December 11, 2010, 5:02 p.m. CST
or
12:02 a.m Dec 12, 2010 Nigerian time
Well I made it to Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria Africa … after
over 26
hours of traveling. I
honestly had NO IDEA just HOW FAR Africa is
from the U.S. I left
San Antonio Friday December 9th at 1:40 p.m. I
had a forty minute flight to Houston (with 2 hr.
layover). From there
I was on an almost ten hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany.
When I got
to Germany I was feeling pretty good… thinking my trip was
coming to
an end. And that’s
when I realized with astonishment that I had
another seven hour flight ahead of me. When I arrived in Nigeria at
about 8 p.m. on Dec. 10th Nigerian time (so 1 p.m. CST), we
had to
wait on our bags in the crazy, lord of the flies like
airport. Thank
goodness, mine arrived with me! Two others in our group were
not so
fortunate.
On my way off the
plane, as I was meeting with the other team members
arriving, I met an anesthesiologist named Enyeariah. Her
name had
sounded familiar to me weeks ago when I saw it on the list
of the
medical mission participants. I had noticed she was an MD
from
Maryland – and wondered if our paths may have crossed while
I was a
Johns Hopkins Hospital. As soon as she spoke (and I saw her)
she
seemed so familiar. I felt for sure we had met at JHH, but I
couldn’t
quite place it. She had the same feeling about me – and so
we decided
we must have passed each other at JHH. And then it hit me –
the one
and only night I took L&D call – the one time I went to
Bayview
hospital, she was the fellow resident on call with me! What a small
world, huh? I was
actually so happy about this finding… I have been
nervous for quite some time about the fact that I am the
only CRNA on
the trip. And
initially I felt that this girl was going to be a
little bit snooty. But, after we realized our history
(however brief
it actually was)– it was like instantaneous friends.
Friendship by
association or something.
I felt so much better about being here by
myself now that I at least sort of knew someone in the
anesthesia
dept. After we managed to get out of the airport with all of
our
luggage, we climbed into an old van – I think maybe a VW
van. It had
little hanging curtains and armed (with machine guns)
military men.
Out of the 13 people in the van, only one other girl (who
has a strong
Southern accent but has a very strange affect and
disposition, and so
far has been very unfriendly) was white. I am definitely the
minority
on this trip! But funny thing is – I haven’t felt a bit
unsafe or
scared. Well… if I was slightly scared it was only due to
the crazy
driving of the driver of the van. I kept thinking to myself that I was
sure glad
that I wasn’t easy for motion sickness – and even at not
being one who
is easily sick, I began to feel a little sick. I had to
think on other things than the
knot forming in my stomach. We were with armed
guards
in order to prevent us from stopping at road blocks or
ambushes – so I
knew asking to stop for me to puke wasn’t gonna be a good
thing. After
a while the fatigue kicked in and I was able to forget my
nausea and
try and get some rest. Not an easy thing to do as the driver
braked
about as hard as a sixteen year old learning to drive a car,
but
sometimes when you’re tired enough you can tolerate things
and relax
in conditions that normally would be very unnerving. That
was
certainly the case tonight.
I guess it seems a little odd that I am sitting up writing
this after
such a long night of traveling. We left the airport by 9:30
Nigerian
time and arrived at the hotel by 11 p.m. Nigerian time (4
p.m. CST –
so a little over 26 hours after I left). I am absolutely
exhausted,
but I called room service for some water. (They don’t have a
store I
can buy any at). And I was told it could take up to 45
minutes to get
it. I need the water in order to take my malaria
proscriptions. So, I
thought I would get a little journaling in.
The room is an oven. I sure am going to miss my fan this
week. I would
say it is even hotter than that room Tara, Lauren, and I
shared in NYC
that one week during our youth mission.
As I was flying in, I was struck by the lack of lights in Africa. Or
at least this part of Africa. It was pitch black as we
descended on
the country – with exception to a few on the runway. As we
drove
through the streets to Imo State, we passed shack after
shack. The
poverty appears to be everywhere. And people everywhere just
hanging
out by their pitch black homes: sitting, talking – I guess
it’s too
hot to go to sleep so early… but now the darknesses limits
their
activeness. The poverty is something that is often
incomprehensible to
those of us who live so comfortably. Even as I saw it with my own
eyes, it is hard for me to really understand the permeation
of it in
this society. Thing like
this always hit me so strongly with
realization at how fortunate I am. I haven’t done anything,
and yet I
am automatically more fortunate because of where I was born,
and
because of the color I was born. It’s sort of weird to think
about.
On an interesting note: the toilet has posed a challenge to
me. First
of all, the top that you sit on is much too large for the
smaller bowl
portion – something I didn’t initially realize… until I
started
peeing, and peed all over the floor. Haha And secondly, I can’t
figure out how to flush it. There is this handle on the top
that looks
like a flush handle… but then it appears broken.
I have really missed Van today! Funny how much I’ve changed. These
days I would much much prefer he be with me than me off
adventuring by
myself – or even with anyone else… and sometimes I think I’d
give up
the adventure to stay home with him instead. I guess I
should tell him that sometime. ha
Well, my water just arrived (I’ve only been writing for 35
minutes)…
so I am going to head to bed.
This is going to be one night I think I will sleep well –
despite the heat!
Love the World Traveler,
Jessica
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