Leg 007

"Le Terminus...of my spinus"

Le Terminus, Maripasoula, French Guiana

When I was a little tyke, sleeping in a hammock was awesome.  I remember my grandpa setting up his campsite hammock wherever he parked his RV, a tempting proposition to a 10-year-old.  Little Maxwell would try to get in the hammock unassisted for dozens of times, until finally asking grandpa for a helping hand...

What he didn't picture, however, was to be a middle-aged pilot sleeping in a hammock in the middle of French Guiana, swatting mosquitoes away with the same tenacity he once used to climb into grandpa's hammock.

I arrived to Maripasoula airfield just as the sun was setting, wanting to only spend a single night here before moving on to rejoin the money-making stream that flowed through J.A. Pengel Intl in Zandery, Suriname.  My issue was, however, a very tiny selection of overnight accommodations.  While I was willing to sleep in Wanda for a couple of hours, a local kid hanging out at the airfield told me about 'Le Terminus' - a place where I could get a hammock for the night.

'A hammock, eh?' I thought.  'That won't be so bad.'  Maxwell, you idiot.

Two flags on the fuse with space for plenty more

It turns out that once a person passes the age of 50 or so, his body becomes allergic to all things 'hammock.'  I arose this morning feeling mentally strong, but physically stiff as a wing spar.  I unceremoniously flopped out of my hammock, paid my two dollars, and limped back to the airfield.

On a positive note, though, my spirits are lifted to come upon Wanda wearing her second flag decal.  The French Guiana yellow & green diagonal is an excellent addition to the collection.

My plan for today is to create an adventure.  I plan to arrive to SMJP in order to access some paying jobs that will assist my financial situation (no more hammocks).  On the way there, I've set three goals for myself: (1) find the Paradise Islands resort in the middle of the Brokopondo Reservoir; (2) next find the infamous Rosebel Gold Mine; and (3) shoot Wanda's first instrument approach.  It looks like I'll get my wish, as SMJP is presently landing runway 11, with broken low clouds and rain.  Overall, the route's weather is clear with scattered rain showers just after I find Rosebel.  I give Wanda a thorough pre-flight look-over, load my route in the GPS and depart soon thereafter from Maripasoula's runway 7.

Getting my first look at Maripasoula airfield in proper daylight

Wanda's tanks are half full (never half empty, as we are optimists), so she and I climb out of Maripasoula 'Meatloaf style' (RE: "Bat Out of Hell").  In less than two minutes we are established at today's cruise altitude of 3,500.

This morning features a fine haze, which adds depth to the many mountain ridges in the distance.  I am reminded for a moment of more 'grandpa camping memories', recalling fond times in the Great Smoky Mountains.  I look forward to reaching the USA to pay tribute to bits of my past, but for now, I bring my attention back to the muddy and meandering Lawa River, which lies before me.

Flying the muddy Lawa River, which serves as part of the boundary between Suriname and French Guiana

The Lawa is a slow-moving, silty affair that serves as the official border between French Guiana and Suriname.  After spending the first five legs in Brazil, it feels refreshing to enter new international airspace so easily.

Wanda and I gaze down at the many small villages that rest on each side of the Lawa.  I can smell the smoke from the campfires up here in the cockpit, which again brings me warm memories of grandpa and grandma's campsites.  The morning sun radiates such warmth, and occasionally, paints vivid bright spots on to that muddy river, making it appear as liquid chocolate.  Pondering this, I am very satisfied that I chose the sweet cocoa tones for Wanda's livery...there's just something comforting and soothing about those particular browns.  And to add another layer of deliciousness, research tells me that this region of Suriname produces a respectable amount of cocoa beans, so this morning can be summed up as 'everything is chocolate.'  Man, I wish I had some Reese's Pieces right now...

Photo A: Wanda's 18ZL Ortho universe in X-Plane12 (see next photo)

Wanda and I make excellent progress on today's short flight, penetrating the smooth air at 161 knots indicated airspeed.  Everything about her seems to be perfectly in balance.  The Lycomings are both running smoothly with barely any vibration.  The instruments are functioning as if they are brand new (which technically they are).  Thankfully, the cabin re-circ fans are doing a great job of bringing fresh air in, as the temperature is quickly rising.

