Unfortunately, this week I cannot post photos due to terrible WiFi.
This week, we continue and finish the packing for the expedition. This packing consists of last minute accessories and gear for a safe trip down the delta. This gear includes water filters and kitchen supplies for 14 people and 30 days. The kitchen is campfire based; there are no gas appliances on the trip. Even bread will be baked in the campfire so as to save space in the makoros. The water filter that they are bringing is a powerful non-electric pump, that must fit in a small space, yet must provide for 14 people. This water purification is a crucial step towards a successful expedition.
The team going on the expedition has assembled, so the scientists are busy getting the equipment together. Since most of the scientific instruments are electric, three solar panels are needed to keep the team powered. The panels are connected to a battery which in turn charge all the cameras, the phones, the satellite routers, and research computers. The panels will lie on the makoros during the day and bask in the sunshine. This plan might be faulty in other places; in the Delta, clouds are infrequent and small at this time of the year. The amount of times that I have seen a cloud during my stay here is, in fact, zero. The panels are a necessity in keeping the expedition powered up.
Although the scientific equipment requires charge, some of the gear is simple items. The fishing nets are an example of the wide range of scientific tools used. They are a crucial step for the boat trip, because this allows them to get fish samples without any extra hassle. Even the E-DNA is simply a glorified water filter. The E-DNA process filters out fish DNA from the water. These tools subtract from the overall need for electricity, and thus make for a more achievable level of power.
On the expedition will be 12 people on six makoros. Six people will be on the back with nkashi’s (large poles used to push the vessel forwards), and six people will have paddles in front and tablets to record data with. The polers in the back will stand, so as to keep an eye on the hippos. Just in case the makoros reach a spot with no water, or too shallow water, we have packed twelve harnesses and ropes that can pull the boats across these obstacles.
Outside of packing, I get to spend time with new members of the expedition, including my mentor Chris Boyes. We got to watch the finals for cricket, which was a new sport to me, and he had to explain what was going on.
Next week, we will see them off on the expedition, and hopefully I packed well enough that they don’t starve.
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