June 19: JFK Airport
“Good Morning Sir, are you the group traveling with firearms to South Africa”
“Yes, officer we are.”
“May I see some ID?”
“Here is my passport officer.”
“Hmm, do you have any state ID like a drivers liscense?”
“Yes, why…”
Team Fet has crossed miles of territory, forded countless rivers, and crossed daunting mountain ranges. We have dealt with different tribes of people such as early morning commuter tribes, policy and procedure tribes, and tourist tribes. We did all of this in a single day. To quote Jack Aubrey, “What a marvelous modern age we live in.”
Ok, modern air travel makes the opening sentences of this story pale in comparison to the opening stages of either of Theodore Roosevelts trips to Africa or the Amazon but I wonder how well he could have steped into modern day travel?
Travel and adventure are two terms that go together. (
At this point please read the word Adventure as Ivan Carter would pronounce it on his show.) Travel and adventure, I believe are deeply ingrained in the DNA of some of us. We just have to go and see what is on the other side of the river. We are drawn by the lure of discovery for ourselves. It is the ADVENTURE!
Adventure: to respectfully face danger.
(Clay Croft, http://www.xoverland.com)
In the early 20th Century the trip to Africa took several weeks provided the ship did not sink. Today the flight from JFK to J’burg will take 15 hours provided the wings stay on the plane. When Theodore Roosevelt went to the Amazon he was accompanied by several members of his family including a young cousin in her 20’s. She traveled with the family as Roosevelt gave speeches in South American cities before his trip down The River of Doubt. When Roosevelt departed into the Amazon, she left with Mrs. Roosevelt and returned to New York. Several weeks later she died of jungle fever. Today we have modern medicines but life finds a way and the viruses, bacteria, and other creepy crawlies adapt. Winston Churchill describes the whirling dervishes and wully buggers in his book The River Campaign. Well, just watch the news and there are people out there that still don’t get along with other people. Then I am sure the dangers of a cape buffalo charge, pursuing a wounded leopard into thick bush, or stalking to within feet of a large bull elephant is as prevelant as it has always been. These are the things that light our fire because there is danger to be experienced. It is adventure!
Oddly, though we have developed a travel industry that minimizes danger. I am sure the White Star Line worked to great lengths to get their passengers to their destinations. Each disaster, though, has brought lessons. Each lesson brings new procedures, rules, and policies. Rules and policies bring new enforcement. Enforcement can lead to, “Aw, it is too much trouble. I will just stay home.”
…As I produced my Texas drivers license the second officer began to explain to me about the regulations in the five burroughs of New York concerning long arms. In short, if you live there you can not have them. The officer was polite and the description of the regulations was assuring. They were just making sure that we did not live in New York City with long arms. I was asked to open the two gun cases and when they saw guns with bolts removed and copies of my _______ form their official demeanor back downed and they engaged us in several moments of good natured conversation. Which included some gentle teasing about how even grenade launchers and fully automatic Tommy guns are legal in Texas. We gave them are best winning Texas smiles and they wished us good luck and then esscorted our firearms to the baggage drop.
The two officers were great examples of enforcing rules for our protection. When they saw we were compling with the regulations of New York and basic gun safety they smoothly switched into a very welcome encouraging and helpful mode. They probably would not have done that if we had not been prepared. All of us adventures stand on the shoulders of those that have gone before us. AH has been a great source for getting us through this part of the trip. Now PB just has to shoot straight and get her Zebra. If she doesn’t, well that could be a whole new type of danger. I hope I live to write about it. ;-)
