Yes, Kenya is hosting the regular Natural Events comparative physiology meeting (you can read about it here - I don't know about you, but I could do without the animated gifs and the lions moaning on that page, perhaps in response to the animated gifs). Sable Systems International is a major sponsor of the meeting - yay for them and their support of comparative integrative biologists! I'll make at least an attempt to update this blog from there, though how internet access will be, who knows.

Afterwards (if I survive) I'll be interring my ancient mother's ashes in Cape Town, specifically at a bench in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where my father' ashes were interred too. My mother died just a day before the respirometry course held in October of last year - it's a strange experience teaching a demanding, intensive course just after the death of a parent. Annoying though she was at times. But that's another story.

Robbin and I have some trepidations about this trip. The last two times we traveled to Africa we were nearly killed.

On one occasion we were visiting Zimbabwe and ended up stranded on the Zambezi river just slightly upstream from the Victoria Falls. The outboard motor on our boat had failed and we started drifting towards the falls. Swimming to the bank was out of the question because of the current, not to mention the hippos and crocodiles lining the riverbanks. At the time I thought this was hilarious. "Look, Robbin," I said, "we're post-reproductive, our children will live on, and if you get to choose a way to go, you have to admit this is one of the most spectacular." For some reason she was not at all amused. As you can tell because you're reading this, the motor finally started.

On the other occasion we were on a walking safari in Ithala, South Africa, and had become separated from our group,. Soon we were cornered by a white rhino intent on our demise. We hid in a pathetic little stand of thin trees that the rhino could have broken like straws. For several minutes it paced around our hiding-place trying to get a fix on us. Fortunately they have lousy eyesight. You know that scene in Jurassic Park where a pool of rainwater trembles with the footsteps of the T. rex? We could actually feel each footfall as the rhino tried to track us down. Finally it left...

Ah, Africa.