Memoir Reading Blog #4

During their first Christmas in Africa (1996), Scott and Krystyne make the decision to fly up to Lake Turkana for a vacation. Considered politically hostile by the Kenyan government due to the actions of the Turkana tribe, Lake Turkana is nevertheless a fascinating from a geographical and sociological point of view. Scott and Krystyne fly into the safari lodge operated by an eccentric German named Wolfgang Dechter, and are soon out exploring the region. At one point a young Samburu warrior named Kipsoi attempts to sell Scott his spear. Scott offers Kipsoi a ride in his plane in exchange for the spear, which Kipsoi eagerly agrees to. Soon enough Scott, Krystyne, and Kipsoi all pile into the plane and head off to South Island. A barren volcanic island located on one end of Lake Turkana. Foolishly, Scott decides to land on the island on a stretch of black lava beach. Scott then describes the ensuing crash, "The plane's wheels sank into the sand. Too late, I realized, I was in trouble. I pulled hard on the stick, trying to hold the plane's tail from rising, but as the front tires dug deeper into the sand, the nose pitched forward, planting itself firmly into the beach." Now stranded in the middle of Lake Turkana, Scott manages to contact Wolfgang, and is eventually rescued by a major in the Kenyan army. The major, unfortunately, is killed shortly after by a rebel attack, during which his helicopter is shot down. Martial law is imposed in the surrounding area, thus prohibiting Scott and Krystyne from leaving Wolfgang's resort. During this time, Scott makes an unsuccessful attempt to rescue his plane, crashing it again in the process.

I admire Scott's determination to rescue his plane in this chapter. He was lucky enough to survive two crashes, and yet he still wants to rescue his plane from South Island. As he lifts off in the major's chopper, Scott think to himself, "As we lurched out over the whitecaps of the lake I cast one final look at my plane, lying broken and sad on the beach. At that moment I made a solemn promise to myself to return and rescue her no matter the cost." Almost every flier in Africa has crashed a plane at least once landing on dangerous landing strips, but for Scott, the struggle to get over losing a plane is much more personal, since he flew all the way across the Atlantic in his plane. The plane represents his own personal endeavor to make a difference in Africa, and he simply cannot bring himself to leave it to fall apart on South Island. Therefore, despite the discouragment of his peers, Scott begins to look for a way to rescue his plane.