Bakotu Hotel

This blog is getting a little out of sequence, but needs must... Just before I left to go to the UK I had a Christmas party. I like Christmas. Scratch that, I LOVE Christmas. I think it's a combination of the glitter, singing and mulled wine. Last year, my tree only came down in July because I moved house and that's around the same time I started humming carols. My friends don't quite understand the obsession, but are ...

... this might have meant adding a smooth beige color to the walls. At Etu's it meant converging on the outside walls of the hut with unrestrained color and creativity to make it match the rest of the village. The next morning after showing us the paint, Etu left us to our own imaginations and the "work" began. Though I am fairly well practiced in doodling, especially in the margins of all my notebooks, letting my designs loose on a house was a bit of a jump. But after we'd mixed the paints ...

... this might have meant adding a smooth beige color to the walls. At Etu's it meant converging on the outside walls of the hut with unrestrained color and creativity to make it match the rest of the village. The next morning after showing us the paint, Etu left us to our own imaginations and the "work" began. Though I am fairly well practiced in doodling, especially in the margins of all my notebooks, letting my designs loose on a house was a bit of a jump. But after we'd mixed the paints ...

... the moving parts. Waved goodbye to Abdul and gave him 10 pounds for all his help over the last two days. He never once asked for anything in return. I was now on the road.. my panniers holding everything I needed; sleeping bag, thermo rest, spare clothes, tools, toiletries and toys for the children. Independence at last. Made fast progress to Brikama and arrived for 2pm prayers. The whole town had ground to a halt. Mats ...

... policemen who all individually take the time to commiserate that People are Very Bad to Steal. I point out that it is such crime that is keeping them in a job and after considering this at length, we agree that Stealing is Fine So Long as You Get Caught. Eventually the senior policeman comes back with a piece of paper that looks like it was created by a ten year old with his "My First Stencilling Kit". Just so it looks completely official, he proudly plonks a big ...

... this wouldn't be an issue, after all, we were discussing a controversial issue, opinions should be debated, not declared matter-of-factly by the teacher as truths to be written in permanent ink in our notebooks. But beyond a concern for intellectual processes, I was cringing writing down those notes. I am not a feminist in the states. I am not usually offended by jokes or some of the semi-sexist policies modern feminists contest, mostly because I do not feel that ...

... sights or events that trigger these moments, like seeing kids fighting to play with rusty old razor blades they find on the ground. But it is also much simpler ones, that seem like they could have just as easily slid by and disappeared unnoticed, like the frustration and slight self-disgust we sometimes feel for literally looking down on the people in the streets as we lounge, clearly separated, on the beautiful balconies of our compound (the tallest in the neighborhood). I'm ...

... rhino wouldn't hurt. Trips upcountry have brought me closer-than-is-comfortable to hippos, crocodiles and baboons. But on a day to day basis my battles with nature's bounty tend to be with much smaller creatures. My house is the venue for an ongoing battle between the ant and cockroach populations, each ever-failing to gain an upper hand. I regularly get scolded by people in my compound for scampering around barefoot without paying heed to the other inhabitants, namely ...

... colourful and exotic birds. There were 12 of us in the group plus Chris and Malick. Chris' birding expertise and Malick's local knowledge complimented each other extremely well. We explored a variety of different habitats (bush, coast, jungle, plain, nature reserve, mangrove) and saw in excess of 150 different bird species in a 3 day period. Did you know that there is not a single naturally-ocurring blue feather in the world? I thought that fact was quite interesting ...

... you names but it is true. It is not a treatment that I speculate on. I am not doing it for money or popularity. The mandate I have is that HIV/Aids cases can be treated on Thursdays. That is the good news and the bad news is that I cannot treat more than ten patients every Thursday. There is nothing I can do about it and if I go beyond that I will have to pay the price. For asthma, I have to choose between Saturday and Friday. I am also not authorised to treat more ...