The 2017 ORACLES campaign is nearing its conclusion. The flights scheduled for August 30 and 31 will be the last two of the campaign. For most of us that remain in Sao Tome, Sept. 1 will be "pack day" and Sept. 2 will be departure day. Thus, with today (likely) being the last work & science team meeting day, I thought a lot about a variety of different things that reflect my time here as well as Namibia - the location of last year's experiment. The 2016 and 2017 campaigns have taken place in two countries most people have never heard of, with Namibia being the location of last year's campaign. Both have been exceptionally unique in their appeal and camaradarie, but each location has provided distinctly different benefits and challenges. Described below are how I'd compare the two locations to friends and family.

1. Location better suited for science: Sao Tome. Upon takeoff, we are already somewhere in the aerosol/smoke plume, and takes no more than ~45 minutes to reach our first clouds. Flying out of Walvis Bay, Namibia, by comparison, took a combined 2-3 hours of flight time before reaching the edges of the plume. As far as accomplishing science objectives go, stationing the experiment in Sao Tome compared to Namibia offers approximately 25% more desired science per flight.

2. Better "Quality of life" for the scientists: Namibia. While most people I've spoken with believe Sao Tome is much better for science, a similar number of people prefer Namibia to Sao Tome for quality of life. Swakopmund & Walvis Bay in Namibia, while offering plenty of distinct African flair, were both heavily European (especially German) influenced. There were many restaurants, local markets, shops and tourist attractions to do in Namibia, all of which were inexpensive and with plenty of western comfort. The ORACLES operation center was located with many of these things within reasonable walking distance. Sao Tome, by comparison, also has some European (Portuguese) influence. Aside from everyone on the island speaking Portuguese, European influence here is relatively nondescript. As I write this, there have been no more than 6 unique restaurants patronized by the group here for ORACLES, and doing any kind of activity required more advanced planning. The language barrier in Sao Tome was also more challenging to overcome - very few people in Sao Tome speak english, whereas nearly everyone in Namibia could speak English. This barely scratches the surface of the things that are different between each location... but for the sake of comparing locations in terms of enjoyment, Namibia gets the edge.

3. Movie series best representing Sao Tome: Jurassic Park. If you like tropical weather with the vast majority of the country's coast outlined with palms and ferns, Sao Tome is for you. (Disclaimer: there aren't dinosaurs on the island).

4. Movie series best representing Namibia: Star Wars. Tattoine, specifically. If you're a fan of dusty, red sunsets and desert climate, Namibia offers spectacular Tattoine-esque sunsets.

5. Nicest surprise while in Sao Tome: playing soccer inside the Sao Tome national stadium. Not only were a large group of us able to get inside and play, we were able to do so for less than the cost of a tank of gas (for the group, not individually).

6. Nicest surprise while in Namibia: the endless, cheap food options. A premium steak dinner with 3 sides and 2 glasses of wine would cost most Americans a chunk of their discretionary income for a paycheck. In Namibia, said dinner would cost about $12.

7. More welcoming of the two countries: Sao Tome. Namibia was the optimal choice last year mainly because it presented fewer logistical challenges, not to mention the country itself was pleasant and comfortable. Unfortunately, Namibia posed several more political hurdles to clear... coupled with their slow response times for NASA's own deadlines, we couldn't afford to wait and risk further/unnecessary logistical challenges. Getting in and out of Sao Tome was seamless, and the people here have enjoyed us as well. Getting equipment, aircraft and people to Sao Tome - a remote island off the African coast - was perhaps the hardest challenge.

And for my last entry, here's a fun one to end on:

8. Sao Tome beer of choice: The "national" beer. I put it here in quotes because it doesn't have a true name. Or label. Really. Ask for the Sao Tome national beer (cerveja in Portuguese) and the waiter/waitress will bring you a bottle of unlabeled beer. For those who have a preference for beers high in malt and barley, this one is for you.

9. Namibian beer of choice: Windhoek (pronounded Wind-hook) lager. With this beer taking on the namesake of the country's capital, this beverage will have you "hoek"ed pretty quickly. I would recommend it over most U.S. domestic lagers because of its distinctively crisp yet refreshing taste.