Day 7- It’s been a relentless and rewarding whirlwind week of work and with our heads tired and hearts heavy it’s already time for goodbyes.
The week had gone remarkably well, but alas for me, not today.
It started badly and just got worse. There was no sleep. Ants invaded my bed. When I tried to escape them mosquitoes bothered me and had their turn. Some strange insect has also left ugly blisters on my face, neck, arms and body. I’m a mess.
Sombre farewells to our kamakwie children are followed later by goodbyes in Tombo. These departures are always sad but we’re hoping to see these faces again soon with a team of volunteers maybe early next year.
A fever is beginning….
Then the next 37 hours couldn’t be more horrendous. It’s predominantly travel. Sitting in battered, broken old vehicles, the constant black smoke of passing vehicles unavoidable.
Our taxi to the airport should take 2 hours, instead it clocks in at 5.5. A tyre blows, another one is changed, our driver it lost.
Meanwhile I’m huddled on the backseat shivering like never before.
By the time we reach the airport it’s turned to sweating and full fever. Ohhh and my head! The constant migraine! Out here they call it white mans grave, and right at that moment I felt like I was half way to mine! The symptoms are textbook malaria but hopefully it’s just a random passing fever.
Our 5am flight couldn’t be at a worse time. Poor mark. I’m the last choice travel companion right now! All i crave is to be home where hopefully sleep can shake this thing.
It’s an anticlimactic ending having had 6 days of truly eye opening, inspiring, affirming action. But I’ll have to think about all that again later…..