chokwe

that's one more hospital done, and one left to do! we managed to gather most/all of what we needed to in a day and a half. it was so fast! the hospital itself was fantastically organized and really on top of everything. all the people i worked with there were also extremely professional and super helpful. by far my best experience here.

i didn't manage to take many pictures while i was there, but here is one of the limpopo valley that we had to drive through to get to the hospitals we visited. it's really pretty in the area; flat vast prairie lands dedicated mostly to sugar cane and cereal production (rice is mainly what i saw) as well as cattle ranching. during the wet season the whole valley floods, but it looked pretty parched now during the drier times. i really wanted to get a picture of the huge anthills i saw on the sides of the road. most of them were taller than me. but, we were in a hurry and speedy ant hill pictures don't look too good.

the hotel i had to stay in when we were in chokwe qualifies me as a bona fide "roughing it" girl. i've earned my stripes. if the management there actually maintained the rooms, it might have been decent, but they clearly have let the place go. i guess i can't complain for $16 a night, but the hospital workers were all horrified by my mosquito welts the following day. i must have had to assure everyone at least 50 times that yes, i did remember to take my anti-malarial drugs, and no thank you, benadryl makes me want to take a long nap.

off to dinner!