Photo B: a satellite image of Cotticadorp, demonstrating how nearly perfect Wanda's 18ZL Ortho universe can be

Wanda and I are now flying over the village of Cotticadorp.  As I smell the smoky aroma drifting into the cabin, I wonder what is going on down there.  I imagine this morning's catch is already smoking over open coals.  I picture little children chasing a football around the narrow dirt streets.  I can see colorful laundry being hung on the line while equally vibrant music plays from a dusty boombox.

As I wax poetic (again) about what lies below me, I open my "Postmodern Jukebox" mix and jam to old-school sounds that remind me of years past.  Just like the village below, my memories are full of vitality and warmth.  For the next 30 miles, I find nirvana, thinking of camping with my grandparents and studying the sun's golden reflection on the mountaintops in the distance.

Turning north at the south bank of the Brokopondo Reservoir

Wanda and I are nearing the half way point of today's flight, so it's time to get down to business.  The Paradise Island Eco Resort is a little slice of heaven located several kilometers west of the Brokopondo Reservoir eastern shore.  As we reach the southeast bank, Wanda and I turn 45 degrees to the north in order to track directly toward our goal.

Finding the resort could be difficult, as it lies on a tiny island that is contained within a group of more than 100 islands.  The saving grace, however, may be that the main lodge is covered by a very bright red roof, which should be well-contrasted against the deep blue water of the Brokopondo.

We found it!  Below Wanda's wing is the Paradise Island Eco-Resort

Music full blast, autopilot off and Wanda trimmed to maintain 2,000 feet, I keep my eyes outside the cockpit, intensely scanning the plethora of islands below me.  Each one is covered in a deep green canopy...and the next one...and the next one...and the next...wait!  There is a red roof!  And there is a pier!  We did it, Wanda!

I allow Wanda to give the resort guests a look at her majestic underbelly, making a steep roll to the right, turning further north toward the next goal.  I doubt I'll ever have a future reason to visit this part of the world again, but if I do, I know exactly where I want to sleep...and it isn't in a hammock!

Goal #2 achieved!  Just ahead is the Rosebel Gold Mine.

Feeling confident after finding that little-bitty eco resort among all those islands, I decide to press on with my second goal of locating the famous Rosebel Gold Mine.  Rosebel has a sordid history, being owned by many entities, both public and private since the late 1800's.  It's been the site of several major accidents and even a shootout between government officials and gold prospectors.  The last known operator was IAMGOLD, but from what I can tell, the place is shut down.

As Wanda and I cross the 30 nautical miles between goal posts, I take notice that the clouds are dropping and for the first time on this journey, my stormscope is displaying lightning strikes in the area.  I bank Wanda gently between the dark clouds, occasionally being hit by a short burst of rain and turbulence.  My trusty gal is rock steady in this air, humming happily along at 3,000 feet.  Suddenly, between dark clouds and rain drops, Rosebel becomes unmistakeable in the distance.  It is a cornucopia of deep red and bronze streaks, cut into the dark green forest.  Wanda and I overfly the site at 3,000 feet.  It clearly was a major operation, but we don't see any moving vehicles.  Most likely this place is toast.

Why fly direct when the world is one giant scavenger hunt?

After overflying the mine, Wanda and I only have 5 minutes to setup for the ILS to J.A. Pengel Intl's runway 11.  As we cross the initial approach fix, the rain begins to fall steadily, but lovely Wanda captures the needles flawlessly and flies a perfectly straight approach.  Interestingly, the approach nearly perfectly follows a straight stretch of highway to leads to the threshold of runway 11.  I suppose if I needed a measuring device, this would be the best opportunity, but any fool can see that Wanda is perfectly tuned for instrument flying.  We arrive in Zandery, Suriname, earning our third flag, in moderate rain.  The hydroplane effect completely cushions our already-stellar landing setup, and Wanda and I settle gently on to the surface.  It sure is nice to be back to a first class facility once again.  Wanda and I will rest a couple of days and scout some jobs to take us north into the Lesser Antilles.  We need to earn some cash, so I'll put my nose to the ground and see what pops up this week.