Almost the whole trip is recorded. However in Holland I had no time left to
make an audio switch/mute box for the TX side.
Here a 2-way example of the YouTube movie where my reception is
inserted.
This is a recording from Ruud Vos (SWL13562) on 10m (pimped up a bit ; -)
Remco 7QNL / PA3FYM received several mails with questions/remarks concerning
log errors. The receiving part of almost the whole trip is recorded so Remco can easy listen back and verify QSO’s. For CW QSO’s also the TX side is recorded.
When you’re (still) not in the log, don’t panic and contact Alex PA1AW (qsl@pa1aw.nl).
In case of doubt Alex will forward the issues to Remco for further analysis.
After 58 (!) hours travelling we arrived home safe and sound.
We ‘lost’ one day due to heavy (!) fog/bad weather conditions at Blantyre Airport,
resulting in missing our connecting flights to Amsterdam.
With the help of ‘connections’ at Emirates our tickets were rerouted
(which is a story itself). Miraculously our luggage was routed correctly.
Due to the Karachi incidents we faced some issues (read: delays) in Dubai.
The whole airport felt nervous and was very crowded.
E.g. we were not allowed to ‘import’ coax cables via our hand luggage
into UAE. After Remco negotiated with UAE-customs our hand luggage
(with coaxes, rig etc etc) was allowed to ‘check in’ (separately).
As far as we could ascertain, all luggage arrived well in Amsterdam.
Remco received some mails concerning busted callsigns and/or errors.
Please route these mails to Alex PA1AW (qsl@pa1aw.nl) and issues will
be solved. Bottom line are the recordings, so don’t worry.
Total amount of QSO’s (excl dupes) is around 7700 (i.e. 7QNL and 7QØNL <- CQWPX).
At this time of writing some 7QNL is stored in Mpalaganga to reuse?
For now… we take some sleep, as spending 58 hours in/on airports
is not a vacation/DXpedition !
More to follow!
It was very misty and cold when we woke up at our final day at Mpalaganga. Today is a day of bringing the house and the garden back in its original state. We start by rising early again, while Remco makes his last QSOs on 30m, and I continue writing the blog.
We had a few problems with internet so I was a bit behind.
Felista made us another nice breakfast.
David, the taxi driver, came up to see us to make an appointment for tomorrow morning 5.30 (that is even for our present time schedule early!!) to bring us to the airport in Blantyre.
With the help of Lackson, the guards and Felista we brought the biggest antenna (30m VDA) to the ground. Felista and I filled up the hole with sand and the men were busy dismantling all the ropes and screws from the pine tree.
My niece, Sanne, text-ed us that a friend of her, working at Emirates, arranged a hotel for us in Dubai. He saw that we were eligible for a free hotel stay because we have a stop of nearly 8.5 hours. So that is a nice surprise. He is also the one who arranged a bon voyage cake for us on the flight to Johannesburg.
We spent the day busy around the house packing. Felista came to ask us if Lackson could take the car to go to the hospital with his daughter. She fell into the fire and had several burns. We took a look at the burns and advised him to go to the hospital. Although the wounds are big, everything is ok. I gave Lackson some medicines out of our first aid kit, to care for the wounds of his daughter.
The garden looks almost empty now that the antennas are gone. It is strange to walk here and think of stepping back in our real world tomorrow. For the people in Malawi this is their world and it is such a big gap between our worlds. It feels strange, there is so much and also so little one can do to help the Malawian people. And then there is the subject Remco and I talk about a lot, “Do you do good for them of ‘just’ for yourself”? And how good is that? And who says so?
A lot to think about, smile back at, remember and look forward to after this beautiful trip to Malawi! We enjoyed it a lot, the nature, the people, the culture and the two of us!
During the night the wind started to blow real hard, so we had quite a restless night. We wanted to leave early so Remco could make some more QSO’s for the last time. Finally we left at 8 o’clock after a nice chat with Luis, a Spanish guy who is building a school in Senga Bay as a kind of charity holiday.
We drove back to Mpalaganga without any special delays. We made a few pictures and videos from the life in Malawi alongside the (bumpy) road and the way people travel in Malawi, like this one (see below).
Arriving at Mpalaganga the antennas had a tough time in the wind. It was really a cold and Continue reading