Aktuelle Berichte
von der Sonnenfinsternis-Expedition nach Sambia
von Daniel Fischer
Erhalten am 11. Juni 2001
Livingstone, Zambia, 11. Juni 2001
Die "Bonn Eclipse task Force" ist nun schon 4 Tage in
Zambia (Sambia) im tiefsten Afrika - und ALLES funktioniert
hier voellig reibungslos, dank der guten Vorab-Organisation
der University of Lusaka und ihrer Helfer. Das Land ist - in
einigen Bereichen - viel moderner als wir erwartet hatten,
und die Flut der Eindruecke kann in der kurzen Zeit (15
Minuten Internet kosten 5000 Kwacha) kaum wiedergegeben
werden.
Die Viktoria-Faelle sind spektakulaer, und schon der
erste (kleine) Nationalpark hier in der Naehe war so
voller Tiere, dass wir fast umgerannt wurden (von einer
Elefantenfamilie). Wenn das so weitergeht, muss die Zahl
der Videokassetten drastisch aufgestockt werden ...
Erhalten am 14. Juni 2001
Hier ist der naechste Bericht von der grossen Sambia-Expedition!
Jetzt dauert die Expedition schon genau eine Woche, und
bisher klappt alles tadellos - selbst als der Ueberlandbus
bei der Rueckfahrt von Livingstone nach Lusaka mitten
im Nirgendwo liegenblieb, kamen wir (wenn auch mit 6
Stunden Verspaetung) ans Ziel.
Heute haben wir die Mietwagen abgeholt - vier riesige
Jeeps - und sind bereits kreuz und quer durch Lusaka
und auch in die Umgebung gefahren, u.a. zur Zambian
Wildlife Authority, die uns Spezialzugang zum Kafue
Nationalpark verschaffen wird.
Der weitere Plan steht damit fest: Am 14. geht es
zunaechst Richtung Sueden, in den Lochinvar NP, dann
wieder nach Norden in den Kafue, wo wir - so das Wetter
mitspielt - im auesserten Nordwesten die SoFi
beobachten werden. Und zwar mitten unter Loewen, ohne
Zaun, aber mit einem bewaffneten Scout. Interessante
Variante. :-) Danach geht es zurueck nach Lusaka und
vielleicht auch noch in den Lower Zambezi NP.
Die Eindruecke vom Land sind weiterhin ueberwaeltigend -
und heute haben einige von uns auch schon das erste
ganz echte afrikanische Essen in einem kleinen Dorf
ausprobiert (ohne Besteck) - inklusive eines kleinen
Kochkurses, auf dass wir es nachvollziehen koennen.
Daniel Fischer (z.Z. im Rechnerraum des Physikalischen
Instituts der Universitaet von Lusaka)
An English version
The big German expedition to Zambia is now in the country
for one week - and after a few days of pure holiday fun around
the outstanding Victoria Falls we are now back in Lusaka,
have taken over our four Jeeps (much bigger than expected :-),
have started driving around Lusaka and buying supplies for
our big trip to the West.
After a lengthy visit to the Zambian Wildlife Administration
we now have reservations for four nights in the Kafue National
Park but outside the existing camps: We will set up our tents
in the open, protected (against the lions) by an armed scout.
First we stay in the center of the park, then we'll move to
the northwestern corner in the Busanga Plains.
There we will stay for the eclipse UNLESS the weather turns
bad - in that case we are prepared to rush even farther to the
West (and the ZAWA has even promised us a refund for unused
permits). The weather ... it has been changing all the time
since our arrival, but at eclipse time it was clear most of
the days.
We are still planning to hold a post-eclipse party on the
evening of June 22nd in Lusaka, but don't know where exactly
to hold it. Our favorite restaurant so far is the big Irish
one in the Manda Hills shopping complex - perhaps we'll go
for this one. Given our long travel route back from the
park or whereever I cannot give a precise time yet. Just
drop by and look for us!
