Getting there!

09 May 2008

We were actually able to get off the ground today in Okinawa and make our way to the Philippines. We were too heavy to land on the airfield in Calbayog, so we had to stop at the old Clark AFB and shed some load. Unfortunately, we had no control over which box we were leaving behind, we just had to dump the ones in the rear. The good news is that our MREs (meals ready to eat) made it, the bad news is that our cots did not. I have to sleep homeless style, I couldn’t find any cardboard, but did manage to get a piece of plywood to break the contact between me and the concrete floor.
We are living in an elementary school compound that is fenced on all sides. I didn’t realize that this was a big deal to the people who live here. We were met by what I assumed was most of the population (it wasn’t, they were all on the street riding bicycles powered by many every conceivable means). It was a treat watching the local forklift operator try to unload our box off the back of the C-130, let’s just say that his concern for speed and smoothness of operation isn’t exactly what the military likes to see around multi-million dollar planes. Once we finally got it on the truck, we were hustled into a couple of moving sardine cans that pass for vans here and whisked off to our home for the next month. I was shocked when we were met by a group of dancing locals and a band. The welcome that we received here was unlike anything that I have ever experienced, it was almost like we were conquering heroes. Once the hullabaloo died down we had to get to work unloading the box and putting our stuff in order for the next day. We had to leave one of our seabags behind to follow us the next day on another flight. Unfortunately, the one I chose to leave behind is the one with my tent, sleeping bag, poncho liner, etc. in it, so I have to rough it for the night. Tomorrow hopefully we will get our other bags, cots, and mosquito nets. Apparently we have all been invited to the mayor’s house for dinner tomorrow, so I will let you know how that turns out.