Bed Time

I’ve been sick for a few days – yes, CURENT exists also in Africa, especially when you travel on local buses in 35+ degree heat. It got to me right after returning from my trip to Uganda – but now, being Africa-savvy, I didn’t mistake the first cold symptoms for malaria anymore. Funnily, though, people here are urging me to go see a doctor – “after all, it could be malaria”. Little do they know about my CURENT-related ailments, which so far have not failed to strike on all three continents I have lived on (still, by FAR, I prefer the old-fashion CURENT over the terrible A/C!).

Treating my sore throat by gargling with salt did miracles this time as well
(for those of you who didn’t see my FB status update a few days ago, here – OMG, the modern medicine performed this 'revolutionary' study!!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/health/28real.html?src=me&ref=general). So I was on my way to recovery, when I was tempted by my colleague Veronica to a glamorous Sunday in Gysenyi, at the beach of the famed Serena hotel. Knowing I’d get worse, but not being able to resist it, I went and played pretty on the shores of Kivu Lake, to the delight of some 50 Indian business men gathered around for a conference (I know, my luck!). At least I somehow evened the tan on my arms, after the terrible, careless burns I had gotten a couple of weeks beforehand.

In the evening, of course, I got worse, and now, 36 hours later, I am blogging at 5 a.m., completely feverish (I broke all records here, waking up even before the LOUD birds started doing their morning rounds).

So yes, forget going to see gorillas today (I was on the schedule that is being drafted every Friday for the following week and implemented VERY strictly). Hopefully I’ll get better by Thursday (hmmm, doubtful), in order to join Veronica to Kuryama’s group (my favorite so far, with three amazing silverbacks and scores of infants and juveniles, playing around for hours, absolutely delightfully).

Until then, though – bedtime, with movies! I have NEVER watched so many random DVDs, one after the other, after the other. It’s actually kind of cool (I wonder how people did field work in remote sites beforehand?!) Breakfast will be pancakes (Fais is spoiling me) and chamomile tea, so it’s really not all that bad in bed...