Daniel Fischer (and 13 other Germans),
at the Physics Institute of the University of Lusaka
Erhalten am 23. Juni 2001
An English version of the report on the
Eclipse
itself
I'm happy to report that the German eclipse expedition which ventured
into the "Wild West" of Zambia has not only returned safely to Lusaka -
but we also got 3 minutes and 46 seconds of totality in perfectly clear
skies near the far northwestern corner of Zambia's Kafue National Park.
Actually our group of 14 (in 4 mighty 4WD vehicles) was located just
outside the National Park, in the adjoining Game Management Area - in
a location where hardly anyone seemed to have ventured before, judging
from the condition of the "roads" here: We were basically breaking
through the forest most of the way up north from the main road ...
Despite the remoteness of the area there were actually several traffic
jams on the way: A big convoy of eclipse chasers was stuck (they had
lost one wheel) - and just beyond our own camp site we discovered
another German expedition. It included the famous Unimog that G. Meiser
had driven all the way from Germany to Zambia in the last 4 months (they
haven't been able to update their www.african-odyssee.de site since
leaving Egypt but promise to deliver eventually).
This was my 10th total eclipse (and the first "Saros Repeater"), and
the setting was probably the most unique one, given the long and
complicated (let alone adventurous) travel there. But the choice
was right, as we stayed clear of the smoke clouds from some smoldering
wildfires that had threatend to reduce the contrast somewhat.
Nonetheless the smoky patches low in the sky may have helped to
make this the most colorful eclipse in more than a decade for me,
with very strong horizon colors I hadn't encountered since the
1980's. The corona was very similar to the one of 1999 (though
perhaps a bit smaller), but there were fewer large prominences.
Only one was really "prominent", staying visible long after 2nd
contact.
Our group had brought a lot of equipment, and the digital video
sequences we have replayed so far are excellent. As I type a
photo lab on the outskirts of Lusaka is printing some of my
corona images (I've already checked the negatives - they are
perfect, also for further enhancement in the future, the best
I got since 1991). A complete travel report with pictures will
follow after our return to Germany, in early July.
Daniel Fischer, at the Sternet Limited internet cafe (lacking
coffee :-) in Lusaka, Zambia
P.S.: The eclipse is now history here, and the newspapers are
full of negative commentary - the country and especially its
fledgling tourism industry could have made so much more out of
the event. While we encountered some less-than-honest business
practices esp. in Lusaka, the overwhelming majority of our
experiences has been positive, and the fun of sharing our
astronomy stories with our National Park scouts in the middle
of nowhere, under the Southern Cross and the southern Milky
Way was worth all the hassle. Going to Zambia and going way
west of the capital was the right choice, and organizing this
trip all on our own (with kind support of Dr Mweene of
Lusaka University) has made this ongoing 3-week trip not only
affordable but also a very special experience.
Erhalten am 30. Juni 2001
A special Website on the Zambian Eclipse experience
... is now growing here - there
will be much more material coming up in the days and weeks ahead. Having
spent the week after the eclipse in the incredible Chongwe River Camp at the
edge of the Lower Zambezi National Park (among crowds of elephants and
hippos - and no fences) all 14 of us have made it back to Germany yesterday
(with British Airways delivering about half the luggage to our front doors
today :-), in good health and overwhelmed by the three weeks in 'the real
Africa'. For some the real work begins only now, with tons of pictures
to be processed and some 50 hours of digital video (some of broadcast
quality) to be edited ...
When we left Lusaka, one week after the eclipse, the local newspapers
were still full of eclipse scandal stories, ranging from alleged drug abuse
as well as a mountain of debt at the Solipse festival to calls (by opposition
politicians) for punishment of all those government officials who didn't
release the money quickly enough that would have provided for free eclipse
glasses for everyone. At least the Zambian press is now viewing the eclipse
as a natural disaster that the government failed to prevent, and dire
predictions are being voiced about half of Zambia getting blind soon. There
also seems to be the general feeling that the country has missed a great
opportunity tourism-wise as well, yielding all the major profits to foreign
operators.
Daniel
Zurück zu S. Hüttemeisters
Homepage