Thursday, September 3, 2009

Two Weeks Togo...

My preparation is nearly complete:

For the elements:
-SPF 80 sun block: a
-100% Deet Insect Repellent: a

For general defense against unwanted creatures of the night:
-Leatherman Multi-Tool with 4 knives: a
-Double blade pocket knife: a
-$$$ for Machete upon arrival in Togo: a

For communication with the outside world:
-Shortwave radio: a
-Finding out what a shortwave radio even is: a
-Solar charger ready to soak up some equatorial rays in lieu of electricity: a
-Old Dell laptop that shall be sacrificed to the hands of African sand and dust:a

For sustenance:
-Vegetable seeds to go along with the agricultural/cropping skills I apparently have: a
-An appetite for various organs, domestic animals, pets, rats, snakes and other mystery sources of protein: a
-A stomach made strong from years of the indiscriminate eating of highly perishable items in a perish-prone fraternity setting: a

For my sanity/entertainment:
-Blues Harp harmonica to fit into my stereotypical idea of what one does while in a rural area without modern amenities. Think Les Stroud from Survivorman, or ranchers on the range (sans the campfires…and replace the chuck wagon and dutch oven cobbler with a propane stove and fufu): a
-And, of course, hacky sacks, a soccer ball, and a misplaced trust in my ball handling skills that will soon be put to the test against light-footed (and possibly barefooted, for that matter) Togolese youth: a

Feet don’t fail me now…