I'm now able to cruise in style thanks to my new mountain bike! I'll admit that I haven't had much opportunity to use it (I need to purchase a backpack as opposed to a shoulder bag), but I'm looking forward to putting a good number of miles on it in the coming months. I stupidly rode into the neighboring town during a rainstorm for Internet access this weekend. The clay road - already treacherous and bumpy under ordinary conditions - became a slick, muddy mess. It was mildly dangerous, but I'd do it again for the excitement of it all and the chance to get some much-needed Skype time in with a friend.
It's amazing how many small things we take for granted in the States become such processes here, from obtaining water to doing laundry and making meals. I'm lucky that my water situation isn't too bad all things considered...it just takes time. I get my bathing and drinking water from a local well with a wheel that I turn by hand every morning. I'm lucky that the Peace Corps supplies us with a 5-gallon filter so I'm able to treat a lot at once. The water drips through this and is then ready to drink, though I'm encouraged to add 2 drops of bleach to every liter.
Water for laundering, however, comes from a well that is several hundred yards away. For now, I've chosen Sunday as laundry day as it allows me the opportunity to "sleep in" until 6:00am. After trekking to the well and hand-dipping water out, I carry my water jug (bidon) back to the house and commence the time-intensive process of doing laundry. Doing laundry was actually one of the chores I most enjoyed in America. Here, I'm not so much a fan... Everything gets washed by hand, rubbed together in a particular fashion and scrubbed with a brush when needed. Then, it is rinsed similarly, rung out, and hung up on cables around the homestead (I hang my unmentionables around my room rather than having every village member have the opportunity to see my bras and undies.) Despite it being quite hot here, things take a long time to dry because of the humidity. It's important to either iron everything or wait 3 days after the clothes are dry to wear them. This is because the mango fly apparently likes to lay her eggs in wet clothes, and the larva can unknowingly burrow into your skin if you wear them. Fun, right?
The cooking adventures continue, albeit with more carbohydrates and oil than I plan on having when I'm on my own. There must have been a memo that went out to all the host families that Americans like rice, omelettes, and spaghetti, as we seem to all be getting a lot of these dinners. Neither are quite like I'm used to in the States, but they're still pretty tasty. Occasionally, my host mom will combine the ideas and scramble an egg with the spaghetti. It's sort of like fried rice, and I can't complain.
We've been to a few health centers (centre de sante), of varying size, type, and condition. All have been enough to convince us that it's in our best interest to avoid getting sick, though. (And especially to avoid getting pregnant after seeing one Delivery Room...yikes.)
The scenery is still amazingly jaw-dropping. I literally stood in awe of the stars one night while the power was out and we were making dinner around the fire. My host family thought I was strange, but it was an impressively clear night and it nearly took my breath away. Without getting too over-the-top, I tried to explain that these were the same stars my family and friends see and it was a way to feel connected. Enough philosophical mother-earth hippie observations for now...(But I would encourage you to look at the stars this week...I'll be doing the same.)
Yes, please do avoid getting pregnant. :)
ReplyDelete