What in the hell is a 'Choo Stop'????

My Spot.

I learned quickly during my ride from Nairobi to the middle of nowhere what a Choo Stop meant. I've never camped before, and never had the urge or the desire to have to 'find a bush'. Even while in Africa, I learned to manage my body functions so well that I only had to 'find a bush' once or twice. Here is that "FIRST" bush. I am showing the world, because I am very proud of myself. I learned that it requires special skills and coordination from a woman. I think my success was 'beginner's luck', but I wasn't about to push it. And trust me when I tell you. The campsite facilities and other so-called bathrooms that I used during the trip make this look like a Queen's throne.

It's a little hard to concentrate on what you are doing in these places, as this is the African savannah. That means that any wild animal, large or small, on foot, hoof, or slinking on its belly, could creep out of nowhere. That fear made me make alot of noise while I squatted, so that I might scare anything away that might be approaching. And that included the 30 or so two-legged creatures that were also wandering through the savannah trying to find 'their spot'.

Oh, and my "Choo Stop Tip-of-the-week" is: Never squat too close to an acacia tree. (see the post before this one called "Paleo-Adventures" for a photo if you don't know what an acacia tree is, or what kind of danger it poses to a 'squatter'....)

Click on photo for a larger, more 'intimate' viewing of 'my spot'.

My African Paleo-Adventure, Photos Included

Ha! """Paleo-Adventure""". That wasn't on my google list of Paleo-Words.

Anyway. Here's a few select photos from my trip to the cradle. You can click on them to make them do a little internet magic and grow really big.

This pic is of my hotel room at the Sirona Hotel, Nairobi, the place selected by the field school for the students and staff to stay. Thanks, Rutgers, you've outdone yourself... Actually, the hotel wasn't bad at all. And trust me, after sleeping in a dusty tent for 6 weeks, the beds at this hotel, and the occasionally running water, made this place to be the equivalent of the Taj Mahal.

The next pic, is a view out of my window at the Sirona. This might have come in handy because the water (and electricity) at the hotel was not always working. No, I never did get close enough to see what exactly that was growing inside the tub.

The next pic is of THE skull from KNM-ER 3733. In other words, Homo erectus. Housed at the National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi. Sorry that the photo isn't very clear, but this is housed in a new section of the museum, which is under tight security, and photography is not allowed. Oops, my bad.
There were lots of other cool exhibits there too, like crazy-looking hominid figurine displays. I swear, they aren't MY ancestors! Seriously though. I always laugh at the artistic interpretation of what our early hominid ancestors looked like, but they had to look like SOMETHING, right??? Frankly, if he had a more receding hairline, he'd look alot like my oldest brother.
We are getting ready to leave the hotel and head on out to begin the field school. Here we are enthusaistically packing up the lorry with our supplies and personal items. Once we reached Ileret, the passing of supplies from the lorry was not as enthusiastic, and everything had to be passed down a very steep hill. The hill, by the way, was very fun to climb back down in the dark after going for our baths in Lake Turkana. NOT.
Some of the group loaded up on the Uni-mog. The young students actually RAN to get a seat on this, thinking 'how cool'.... Sure, they are smiling NOW..... That smile didn't last too long after they got going on the 4 day drive on mostly unpaved roads. They were so covered in red dust, that they were unrecognizable. They pulled their hoods or hats over their heads (or a towel) and tied anything they could find over their faces, which made it even MORE amusing for the rest of us to look at once they took them off again. Silly kids. By the end of the trip, they'd have sold their supporting parents' souls to NOT ride on the Uni-mog! The open air side panels made vomiting very convenient, but not so good for passing acacia shrubs. Ouch!
In case you've never laid eyes (or limb, or backside) on an acacia tree, check the next couple of photos (yes, those are very large thorns, in case you were wondering). And what I really want to know is, why didn't someone tell me that there would be acacia thorns in the dirt that went to the sifting screens? I wish I had a dollar for every time that I had to have my friend Cruz pull thorns out of my hands as a result.
One of the "creature comforts" for us old people, was a comfortable long journey in Jack's (or another) land-rover rather than being subjected to riding in the Uni-mog. Comfort, I found, is a relative word, and Jack is a maniacal driver. Can you say 'spinal-cord compression injury'???? I wonder if my own pathology will one day show lingering affects on my verts from riding with Jack?

On the way to our first stop: Mugie Ranch. This photo is looking out over the Rift Valley, heading to the Laikipia plateau. Part of the beauty that is the Kenyan landscape, and the beginning of our lessons about reconstructing a paleo-environment using a landscape approach.

