[All] ORACLES São Tomé Update

[Luna, Bernadette (ARC-SGG)]

Dear ESPO,

Dan, Susan, Bernie and Sommer are all in the hotel Pestana São Tomé. Adam Nelson arrived yesterday to help unload containers. He arrived ~5 pm, stood in the long immigration line, checked in at the hotel and slept. We (Dan, Bernie and Sommer) woke him at 1:30 a.m. to go meet the charter air shipment. Baptism by fire. See Sommer driving the forklift at 3 a.m. in attached pic.

The two sea containers from Namibia were brought to the airport (~6 km distance) on July 25, after difficult negotiations and delays. Turns out it takes extra effort to get 40’ containers offloaded at the airport – ask us to describe it in person. Dan set up wireless in the hotel conference room, which we can occupy starting tomorrow, the 29th. We pre-paid for the visas (at least the initial 30 days) for ORACLES team members (and made more payments) -- not so easy to do when credit cards and ATMs are not useful here.

We have two outstanding in-country supporters/translators, and the hotel sales manager has been extremely accommodating. Airport staff are friendly and enthused, and we found a diligent freight forwarder to support us.

Susan established the airport badging procedure, training for airport security, check-in documentation and so, so much more.

On the down side, our hangar space bill is still unquantified (and therefore the space is not ready). The Wallops shipment (2 containers and the prop) is further delayed (now Aug 7 at port). Customs fees are hefty even with Embassy exemptions. And the P-3 crew must do an engine change, delaying transit by 2 days. Our gas cylinders are in the delayed container, so Sommer found gas cylinders in Luxembourg to bridge the gap. We’re still searching for the right combination of cylinder adapters.

We’re exhausted, eating the same 1-3 meals repeatedly, and working hard -- but enjoying it all the same.

We’ll see Jhony next week (3rd) and say goodbye to Sommer (5th), Dan (6th) and Adam (10th).

Zipped photos attached. Another update in a week.

Bernie


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