Lindsey Smith, Angie Booher, Taren Manley, Steven Novotny
Transport in Koh Tao, Thailand
Photo: Steven Novotny
After spending 19 hours on 4 flights (not including layovers and time waiting in the gates, for luggage, and for vehicles) and then squishing into vans every time we want to go anywhere, here we are, 14 days later in Hawaii, the second of nine destinations, exploring the world's biomes. Of course we can't really complain, if we were traveling with Alexander von Humboldt in 1799, we would, at best, be half way across the Atlantic on our way to South America. Humboldt and crew depended heavily on the unreliable trade winds which determined their speed. With good trade winds, they were able to travel the entirety of the Atlantic Ocean in 41 days (Helferich 46, 50). Instead of rickety boats subject to the whims of nature and outbreaks of typhus, we have scheduled flights, weather services, and every possible precaution to ensure our health and safety. Sure there are still some risks, as when we flew with chained up prisoners and drove on icy Alaskan roads in blizzards, but overall our modern world is much more designed for speedy, safe travel. Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland walked ignorantly into malaria-infested jungles, while we have to take a pill once a day for twenty six days, starting two days before we arrive anywhere that has the slightest risk. Humboldt and Bonpland were measuring mountains, traveling rivers, and exploring caves in order to correct maps and chart areas that had never been explored. We are prepared with numerous travel guides and maps (though they are still inaccurate and vague at times) with details and facts about every place we need to go.
Even with all these differences in how we traveled, the purpose of both von Humboldt's trip and our own is the same: to increase the knowledge base. We learned from their observations and findings on the laws of nature, and now it's our turn to contribute. Though the world around us has always been changing, the rate of change has increased. For Humboldt change meant discovery. For us, change means unknown dangers. We still lack any idea of the true implications that global warming could bring. Therefore we are now the discoverers, filling Humboldt's shoes.
Hike in Tropical Rainforest Jungle, Khao Suk, Thailand
Photo: Steven Novotny
Last modified 27 Feb. 2008
by Angie Booher and Lindsey Smith
BooherA at hiram.edu
Banner Photo by Mathew J. Wilson