2012/04/12

The Kennewick-Man Expedition, DAY 11


City of Pasco spread beyond the Columbia River flowing in front of my tent. In the morning, Matt Watkins, Mayor of the same Pasco, visited me at the tent, it was an honor. Matt told me that, when Steve, Mayor of Kennewick, had told Matt about me, he had gotten the feeling like seeing me. He and I are just about the same age. He was a big man having a robust build, especially from my perspective as Japanese.

Thankfully, Matt offered to guide me to the exact point where bones of Kennewick Man had discovered. Matt and I went deep into a shrub growing thickly along the Columbia River. Matt had a rough idea of the position, but had not been to the exact point. In the shrub grown over about 10 meter in height, branches and trunks got tangled together complicatedly as jungle gym. We went under the branches or trunks as if to creep, and went over the branches or trunks as if to climb up tree; we slowly made our way. A white slacks and leather shoes of Matt were covered with mud quickly. It reminded me of exploratory play in childhood, it made me happily excited, and it made Matt to have a sparkling glint in his eye like a boy. It was as if I played with friend in a thicket in elementary school days.

After fighting against thick shrub for about 30 minutes, finally we was able to locate the exact point Kennewick Man had discovered, where was able to clearly be distinguished by a trace of a cutting area of trees when Kennewick Man had been dug up.

Both Matt and I are motorcycle riders. While we ate a breakfast, we enjoyed talking about that. We became friends, who had interests in similar things and were just about the same age. We are playing on the earth.