Domburg

Odi fa waka

We are in the village of Domburg now and spending lots of time traveling by bikes to interview some wise elders. Yesterday, Kelly and I biked about 10 kilometers to the village of Jakin. The morning ride wasn't too bad, and we obtained some useful data while in the village. However, we weren't too bright and biked backed around 2 p.m. in the heat of the day when everyone else is taking their siesta. That was draining, but we survived. I saw my first green viper while biking on a path near dark last evening. My first instinct to jump off the bike, catch the snake, and "then" identify it was overridden (fortunately) by Kelly's better sense and a sharp, "Phil, what are doing? You're in the tropics and don't know anything about what crawls here! For goodness sakes, stay on your bike!!" Some people just take away all my fun. The access to computers and the sluggish speed of the internet has not improved; therefore, I cannot post any pictures yet.

We will be in the interior again in about a day working with Frits von Troon. He's invited us to come help because the government of Holland has sent 15-20 Dutch teenagers (born to Maroon parents that moved to Holland) to discover their roots. So, Kelly and I are joining this group of kids, a TV crew, and probably some government folks to head into the bush. I think Frits wants us to help them with plant I.D. and keep them from wandering into some dangerous situation. I guess Frits still has a bit to learn about me, eh? :-) I may be out of touch till next week. Hope all is well with everyone. I look forward to sharing pictures and stories. Take care!

Phil
August 2