Letters from Zambia 3
This is from a letter I received early this week. Brian
Nathan wrote: "Late yesterday, after getting back from town, I managed to snag a key to the medical room and found a broad-spectrum antimicrobial drug called Bactrium DS. Two pills a day for five days. I couldn't find the pills I was looking for, but these should kill whatever bug I have. It doesn't have the "color" nor the "flavor" of Giardia, but otherwise, the same. I don't feel like calling the medical officer (PCMO) so this broad-spectrum should work. Two pills into it now, and the burping has almost stopped.
Yikes, 2 weeks later and I still haven't finished this letter. So I went to Kambilambilo with Keegan & Bob, came back to Kantende, spent a week here, went back to town for supplies, and now another week is flying by. So Sunday I spent 5 hrs in Kalulushi surrounded by drunks waiting for the truck to fill up so we could get on the road. That finally happened at about 1800. Much lightning off to the West & South. I got home at 2030, very fast. Skipped a shower, too tired, and went to bed. At 0100 a large storm moved in. The biggest leak in my roof was over my bed. And it is a big leak. I opened the door, to look outside, and a snake was moving towards my hut. An adder of some sort, just under a meter long, maybe 75 cm. So I stood inside my hut for two hours waiting for the downpour to stop, watching it rain in my hut (curses to the drunks who thatched my roof). Changed sheets and went back to bed. Raingauge had 1.25" the next morning. It poured yesterday evening, and once last week, with some sprinkles yesterday. 11/4: 0.8" 11/6: 1.25" 11/8: 0.13" 11/9: 0.91" For a total of 3.09" in the last week. The paths here turn into streams in the downpours. My yard is low, so some of the water runs from the path to make my insaka a small island.
So now I'm thinking about building a small berm in the entrance to my yard to keep that from happening. Also want to dig two 2'x2' holes into my low spots to break through the hard pan to speed up soakage. Muddy mess. A week and 1/2 ago I bought a coffee plant, pretty small yet. I was also informed by the head teacher that she wants to give me a young chicken. Wonderful. A squawking, messy featherduster of my own. But that might provide an occasional egg, so we'll see how that goes. I've started lining the inside of my roof with plastic, still two small leaks, but already, even not complete, it helped tremendously last night. Oh, I also built a Fuel Efficient Cook Stove (FECS) -modified- in my insaka two weeks ago. We'll see how long before I tear it apart for modifications.
The bamboo fence around my yard is basically done. The plan is that tomorrow afternoon I'll start planting Euphorbia hedge (double) along the fence. With all the termites here, the bamboo won't survive more than a year or two. This morning I filled in the front hedge of Lantana with cuttings. Yet moments ago a herd of goats mistook my yard for lunch. What I wouldn't give for a pellet gun, any high-powered rifle, or even a grenade launcher. I'm not picky! Before noon I'll head to St. M to visit Euphaizia (she's writing Grade 12 exams there) and check my mail, so I wanted to finish this and get it off to you. I have to go. N
Kantende 11/10/05
Nathan wrote: "Late yesterday, after getting back from town, I managed to snag a key to the medical room and found a broad-spectrum antimicrobial drug called Bactrium DS. Two pills a day for five days. I couldn't find the pills I was looking for, but these should kill whatever bug I have. It doesn't have the "color" nor the "flavor" of Giardia, but otherwise, the same. I don't feel like calling the medical officer (PCMO) so this broad-spectrum should work. Two pills into it now, and the burping has almost stopped.
Yikes, 2 weeks later and I still haven't finished this letter. So I went to Kambilambilo with Keegan & Bob, came back to Kantende, spent a week here, went back to town for supplies, and now another week is flying by. So Sunday I spent 5 hrs in Kalulushi surrounded by drunks waiting for the truck to fill up so we could get on the road. That finally happened at about 1800. Much lightning off to the West & South. I got home at 2030, very fast. Skipped a shower, too tired, and went to bed. At 0100 a large storm moved in. The biggest leak in my roof was over my bed. And it is a big leak. I opened the door, to look outside, and a snake was moving towards my hut. An adder of some sort, just under a meter long, maybe 75 cm. So I stood inside my hut for two hours waiting for the downpour to stop, watching it rain in my hut (curses to the drunks who thatched my roof). Changed sheets and went back to bed. Raingauge had 1.25" the next morning. It poured yesterday evening, and once last week, with some sprinkles yesterday. 11/4: 0.8" 11/6: 1.25" 11/8: 0.13" 11/9: 0.91" For a total of 3.09" in the last week. The paths here turn into streams in the downpours. My yard is low, so some of the water runs from the path to make my insaka a small island.
So now I'm thinking about building a small berm in the entrance to my yard to keep that from happening. Also want to dig two 2'x2' holes into my low spots to break through the hard pan to speed up soakage. Muddy mess. A week and 1/2 ago I bought a coffee plant, pretty small yet. I was also informed by the head teacher that she wants to give me a young chicken. Wonderful. A squawking, messy featherduster of my own. But that might provide an occasional egg, so we'll see how that goes. I've started lining the inside of my roof with plastic, still two small leaks, but already, even not complete, it helped tremendously last night. Oh, I also built a Fuel Efficient Cook Stove (FECS) -modified- in my insaka two weeks ago. We'll see how long before I tear it apart for modifications.
The bamboo fence around my yard is basically done. The plan is that tomorrow afternoon I'll start planting Euphorbia hedge (double) along the fence. With all the termites here, the bamboo won't survive more than a year or two. This morning I filled in the front hedge of Lantana with cuttings. Yet moments ago a herd of goats mistook my yard for lunch. What I wouldn't give for a pellet gun, any high-powered rifle, or even a grenade launcher. I'm not picky! Before noon I'll head to St. M to visit Euphaizia (she's writing Grade 12 exams there) and check my mail, so I wanted to finish this and get it off to you. I have to go. N
Kantende 11/10/05
posted by nathan at 22:01
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