Off and Away
Trip Start
Aug 18, 2007
1
2
13
Trip End
Sep 01, 2007
Ontario,
California,
United States
Saturday, August 18, 2007
took off today at 11:45 am from Ontario, CA to arrive in Dallas, TX at
4:45 local time. With a quick change of plane in Dallas he'll fly all
night to Sao Paulo, Brazil to arrive at 5:40 am local time. He's got a
couple of hours to kill in the airport before leaving for an hour and
40 minute flight to Campo Grande where he'll stay overnight before
leaving for the research site. I'm sure he'll check in with us from
there. I'm excited for our favorite scientist while mooning over
missing my best buddy for 2 weeks. Bon Voyage, sweetheart! Happy
landings!
Saturday August 18 Departure
Departure day has finally arrived! After months of anticipation, I am very excited to be on my way. I've never been to South America before and I'm absolutely certain that my experiences will be full and rewarding.
Note aside:
I am actually typing these initial notes on Tuesday, after my arrival to the Pantanal. It has been difficult to find time to type. In addition, the Internet signal here is spotty and weak at best. Therefore, I will be e-mailing my entries to my lovely wife Patricia. She will then be posting them to the blog. I will do my best to send updates as frequently as possible.
And so...we begin...
Patricia dropped me off at Ontario International Airport on Saturday morning. She pushed me out onto the tarmac and said, "If you get hurt, I'll kick your dead carcass! See you in two weeks." In truth, we shared a hug and a tear. We do not like to be separated, even for a day. However, this trip is an EarthWatch fellowship, and Patricia will not be able to accompany me. I have much work to accomplish in a very short time. This is not a vacation. The cattle are harming the Pantanal. Biodiversity is declining and ways must be found to establish a better team approach with the ranchers. And so, I begin the first leg of my journey.
Ontario to Dallas/Fort Worth was an easy flight. Clear weather and no turbulence....and then my first surprise! Dallas is .....GREEN! I had this idea that Dallas would be yellows and browns, much like California in the summer. Perhaps I got this idea from watching the entry scenes from the old "Dallas" television show. But, it's very green, with many lakes and streams. Water sports abound. After landing, I rushed to switch planes for my connection to Sao Paulo.
DFW to Sao Paulo started out as not being much fun. The airplane was crowded and very cold....extremely cold. I had dressed for the tropics, and it wasn't enough. On top of that, I had first day jitters and my stomach was upset. Dinner came...and went....quickly. But then my luck started to turn. My seat mate noticed that I was uncomfortable, and offered to share his blanket. I accepted graciously. Soon, we were chatting, and I got to know one of the nicest men on the planet. Nico is from Greece (imagine that), and was traveling on business to Brasilia. He's a consultant for a Greek import/export company. He speaks fluent Greek, Portuguese, and English. However, he told me that he only speaks two languages...he really doesn't consider himself English-speaking. Of course, he told me this in perfect English. He's a terrific guy, and we had a very pleasant visit together. The night was long and dark over the Gulf of Mexico. At 3 am, the airlines served breakfast as we approached Sao Paulo. We got there at dawn, setting our final approach into clouds, rain, and a wet runway. I was not very thrilled about landing in Sao Paulo in the rain! We landed safely however, and I found myself in Brazil.....dark...wet...and COLD! The temps were in the 50's Fahrenheit, and damp. The airport was packed with people but I had 4 hours to make my transfer to Campo Grande. It turned out that I would need every minute of those 4 hours!
To be continued...
