Millennium Celebration in Gabon

The following is an e-mail from a friend of Bob Utne. Jenny is British, has travel agencies in Johannesburg and Libreville and brought a group of South Africans to Gabon to celebrate the Millenium. 

M'bolo Bob,

So I didn't tell you about our New Year's eve saga. Well here goes. Firstly didn't sell all the accommodations. So had a loss of approx US$12,000.00 We were due for departure on 26 Dec and return 05 Jan.

As in all groups there is a wanker, excuse the expression but this guy was a No 1.

3 days before leaving he phones to cancel as he had had an argument with his wife. He told me he was stopping his cheque. I already had special clearence on it since his first one had bounced!!! Anyway, I play the role of marriage counselor and they make up.

On 26 Dec, our flight was delayed by about 6 hours. So we met up later at the apt. We all sat drinking, smoking, chatting and basically looking forward to our trip. The reason for the flight delay was, wait for it, NO PILOT for the 747. So Air Gabon had to bring in the 767 and this, to our horror, is a non smoking aircraft.

On arrival, a friend of ours met us at the airport and put us in the VIP lounge. Our visas were refused. Our friend sorts this problem out. We eventually get to the hotel at 04h00 am. Meant to leave the hotel at 09h30 with the hotel bus to get to the port. At the breakfast table, find out that those who were meant to have had double beds had singles and visa versa.

The bus from the hotel was not there, so the hotel got us 5 taxes as we did have a lot of baggage for ten days. Just as were entering the port, the wanker gets stopped by the police for a control. I sort that problem out. Then we meet up with Bernard the owner of the Ekwata resort who apologies that the boat had already left, he thought because we arrived late we would be late as well. So we had to wait an hour at the port.

On arrival at Ekwata, everyone was most impressed with the place. Our rooms were not ready. This was my fault I knew this would be the case and did not warn them in advance. Then the wanker wants a room next to us and another couple. Neither of us wanted him there so we convinced him to take the room that was the furthest away and was already available. Monday evening starting to wind down.

Tuesday - Sheer paradise, by night time we were dancing on the tables.

Wednesday - In the afternoon, I receive a message from JNB to say that our return flight, which was a supplementary flight, had been cancelled. So I start negotiating with Air Gabon as to what to do. They only had 30 pax booked to which 12 of them were my clients. Would you believe it but they agreed to pay for us to stay at their cost the extra 4 nights at the resort. What other airline would do the same thing. They could have said either you leave on 02 Jan or you stay in LBV. They were brilliant.

Thursday - Afternoon. Bianca (writer's daughter) and a friend went horse riding on the beach. My friend fell off the horse, fractured her ribs and lost her memory!!! Poor Sabine she was in such a state. It took her a couple of hours to remember things. Could not believe it when she said to me, "Jenny where am I? How did I get here?"

In the meantime, the wanker spent his time taking photos with his new digital camera and loading them onto his lap top. That's all he did. He does not like beach holidays, so why the hell did he come?

Friday - The famous 31 December 1999. Lots of activity setting up the place for the party. As I had not sold all the accommodation, Bernard had sold it to local residents and only gave me back half. The place was magnificent, atmosphere unreal. Disc jockey, great music. We were already dancing before dinner. We asked to see in the new year at 11h00 being 12h00 South African time. They asked us what music we wanted, so without too much hesitation we decided on Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive" thinking of life in South Africa.

Well at 11h00 it was happy new year, everyone up dancing, French crowd as well. The food was exquisite, At 12h00 happy new year again with fireworks, champagne etc. The nights was total perfection. Around 03h30 my crowd goes to bed and I'm still talking to some of the French crowd when Bernard waves good night to me. I said "Are you still here, I thought you had gone already?"

 Well Bob that is the last time I will ever say that to anyone for as long as I live. He went into his room with Nathalie his girlfriend who at the time was 4 month pregnant. Said he wasn't feeling well, got undressed went into the bathroom had a heart attack and died.

Nathalie came running onto the terrace saying there is something wrong with Bernard. It was too late. I woke Mauro and then Bernard's body was put onto a boat and taken back to Libreville. Nathalie was obviously hysterical and everyone around in a state of shock. Nathalie left an hour later.

Needless to say the atmosphere was please excuse the expression "deathly" around the place all through the day. Sabine was leaving that day, in any case, and just before she left the manager informed me that they were going to close the place down on Monday and that we could not stay the extra 4 nights. So I had to find alternative arrangements for my group.

The wanker kept threatening to sue me for all the inconveniences.

Well, just as Sabine was leaving, a lady came up to me to who was walking along the beach and offered to show me, the next day, another place.

We went to visit it the next day, it was ok but the only problem for the first night was we all had to sleep in the same room. You know Bob after all we had gone through why not. So on the Monday, the new place was coming to collect us. Guess who wasn't ready, the wanker, had to wait half an hour for him.

On arrival they announce that they have another room, great, so we say the girls in one room and the guys in another. The wanker's wife refuses saying she wants to sleep with him and it doesn't matter that all the other guys would be there. So we left them the room and six of us slept for the one night in the one room. Then the wanker and his wife decide they don't like the place and that they prefer to stay in LBV. So I organize for them to go to LBV.

Would you believe that we see the shuttle boat come across and breakdown in the middle of the estuary!!! Anyway, they stayed the 4 nights in LBV. On the bus to go the apt, the wanker at 05h00 in the morning says again he was going to sue me!!!!

Well Bob that is basically how I saw in the new year, and believe me it was not pleasant. It was meant to be the first real holiday that our family had had together since moving to SA. Never again!

Jenny