FLYING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME
The last day and a half is a jumbled blur. I know I left
Oshkosh, Wisconsin at 10:00 on the 5th of January, 2014. I know I arrived at O'hare
International Airport in Chicago, IL on the 5th and flew out around 17:00.
After that it's a bit hazy. I know I watched a lot of movies on the plane to
Amsterdam and that I arrived in Amsterdam on the 6th but I'm not sure what
time. It was early in the morning according to Central time. I called Sarah, my
wife, once I figured out how to get the WIFI to work in the airport. She helps
me work it out; I think it was around 8:00 when we landed in Amsterdam. It was
around 3:00 in Oshkosh.
There is a total
of 21 people in our group. I am tagging along with this team of 17 students
from the Department of Psychology at UW Oshkosh lead by Dr. Jim Koch and Dawn
and Dave Detloff, also from UWO. The purpose of the trip is to travel to
Tanzania, learn about the culture and people, and conduct animal observations
at five national parks to study behavior. In an unexpected coincidence, I am interested
in the same plan; focusing on horned bovids, I am curious to see if variation
in horn morphology is consistent with fighting style. With this information, I
can elaborate my current research on injury frequency and distribution in
horned bovids and make comparisons with injuries in ornithischian dinosaurs. I
am also interested in looking at predator/prey interactions and relationships
for research comparisons with the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, as well as
starting some experimental taphonomy studies based on bones and carcasses in
the various parks. Finally, I am interested in talking with someone about
getting the ball rolling to start doing field work in the Tendaguru formation
of southern Tanzania.
As we board the flight to Kilimanjaro, I still have no clear
idea what time it is. My watch is set to home time, but I'm not sure if the
date is correct, or whether it is in the morning or afternoon. I'm sure a
majority of this confusion is just due to a lack of rest. The flight is roughly
seven hours. I have dozed for a total of
about 20 minutes in the last day and a half. After a 15 hour series of flights
and tremendous jet lag, we landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport.
LANDING AT KILIMANJARO
21:00 local time. I've been up...too long. We depart the
plane on to the tarmac and I am instantly hit with a blast of warm air and a
sweet and slightly bitter smell in the air. As I walk across the tarmac in the
dimly lit airport I can see the faint outline of palm trees and jungle. I enter
into the entrance of the customs area at Arusha Airport. I wait in line and get
my visa stamped by a woman dressed in a black sweater and military fatigues.
Despite the ridiculously expensive vaccines I was told I had to have, she
doesn't even ask to see my paperwork showing my yellow fever vaccination; I am
holding it in my hand.
I am passed through the visa station and claim my bag from
the carousel. There is no customs table. I gather with the group and after
everyone has had their visa stamped we exit the airport to a dark jungle and
welcomed by cab drivers.
Two men stand their waiting to greet us. One is dressed in a
military tan shirt and pants and wears a black beret. He is small and slender,
wide cheekbones pushing through a tight face. The other wears a poorly fitted
button up white shirt and baggy tan pants around his large belly. His face is
smiling. He informs us that he is from MWEKA and introduces the driver. The
large man is Joshua Moshi.
We exit the airport arrival terminal and are led to the vehicle
that will be transporting us to the College of African Wildlife Management
(MWEKA).
The vehicle is a huge monstrous safari vehicle with the
tarps rolled up, opening the sides to the cool Tanzanian evening. We load up
our luggage, pile in, and the driver and his companion hit the road - with me
standing on the back of a safari truck surrounded by luggage. I pull my
balaclava up around my face as the dust from the road surrounds us as we start
the hour-long drive to MWEKA near Moshi. We pass by people on motorcycles at
break-neck speeds, villagers walk on the side of the road with bundles of
sticks tied and balanced on their heads. In the darkness of the night, the
stars are small but countless beacons guiding our way down the road, the wind
blowing in my face and the smell of new flowers to tease my nostrils. I feel
like an excited dog with his head out of the window as we speed down the dark
road towards our destination.
ARRIVAL AT MWEKA
We arrive at MWEKA on a rough road composed of large
volcanic boulders and cobbles and pull up to a dimly lit mess hall. There are
two young women waiting for us with a dinner prepared. We are also introduced
to a young man with a younger face and a sharp smile. He introduces himself as
John, a new Tutoring Assistant at MWEKA and the liaison to our group during our
trip. As students excitedly begin attempting their newly learned Swahili, John
corrects them with a laugh and a smile. "Say 'Jambo'...it means
'hello'...say 'mambo'...it means 'how are you'...say 'poa'...it means 'I'm
good'...say 'asante'...it means 'thank you'. This is our first introduction to
our new Tanzanian friends; they
find a harmless humor in hearing foreigners butcher their language, but love it
even more that we are willing to try.
At the entrance
to the cafeteria is bucket of warm water and a bottle of hand soap. Everyone
lines us to take their turns washing their hands; a habit that begins every
meal. As we stand in line, a young man walks past, fist-bumping all the
students. He is about 23 years old, stocky, and strong. He warmly smiles at
everyone he fist-bumps, working down the line saying "Karibu, Big
Small...Karibu, Big Small."
 |
| The Choo: Pronounced to rhyme with "low" though you'd think it would be "poo"... |
We are served a small buffet of barbecued chicken, rice, and
stewed vegetables. Despite the numerous meals and snacks supplied by the
airlines during our lengthy flight, the warm meal at our destination is very
welcomed by all and a heartfelt "asante sana" is offered, and a
"karibu" is said in reply. The flavors are excellent; a mild spice
with a savory smoky flavor.
After dinner, we load back in to the safari vehicle and are
driven across the road to our dormitory. The building is a small, 4-bedroom
bungalow with an old fireplace in the front room. Security bars are fastened to
the windows and locks are on all of the doors. Jim and I take a room together
while the students break off in to groups and settle in to their beds. I am
exhausted, excited, and slightly overwhelmed. I get my bags unfolded and start
to settle in.
Part of settling in also included my first experience with a
Tanzanian toilet (choo). Interesting. I lay in my bunk and try to do some reading, but
the last 36 hours finally take their toll, and I drift off into a deep and
sudden sleep. Tomorrow I will wake up to my first vision of Tanzania and an
entirely different world.
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