The Green[e]house Effect: a Weblog

Thoughts of Travel ...

Spending all afternoon and evening cranking out thoughts on the state of the technology industry can leave you pooped, so you can understand why my mind wandered to thoughts about fun I could be having elsewhere. So you tell me, which sounds more fun: walking across America, or traveling around the world?

First, let's check with someone doing the walk:

So I called Romey on Erik's phone to let her know I wasn't ignoring her e-mail, I just didn't have the ability to respond. It was kind of funny, because Erik's phone was in analog roam, so I was wandering around the area saying "can you hear me now", like those lame-ass commercials. This was the first time I'd talked to Romey since the 4th of July. It seems so long ago, but at the same time, so recent that I met her. It's hard to explain, time just moves different when you're not doing the same thing everyday, other than walking that is. It's just that everyday is so full of new things and new people, all the days both run together while remaining individual. Wow, bet that sure cleared things up for ya... too bad I'm more confused than now then when I started trying to explain things. D'oh.

Ummm, okay. Next up, a circumnavigator:

I've got kind of an intense situation going on right now. I'm up in my treehouse in Kibale National Park, it's perfectly dark outside, and I'm hearing things –- big, mammoth things -– moving around outside. Something is crashing through the bushes and trees just 30ft away from my perch.

I started hearing the noises as I was walking back from dinner, a ten minute hike through utterly dark forest with just an old paraffin lantern to guide the way. As I neared the treehouse I heard some giant animal smashing through the trees, heavy footfalls thudding on the damp ground. (In fairness, those heavy footfalls may have been mine –- I was sprinting to the treehouse. The lantern swung wildly at my side, casting freaky, choppy light through the bush. What a relief when the giant ladder came into view!)

The crashing in the bush is coming closer, trees bending, snapping. Now a pause. I get the feeling that there's a great beast who's thinking out there, just a few feet away.

A loud snort! Maybe it's a water buffalo? That's more likely than …

More crashing!

I just held the lantern out the main window to get a look. Succeeded in blinding myself. Silence. Then the crashing continued, more agitated than before. I get the feeling that, whatever it is, it's getting annoyed.

I took a closer look at the treehouse supports. This place is up on a bunch of stilts and it's also anchored to a fat center tree. Solid. An elephant couldn't… No. Why would they want to? And if a berserk elephant decided to push this house down, what are the odds of her doing so tonight? ...

You've got to be kidding me –- a shot just rang out.

Poachers?

Wait – that was a tree being cracked over!

The elephants are breaking trees! Damn big ones too! And here I am sitting in a …

— okay, then, I think I've made up my mind — my air-conditioned house is starting to sound pretty comfortable, thanks. Does anyone want me to send a post card?

Posted by Greg Greene at July 26, 2003 1:19 AM