latest text update

[nick normal]

this update (from Porter) comes from about 5+ days ago:

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I get water in the morning across the river from a well 100 feet from the shore. Satbir pumps while we carry two buckets at a time down to the cistern. Mike makes scrambled eggs, sweet rolls, and french fries for breakfast. 20 fishermen pull in a 200 meter net with catfish and turtles caught in it. It's very hot today, 90 degrees by 11am. The wind has switched back to the northwest. Brahmpaul points to the sail, says "pachua" and smiles. We sail all day, silently past villages and farmers. There are two young women and some boys standing on a bluff in front of a giant black dory.

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I paddle the canoe across to Zack's boat to help them un-beach. It's very hard to get across the channel. I finally do, and we start to push his boat toward the deep water. One of the crew steps off on the downstream side to help. The boat traps their leg against the sand and begins rolling over them. We grab their shoulders and arms and pull them out behind the boat. The boat floats free and continues downstream with the crew. Upstream, Mike's boat hits a bridge pylon sideways, and gets trapped. Some of the crew jumps off the boat to try and push it off. They get freed and 200 yards down the channel get stuck again on a sandbar. Pushing out again into the current, they head downstream. People are rattled that night. Abusheck, Satbir, and Brahmpaul tell us they are going home the next day. There has been tension among the crew, and between some of the crew and the locals. We are trying to figure it out. But it's a very difficult living and traveling environment. We're anchored by a mud bank all night. Men in rowboats ore past us and around us most of the night. We sleep with the spotlight on and light them up when they get close. On shore, tractors with giant spotlights drive up and down the farms looking for workers or anyone on their land. I don't sleep much. It sems like the sun comes up an hour after I went to bed. Soon it's hot again. We need water and food and gas. And to take Abushek, Satbir, and Brahmpaul to the train station.

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