do work. They don't benefit the local economy much if any.
 

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