The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Wow how things have changed. As you may remember our base in Kinshasa closed and I transitioned to Lubumbashi. There I had the chance to visit with my buddies Bruce and Steve as well as get to know everyone in the base there. Jeremy, Cindy, and Alan all welcomed me warmly and quickly became good friends.

It was awesome of spend some time with Bruce and Steve as well as getting to know Steve's fiance Sari. It had been almost a year since Steve and I had the chance to raise a little trouble together, and it didn't take long for us to pick up where we had left off!!

I really enjoyed getting some time in the Caravan, the flying in the south is challenging and also interesting. We regularly visit airports that few others go to. The need to be spot on every time is crucial. En route massive waterfalls, giant cliffs, and open prairies help entertain the eyes on every trip. I would compare the Caravan to a flying tour bus, its never ending amount of windows and slower speeds make it great for enjoying the country side as it slips by. Lubumbashi is an interesting town, its connections to S. Africa provide great diversity of people and products. Yet it still has a bit of the "Congo" feel to it. It was nice to be able to walk around town and only feel slightly out of place. Its a much more relaxed feel everywhere you go, which was a nice change from the busy Kinshasa.

After my short time in Lubumbashi I proceeded on to Entebbe Uganda where AirServ has a maintenance base. Bill Kelsey our Regional Chief Pilot welcomed Bruce and I into his home for the week. Bruce was there on R&R, so we took the opportunity to be regularly tourists. We proceeded to Kampala and then Jinja. Famed for being the source of the Nile River off of Lake Victoria before it makes its 4000 miles journey to the Mediterranean Sea. This happens to be the spot for some of the best white water rafting in the world, and we weren't about to let the opportunity pass us by to try our luck at surviving a trip down this historical river. I have been rafting in Colorado a number of times and I have to say the rafting here was a notch or two above. Nine foot water falls and massive waves make the chances of staying in the boat,,,, slim to Nil at times!!! Our boat flipped twice and I found myself "swimming" the rapids three times. What a blast!!!

The next day we took an ATV safari through some of the back country of Uganda. Passing near villages and farms gave you the feeling of how much really hasn't changed. It was fun to get a little muddy and see the kids come running out shouting "Mzungu" (White Man) as we rode by.

It was interesting coming from Congo to Uganda and seeing some of the differences. Paved highways, public transport, public education, and even living conditions were such a contrast. The people seemed to have a different sense of pride for their country and the people around them.

Last Saturday I boarded an airline which took me to Dubai, Saudi Arabia. Yet another transition shock!! Dubai is kinda the Vegas of the middle east, with 7 Star hotels and indoor ski slopes. The amount of money flowing through this town was incredible to say the least. I did enjoy the generous helping of Western Ritz, and yet after only a day I felt like I had seen enough.

Now that brings me back to the current, as of last Monday I am a resident of Kabul Afghanistan. AirServ has a contract here with UN Ops and are flying two King Air 200's. One of the biggest highlights was being reunited with Dave Cathey who had left Kinshasa a month ago.

Afghanistan is certainly a change from Africa, but those thoughts will be saved for another day.

To all those keeping up with this, I thank you and hope your enjoying my brief observations. I am going to make a strong effort to do a better job of keeping you all updated.

Till next time, don't do anything I wouldn't do!!!

Jared