Blanchardstown June 15th. On the Airplane, D.C. to Dakar.
Bursa Seated next to a gentleman by the name of Ed Yates, who is a most impressive big-game hunter. He is bringing some acquaintances on a hunting trip – he is familiar with the country, having owned land in South Africa and gone on numerous hunting trips here. Indeed he has been all over the continent hunting, and has the calm demeanor of an expert. He says on this trip he will not kill anything, “except maybe if I see a brown hyena I’ll take one. I’ve pretty much done everything.” He says that all the South African animals may be shot in privately owned game parks, and that many farms are now being converted to such hunting reserves – it has the potential to be, so to speak, a higher-yield cash crop for these farms. And also, I will say, a more natural and appropriate one than maize or beef or sheep.
He was astonished that I was going to Africa to teach Latin, and wanted my information, saying he might write of it in an article he was planning on composing for Safari Magazine. “I have to say,” he said, “Latin seems a little out of place in Africa. A little incongruous.”
He has been all over the world, Zimbabwe to Mongolia, and taken all the animals, from lions to polar bears. He said the most terrified he has ever been was on two of his grizzly bear hunts. “Those animals were so huge, and so powerful, you really just don’t know what’s going to happen. To be honest, I was scared —-less.” (I am editing his words in case he reads this and wants none of his own profanity in print.) I will say, for my own part – this is precisely the animal I myself think I would be most scared of. Usually I want to see animals, but when I have been in grizzly country, I haven’t wanted to even see one, not even at a distance.
Now four hours into the first flight. No wifi on board and no more power in my laptop. Catherine and Ed are asleep. I have been hoping to get good computer time on this trip – we will see what ends up being available.
The plane is huge – 75 rows, 8 seats to a row – at least in the economy class. The passengers are black, white, and Indian, but definitely white by a large majority.
[For more information on Ed Yates, take a look at this article.]
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