So yeah. It’s a bug hay day at our bases…when I came back it was like a mosquito family reunion, cousins and in-laws and long lost brothers were gathered around in my bathroom, throwing a party, awaiting my return. Eight bites later, I think I got a sufficient welcome home. I realized that the bathroom challenges are just as, well, challenging here…. although I have a flush toilet, I have to contend with interested mosquitoes around my bum each time I use it. Apparently dengue fever and malaria are going around, little gifts the mosquitoes are leaving behind for us. Thoughtful little jerks they are. There has also been an incident of (gulp) bed bugs at our other base, which are extremely difficult to get rid out once they make their debut. Our staff there are running everything they own through a dryer, freezing clothes and scorching their mattresses under the midday sun in order to kill them, as extreme cold and heat are the best ways to go. We are now sleeping under a net, this bizarre pop up net meant for full beds. I try to imagine it’s a canopy and I’m a sleeping beauty, but in the morning I remember it’s nothing more than a saggy net, and I’m hot.
Understandably the bugs are a bit of downer. But part of the deal here. And the rainy season isn’t even here yet. We came on the tail end last year, but I’ve heard it’s killer with the mosquitoes. We’ve had a bit of a incline with our cholera cases as it has been raining on and off, and there was over 50 people on IVs today, up from just under 20 last week. We really dont know what to expect this coming rainy season, if it will peak or not… regardless of what happens, our clinics will open and ready24/7…