Recap of the week's events.
We were all very excited that we could begin working again. After almost a week with no cars and therefore no working we were going a bit stir crazy. I gave my climate change presentation to the Chobe Enclave Trust Board and they granted us permission to work in the village. It was great to have Brian back with us, he really made a difference at this meeting.
So we packed up our camp in Kasane and decided to camp in the bush for 2-3 days while we worked. Eric, of course, was too good to camp behind the trust office and he therefore stayed in the lodge 2 hours away from us. Any clue how much he participated in the research? We camped in a town called Kavimba which was not the greatest place to camp but hey we were working.
When we went to pick up the survey from some of our assistants on 6-18-2010 Shylock noticed an odd streak on the side of the CAM. The CAM which had just gotten out of the shop 2 days prior. So he pops the hood and oil is gushing everywhere. We all knew it was bad. There was a crack in the engine. We could see it. The CAM is DOA.
Next problem, we are an hours drive from camp on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. And our 2 most naive / skitish group members, Kalanie and Jing, are back in Kavimba. So guess what, I had another first. We hitchhiked back to camp. What choice did we have really. The driver was nice enough to stop at the bottle shop on the way back so that Jessica and TaTa could buy a bottle of vodka. Becuase by this point we all really needed it. I wish he had a picture of us in the back of that truck. Me holding all my stuff that was in the CAM, including all of the training sample data. Jessica holding her vodka and box of surveys. TaTa grinning from ear to ear because all of this is normal to him. And Shylock wearing my powder blue sun hat to keep the dust out of his eyes. But we made it back to camp.
Next problem, all cars are broken again. We have people depending on us to work. We only have supplies for 3 days in the bush. Oh, and Jing needs to be in Kasane in 48 hours to catch a plane. Problems aplently.
Tim and TaTas uncle became our saviors. Tim Fullman sacrificed a day of field for to drive hours out of his way to pick up Kalanie, Shylock, and Jing. He has only a small car so we could not all be rescues. Several hours later TaTas uncle shows up with a 2 seater truck with a lid on the back. We can all do the math but that left 4 people to ride in a 2 seater truck. TaTa owns the car, he gets on seat. Jessica gets car sick, she should get a seat. The uncle in question drove far to get us, he deserves a seat. Me?!? I'm SOL. I knew my fate quick into the loading of the gear. The back of the pick up for me.
To add to the complexity of this drive. TaTa decides to tow the CAM back into town with us. So we to Mabele where the car died and chain the two cars together. FYI, I voted to push the CAM into the river. So imagine. TaTa and Jessica in the truck driving. Said uncle and myself in the CAM that is being towed. Uncle is "driving" the CAM. I am praying for a quick death. About every ummm......4-10 km the chain / rope breaks and the CAM just starts to drift into nowhere. Uncle would curse, I would close my eyes, Jessica was sitting in the truck with her fingers crossed, but TaTa would just say Jesus Christ and rehook the cars.
After about the 5th time the rope / chain breaks I get a text message. At the time the phone beeps to symbolize the incoming message TaTa and Uncle a using 2 rocks to cut a piece of rope, in the middle of Chobe National Park, barefoot, cursing, and sweating. All the message said was "How r things?" I could not reply to Eric at that point because things we were all in a pretty dark place at that moment.
Just outside of Kasane, about 2 km from the mechanic everyone start to relax a bit. It seemed we were in the clear. Uncle (whose name I cannot remember at the moment) and I are talking and we spot a heard of elephants on the right side of the road. Unknown to us as we stare at the elephants the chain breaks again. When did we notice the chain broke, oh yeah, when we drove right along side the truck while rolling down a large hill. Seems that they had not noticed the break either. S0 we just kept rolling down that hill and took a left at the base right into the mechanics shop. When he walks out and asks what is wrong with the car and we reply its dead he had an extremely odd look on his face. Yes its dead but it still rolls. About the only thing good about that piece of crap car are the cupholders.
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