Zambia, June 21, 2001:
Knowing the mechanics of an eclipse does nothing to diminish the splendor of the moment. Feelings of panic, exaltation, terror, and joy have all been experienced by people completely aware intellectually of what was happening to the sun. Perhaps the instinctual unease of watching the life-giver disappears in the midst of a bright and sunny day is too great to overcome with reasoning.
The eclipse of August 1999 was seen by more people than any other in human history. However, some unlucky Parisians who drove north to the point of greatest totality found the sky covered with thick clouds for the duration of the eclipse. Of these, some very lucky ones decided to make up for what they missed by flying to Zambia for the eclipse on June 21, 2001.
Winter in Zambia is most auspicious for an eclipse. Every day the sky is a pristine blue, the air is pure and dry, temperatures reaching 20c. Likewise, the chill night skies offer a glittering canopy as can only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere.
Click to enlarge--Southern Cross
The only inconvenience was the need for numerous vaccinations and anti-malarial drugs. For travel in Zambia, the very potent and controversial anti-malarial drug "Lariam" is prescribed. The side effects range from upset stomach, hallucinations, suicidal tendencies, memory loss, and nightmares. The side effects are known to continue for months after stopping treatment. We were most concerned about giving this medication to our son, who was in the midst of his bac exams. We pushed off the first dose to the last day of his exams, 4 days before leaving to Africa. (Happily, he graduated high school with the highest honors.) As for the side effects, we were fortunate. The main effects we noticed were strange and vivid dreams, some memory problems and one episode of a humorous hallucination.
We stayed about 30 km from Lusaka at the Chaminuka Reserve. The owners treat the few guests they receive in the cozy bungalows as family. Meals are served in the main house or on the outdoor terrace with its splendid view of the reserve, and consists of fresh fish from the property's beautiful lake, vegetables and herbs grown in the private garden, cheese made at the reserves privately owned cheese factory, and freshly baked whole grain breads.
click to enlarge
The central path of totality was to pass right through the beautiful property, across the main lake, and here is where we all set up our chairs, eclipse glasses, cameras, and telescopes.
Surrounded by the African Savannah, landscape where mankind was born, I waited for the apparition that is the culminating point of our very existence. The sky was a crystal clear blue. The sun was warm and golden.
Contact began almost unnoticeably after lunch. For over an hour there was no difference in our surroundings even as the sun was gradually reduced to nothing more than a thin crescent.
But the last 5 minutes raced by. The temperature dropped perceptively. It began to get darker more and more quickly. In the minute or two before totality, a silvery hue settled upon everything. Shadows grew very long and ghostly. Colors faded and the air became chill. But it was still daylight when only a very thin sliver of the sun remained.
click to enlarge
And then it happened. The invisible orb of the moon covered the last jewel of sunlight, and suddenly it was night and a feathery white crown of light appeared around the black hole that was the sun. The sky was a deep cerulean blue, with a red tinge all around the horizon. And I could see Jupiter and a number of brighter stars.
It was simply beautiful. I wept in awe.
click to enlarge
The eclipse lasted for 3 minutes and 33 seconds. It felt like an eternity, and was over in the blink of an eye. I felt grateful for being there and experiencing this amazing sight with my husband and two children.
My hallucination came a few moments after sunlight returned. Two young elephants were wading into the lake for a swim and somehow I was sure they were wearing beach slippers! I exclaimed out loud as to how strange this was, then suddenly it seemed that they were not wearing beach slippers (of course, not...how could they be?) but instead had plastic bags on their feet to keep them dry! This image soon faded and I realized they were not wearing anything on their feet and that I was just enjoying a pleasant little Lariam induced hallucination.
An essential experience:
I had seen many photographs of the splendor of the sun's corona, but nothing could compare to seeing it with my own eyes. Understanding the mechanism that brings about an eclipse only makes the experience all the more magnificent. The knowledge that the coincidence of nature that gives us the gift of this vision is connected to the evolution of life on earth, turns each eclipse into a affirmation of our existence.
Today, when it is possible to travel from one corner of the earth to the other, everyone should make the effort and see a total eclipse of the sun at least once in their lives.
