Flying with the old man

Flying with the old man, originally uploaded by kirkdpleasant.

Ella and James with me on the way to South Afrrica

Camel

Camel, originally uploaded by kirkdpleasant.

pic taken on my N95 mobile phone

Test photo

Test photo, originally uploaded by kirkdpleasant.

The kids with me on the way to South Africa

test

Trying to upload pictures

Ella and James in the cockpit

This is a test upload picture of Ella and James with me on a trip to South Africa.

I'm back!

After over 1 1/2 years 'off line' a I am back! Many things have happened in the time thatI have been gone... This is just a test post - more to come in the next few days.

A picture of the shadow of the airplane with a halo on clouds. 

Back in Doha

The last few weeks have been very busy. I flew to South Africa at the beginning of the month. It was a short layover and I didn’t have much time to look around. A few of the crew members wanted to go shooting. We rented a few guns at the shooting range… reminded of shooting when I was growing up on the farm.

I returned to Doha and had a few days off and went to Bulgaria. I flew into Sofia and then drove about 5 hours to Sunny Beach (near Burgas http://www.beachbulgaria.com/sunnybeach/index.shtml). Bulgaria was a surprise package… being an old communist country (until 1989) I was expecting a place that was depressed and run down. The country has only about 7 million people and is very beautiful. Sunny Beach is a world class beach resort with great water sports and night life. On the way back I stayed 1 night in Plovdiv (http://www.plovdivcityguide.com/). I wished I had more time to spend there - it was an amazingly beautiful and interesting city.

When I returned to Doha I had a Paris trip. It was a very short overnight and where we stay is close to the airport. I went for a walk out in the country and around the local village.

I have just returned from London. It was a very nice flight (no night time sectors). When I arrived in London I took a ride on the Tube (tempting fate?) and went to a show in the West End (Queen –We will Rock You. http://www.albemarle-london.com/ShowInfo.php?Show_No=135 ). I arrived just as the show was starting and picked up a front row seat from a scalper for ½ price.

I am back in Doha and do not have any more layovers for the next week.

Flowers at the village I overnight at in Paris. 

In Paris we overnight close to the airport in a little village. The flowers there are very beautiful. 

A view overlooking Plovdiv Bulgaria. I stayed 1 night only, which is not enough. It is a very beautiful city, built over an old Roman city. 

On the Beach in Bulgaria 

View from the hotel looking Dowm Sunny Beach 

I had 1 day of rain in Bulgaria 

Getting a Henna Tattoo...it last about 1 week 

Fake tattoo at Sunny Beach... it only lasts about 1 week.

Playing with an Assault Rifle. 

Shooting in South Africa... I was using a Glock 17 at about 50' (16 metres) 

Capetown South Africa 

Table Mountain. Flying into Capetown. 

Only in South African Airports "Enter at your own risk" 

August Roster

http://www.geocities.com/kirkdpleasant/RosterAug05.htm

Casablanca! 

Casablanca!

Back from Casablanca… sounds better than it really is!
I have to admit it is very colourful and looks exotic but it is my least favourite place to stay – most of the non Arab crew also dislike staying there. (I prefer Dhaka over Casablanca!). The hotel is nice but is full of prostitutes and both times I have been in Casablanca people have tried to pickpocket me.
The flight to Casablanca went by Tripoli. We do not overnight there. It is an easy airport to get in and out of (no traffic!) and amazingly good air traffic control. Then off to Casablanca. The trip is very long and after coming from Dhaka the previous day, flying all night by the time we arrive at the hotel about 12:00 I fell into bed for a bit of a sleep. I later went to the gym and then out to try to find some food with a fat content of less than 50%...about the healthiest food they have is McDonald’s and KFC (I didn’t have either)….that is sad! The next day I took Zander (the pink hippo) on a bit of a sight see. We went to the largest mosque and then to the ocean. It is very pretty there. After a bit of a walk around I caught a taxi back to the bazaar across from the hotel. On the way I saw a man getting a tooth pulled out by a roadside dentist (man sitting on bucket with a pair of pliers and dirty hands… ouch!) by the time I got the taxi to turn around the tooth had been extracted (no photos) and the dentist was waiting for the next patient (victim?).
The bazaar is a maze of small laneways full of very colourful shops. It is very easy to get lost in the bazaar but all the satellite dishes on the building point the direction of the hotel… just follow the satellite dishes home!
After that it was off for a bit of sun by the pool then the flight back to Doha.
My next flight is on Sunday to Johannesburg and Capetown South Africa.
I return late Wednesday night and then have 4 days off. I have been invited to go to the Black Sea in Bulgaria (never thought I would be going there!).

If you can read Arabic it probably says something like �Welcome to Tripoli anybody taking photos will be shot!�
 

View form hotel room, overlooking the bazaar towards the mosque. 

Zander outside the biggest mosque in Casablanca. 

Zander outside the biggest mosque in Casablanca. 

Zander and I at the beach in Casablanca. 

Local law enforcement keeping Zander inline at the beach! 

Waves at Casablanca. 

Zander overlooking the beach at Casablanca. 

The local beach at Casablanca.