skylineguv, I thought about it, but I was so thoroughly exhausted that I didn't have the energy to explore. I should have gotten a hotel room for a few hours.
I'm at the project site now, it's 45C in the shade when I checked at 11am, might breach 50C by 1pm, hottest time of the day here. I was working out in the sun this morning, and the heat crept up on me, I was drinking fluids non stop, but it wasn't enough. Setting up a tripod for the weather station (simple task) has turned into a chore, the heat has completely tapped my ability to function on a basic level. There's also a language barrier between myself and the Afari helpers; they're a very primitive tribe and hand tools appear a little like voodoo to them.
A siesta is a must here so I'll rest for a bit, re-hydrate, and tackle the project again at 3 pm. The secondary evaporation weather station is going to be a biatch; it will be on the salt pan where the ground is hot because of volcanic activity, the sun reflects off the white ground surface, and it's 250 m below sea level. I wouldn't doubt that it's 60C+ out there right now. There's a reason why this area is called The Gateway to Hell.