Stay tuned, however, because the next photo shows how in just a short distance, the landscape changes to more of a 'moonscape. These rocks (a result of a "Paleo-Volcano" from Ethiopia) went on for miles and miles and miles and miles like a song by the Who. Lake Turkana is in the background, and Loiyangalani is a town nearby, home of my brother, Abdi.
I visited Abdi's house, and enjoyed meeting his mother and sister. His mother made me some great chai tea, and offered a little snack. Camel meat. It was the first time that I ate camel meat, but wouldn't be my last. It was actually really good... I'm just glad I wasn't told what it was BEFORE it went in my mouth, or I would have been very culturally insensitive, which would make me a very bad anthropologist. Of course, after eating that, everytime I passed a smiling camel on the road, I felt so guilty, that I had to yell out "POLE SANA".... (Swahili for "I'm sorry"), because Kenyan camels only understand Swahili (they don't have a mother-tongue) . :)
If I didn't know better, THIS particular camel knew what I did to his comrade, and is giving me a look of disgust. I don't blame him.Our caravan on a moonscape, and the camel photos were taken by Phil, another victim of the KFFS. Thanks Phil!

Our first stop and campsite was at Mugie Ranch. I'll add Mugie Ranch photos, and eventually the rest of the trip photos soon. Or never. Just kidding.

Paleo-this and Paleo-that

Yesterday, I was trying to find some grad programs for quaternary research. The "paleo-vocabulary" involved was pretty extensive. I think that anyone who has an interest in any type of research during the quaternary period, simply sticks the prefix of "paleo" onto whatever they want. Which is cool. In fact, I did the same thing naming this blog, which is named after my upcoming website.

Today, I did a google search, simply typing in "paleo". Some results are more scientific than others, some are even very amusing.

One of my favorites is Paleo-Entertainment. I think I saw this job vacancy advertised on Monster, and involved planning social activities at a nursing home.

My other favorites are in bold:

paleo-facts
paleo-perspectives (outdated points of view??)
paleo-lithic
paleo-climatology
paleo-diet
paleo-indians
paleo-paradoxia (huh? I'll have to do some further googling)
paleo-judaica (old Jews?)
paleo-dna
paleo-ethology
paleo-ed
paleo-research
paleo-data
paleo-tethys sea
paleo-future (a lesson in contradictions???)
paleo-park (complete with wheelchairs and enema bags for the geriatric crowd's enjoyment)
paleo-question
paleo-discoveries
paleo-paganism (old non-believers???)
paleo-festival
paleo-webserver (an outdated Windows system, I'm sure)
paleo-perspectives
paleo-cookie (I can't even comment on this one, I'm laughing so hard. Whatever kind of cookie it is, I wouldn't suggest eating it)
paleo-conservative (the opposite of a paleo-pagan?? Or, John McCain's political views??)
paleo-sculpture (works of art using holocene deposits as the medium???)
paleo-music (this is probably what my daughter thinks I listen to)
paleo-laptop (I'm working from one now!)
paleo-kitchen (a stone hearth and sticks to start a fire with is all the rage these days!)
paleo-biology
paleo-botany
paleo-tools
paleo-pop (another of my favorite music genres, mostly music by Barry Manilow and Englebert Humperdink.)

OK, I'll stop for now, because I've learned that the list is ENDLESS!

But I do have to say, that during my search for a grad program, I found something that I am truly interested in: PALEO-FECES.

I shit you not.

London

Well, it's been colder in London than it is in Maine. Go figure. And me, I forgot a sweater, socks, umbrella, and a power converter!

I've met a couple of people who are going on the trip. They are staying in various locations around London. So far, so cool!

I went to the British Museum yesterday. Found my way there on the tube system quite easily! It is a great museum, tons of Egyptian artifacts - the ones that you see photographed all the time. And I forgot my camera battery! The best room in the museum (IMHO) was the Islamic art room. The tile work and glass was amazing!

Had some typical English fish and chips. I was NOT impressed. But, it wasn't from a pub, just the hotel restaurant.

Well, in a couple of hours, I'll be on a flight to Nairobi! Stay tuned....

I'm starting a petition.

I just want to start a petition. As much as salmon is a great food item, I don't think it should be served in the small confines of an airplane. That is all.

Trips to Africa Require an Endless Cash Supply

So, I have about 10 days to go before I need to leave for Africa. Knowing that once I land, I won't have any opportunities to shop for essentials, I have been trying to stock up on anything and everything that I think that I'll need for the next two months of camping in the middle of nowhere. How in the world do you pack enough bug spray/shampoo/sunblock to be in Africa for two months?

Every time that I turn around, I remember something else that I'll need. Then there are the expensive shots and prescriptions that are required. 170$ on the typhoid and Hep A/B shots. 230$ for the yellow fever and polio shots. In a couple of days, another dose of Hep A/B (another 150$). The prescription for my malaria pills will be about 300$. There goes the money that I had planned to purchase a new camera with!

