Day 18 – Monday chores and horrible creatures in our bungalow. ACK!

Ran around town with Paula and Mboto again. So tiring... I don’t know how she does it. During our trip, Paula explained the problem with clinics accepting HIV/AIDS funding to supplement a rural clinic with an ARV dispensary. Apparently the stigma is so great that a clinic with an HIV/AIDS “wing” cannot survive as it will likely lose its “general care” population. The only organizations immune to this problem are hospitals, which are enormously understaffed, filled miles beyond capacity (2-3 patients to a bed in the Bugando maternity ward. A bed!!!) and not in close contact with the community.

Priyanka found a giant tarantula in one of our bathrooms, right on the shower drain. He totally stared down the camera. Yes, I squealed!!

Then, just as we were calming down from that experience, Sarah walks in and says, “what’s this on the floor?” The “this” was a giant millipede, about 6 inches long. At least! I know it looks small but compare it to the power strip!! I tried to pick it up with a cup and it wriiiithed. So I REALLY squealed. The night guard came up to our door/fence with the machete unsheathed and ready to rumble. I handed him the cup with the curled up millipede. His eyes showed no sympathy with my emotional condition and he nonchalantly flung the milllipede into the bush in front of my house. Frank, I want to move to Iceland...and also someone needs to call me a WHAAAAAmbulance! :(