|
5:10am Hotel Sofitel, Niamey
We are still in Niamey
waiting for the cargo to arrive. The support
crew (Allison, Jack, Dave, Rud and Dr. Tim)
arrived on Monday and so, finally, the team
is united, but a series of vehicle problems,
and a trucker's strike have put us behind
schedule. Once the two trucks arrive from
Benin, we should be able to clear customs
the same day and depart for Agadez the next
morning.
Meanwhile, though, "hurry
up and wait" is the phrase of day. Most
people on the team are spending their time
exploring the markets in Niamey, visiting
the museum, and doing some shopping.
Photograph by
Gabrielle Lyon It won't be light for
another few hours, but while we're still
working out the bugs in the DE2K set up,
we're trying to send and receive emails
at different times of the day. In fact,
the last few days have (for me) consisted
primarily of running a series of tests,
keeping a detailed activity log, and then
working through the various problems with
our tech team in Chicago.
Getting the technology
to work for this site is an impressive undertaking
- there have been less than 100 people who
have tried to do what we're doing on the
combination phone/satellite/power system
we've got.
Over the last week there
have been hours of trials, test and kinks
- particularly with sending images. One
of the biggest obstacles is that the suitcase
carrying everything relating to "power"
may have been lost by Air France during
the flight out. (Six of us left from Chicago
with 14 piece of luggage and only three
pieces arrived with us, the rest has been
trickling in). The lost bag has been a serious
blow to our activity the last two weeks
and caused a flurry of activity for us in
the electronics section of the grand marche
(big market) as we searched for transformers
(to change the 220 volt power in Niger to
the 120 volt power our American equipment
uses; 220 surge protectors; proper adaptors
for plugs.
Once we had the equipment,
it turned out the hotel we are staying in
has such outdated sockets the surge protectors
won't work. And so, I've rented a room at
another hotel and for the last few days
have been charging every phone and computer
battery we have. Luckily Mike will be able
to replace most of what we need in Chicago
this week and bring it in with him when
he arrives on Monday (August 27).
In order to send an
email from the field, you connect the computer
to a special phone and dial up to a satellite
and a signal is sent through a flat antenna
that's about 11/2 feet long and three feet
across.
By adjusting the direction
the antenna faces and the angle of the antenna
you try to get a strong signal between the
phone and the satellite. Once that's done,
you can start to log on, send email, and
work as if you are inside and plugged into
a computer on a desk. However, the antenna
needs a good clear view of the sky - which
is what brought me to the roof of the Hotel
Sofitel last night at midnight.
The roof isn't designed
for visitors. In fact, you're not really
supposed to be up there in the first place.
Which is why, after the door to the roof
closed behind me last night and I was locked
out, I was really in trouble. I ran a series
of tests until about 2:00am with mosquitoes
landing on any place they could - including
my thumbs. At the tend of the session, Mike
called Paul (who is at the Hotel Terminus)
to come to this hotel, open the door to
the roof, and "rescue" me.
The team has taken
to calling me Rapunzel. So, mostly, we're
waiting. But the expedition cometh. Wisps
of it arise, moments of anticipation when
we're talking about packing, making plans
for moving, gearing up: picking up the water
tank from the Embassy (stored for us since
1997), gassing up the vehicles so that we'll
have full tanks when we hit the road, changing
money from dollars to CFA, buying stamps,
sending postcards, inventorying supplies.
It comes in whispers, the expedition - but
will sing when we get on the road.
Gabrielle
Lyon
Team Member, 2000 Expedition to Niger.
Back
to Field Updates
|
