I need to get to the airport as fast as I can. I walk to Henry's house. His wife gets him out of the shower, and I explain as matter-of-factly as possible what the problem is. 'Give me ten minutes and I'll take you', he says. Have I mentioned already that Henry is a terrific guy?Besides being an intelligent, hospitable and amusing man with whom I have had hours of good conversations, Henry turns out to be an excellent racing driver. The unpaved roads have been turned into streams of water and mud by the relentless tropical rains. He steers his white Toyota at high speed past stalled trucks and cars that are stuck in slimy mud up to their axles - they won't be able to get out for a while. Sorry guys, no time to help you now. In no time at all, the car, including the windows, is covered in red and brown sludge on all sides. Henry keeps pushing the accelerator, and every time I think we're going to spin or get stuck, he finds a way out and steers us through all sorts of tricky situations.
