Not your typical Africa

8-18-07

I expected to be surrounded by dry grass-land, but we have gotten more rain here in the last week than I've seen in quite awhile. That would be why they call it the rainy season! One night I walked home and the water on the path was up to my knees in places. Everything is green here, Sarah says that will all change in a few months. Trees surround the hospital, Mango's, Guavas, and Banana trees are the ones that I can identify. But just a short distance from the hospital is a green plain on which you can see for miles, short squatty trees (typical of Africa) pop up here and there, surround by brown termite hills some standing 5 feet tall, and fields of rice. There are no Lions, Giraffes, and Gazelles, although I did see a couple camels on the way here. The sun goes down here at 6:30 so I usually walk home in the dark. Not having any animal's to worry about is a plus. You only have to be careful to dodge all the frogs that hop out onto the path. They act like a deer in headlights when my headlamp light hits them J It feels more like the jungle right now and is actually getting chilly in the evening and morning's, it was too cold to take my cold splash bath this morning so thankfully I was able to communicate my need of warm water to my family. I'm not sure I should've taken a warm shower, it brought the cravings of home on the run. Kinda like using the toilet at the hospital compound. But like Sonya and I have been discussing; where else and when else could we ever have gotten this experience? You don't exactly come by it every day.