The new tent that I purchased arrived the other day. So I set it up in my yard. Two nights later, it downpoured here. You guessed it - MAJOR leaking! So, now I have to scramble to buy a new tent, with most of my money GONE on other supplies. I can't be thrifty and find one online because I no longer have time for shipping. So, I'll probably be making a trip to LL Bean or Cabella's in the next few days to cough up more money for a tent.

I purchased a cell phone that will work in England and Nairobi so that I can stay in contact with my daughter for at least the first week that I'm gone. After that, Dr. Harris said that I can call home on a daily basis using the satellite phone at the camp.

I sit here wondering about what I still need to purchase. It still seems endless. I need some lightweight pants. I need some hiking shoes... or should I just use my sneakers? I need a backpack - something to carry my course materials, field notebooks, camera, water bottles, iPod.

Oh, did I mention that a toothache has decided to crop up this close to departure date? I need to find a dentist and shell out $$ for that, hoping that it doesn't require a root canal.

Geesh, next time I plan a trip to Africa, it will be after I hit big on the blackjack tables at Foxwoods or the state lottery!

The good news is that my Swahili language set arrived in the mail, and I'm eager to get started!

So... What is a Paleo-Nerd?

I guess I should take a minute to explain the definition of what a paleo-nerd is. According to dictionary.com, we get the following:

PALEO:
1. Ancient; prehistoric; old
2. Early; primitive
NERD:
1. A stupid, irritating, ineffectual, or unattractive person.
2. An intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit


So, the paleo part is pretty self-explanatory. BUT... I totally don't get definition #1 for NERD so I'll just ignore it and try to rebuild my self-esteem after reading it.

#2 pretty much gets to the meat of the issue.

The resulting definition of a paleo-nerd is obvious:

"A really boring person, who has no life, who OCD's over ancient or primitive things."

In my case: I like VERY old people who have been fossilized over time, and those even OLDER creatures that were almost people. Or were they almost apes? Either way: You say po-TAY-to, I say po-tAh-to.

And I'm thinking: it is probably a good thing that I'm interested in those OLD fossils, because most young people, I want to slap.

;)

Paleo Nerd Emerges

...From the depths of my mind.

I have finally taken a moment to begin a blog. This seems to be the 'in' thing. At least the 'in' thing for the coolest of the cool in the geography-anthropology department at USM. So, here I am, forcing my way into the membership of the elite via blogspot.

I am starting this blog here, as a way for me to develop some basic structure for a website that I am going to build by the same name, paleonerd.com. That website will have my journal, photographs, and field notes from my upcoming trip to Koobi-Fora. I'll put that website together once I arrive home, probably on August 6th.

Sooooooo, in the meantime, I have this blog. Once I arrive in Africa, I probably won't get more than one or two chances to update this blog. Why? Because I have probably chosen the most remote field school that has ever been known to student-kind.

Speaking of Koobi-Fora, the planning for the trip is making me mildly insane. Maybe even more than mildly. There are the endless shots; prescriptions that will cost me hundreds of dollars to avoid malaria (because God knows that if there is one skeeta in all of Kenya, it is going to feast on ME); living in a tent with no electricity or running water; AND THERE ARE SNAKES.

Not just any snakes, but almost all that live in that area of the Rift Valley are poisonous, and some even SPIT THEIR VENOM AT YOU. I shyt you not!

So, right now, I'm trying to find a tent that I can purchase that has impervious steel walls and snake repellent built in, but it also has to be as comfortable as the Taj Mahal so that I can continue to dwell at the urban-girl comfort levels to which I'm accustomed. Actually, I purchased a nice tent last night. The problem is - that I can only assemble things following instructions that are written in Japanese, so setting this baby up might take me a while. I'm sure there will be some other charitable paleo nerds around there to help me out.

I bought a 4 person tent, partly to accommodate my girth, and partly to accommodate all of the comforts of home that I am going to try to bring with me. Whatever happened to the days when it was the norm for travellers to Africa to pack their belongings in multiple steamer trunks???? I wonder if the airline will mind?

My home from the middle of June til the middle of August:
And speaking of girth... I was going to begin a diet before I left for Kenya. But then I thought 'F' that! Someone from Rutgers who knows someone from Rutgers, that went on this trip at some point in time, told that someone from Rutgers that I know, that we will be starving by the end of the trip. So, I've been increasingly aware that if I even THINK that I'll want to eat an Oreo (substitute 'oreo' with any other junk food) in the next couple of months, I better eat it NOW!!!

Well, I'll close this blog for now. I need to continue my shopping now in preparation for my trip. I am looking for a portable toilet that I can put in my 4 person tent; a solar power charger powerful enough to give life to my laptop and a small air conditioner, and some kind of shower stall. And it all has to fit in a suitcase. Wish me luck.