Getting to Africa

Chicago

Dakar, Senegal (layover)

Outside Conakry, Guinea

23 hours flying took a toll on me. I can never sleep on a moving vehicle. From Denver to Chicago
(sunny) to Brussels (rainy rainy rainy) to Dakar (oh so dry on the edge of the Sahara Dessert) to Conakry (where all is green but thick pollution). 

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Picked up at the airport by my friend and now director, Joan, and she whisked me away, literally, in our Mercy Ships vehicle about 20 minutes to the ship. (*video may not upload for quite awhile!!!)

My Work and Home!
Africa Mercy M/V in port for 10 months Conakry, Guinea, West Africa

Orientation

The first day was full.

• Orientation  on safety evacuation and fire drills (sound familiar ReadyTalk?) 
• Co-Workers  Met the rest of the Medical Capacity Building (MCB) team in our crowded office under the bow of the ship. Co-workers from UK, Guinea, US, Tanzania, Switzerland and TBD. 
• New Drug!  I met with crew physician to start my daily dose of Melarone, malaria medicine. 
• Essentials  I bought toilet paper and a jar of peanut butter from the ship shop--a tiny convenience store. 
• Clean Up Song  I learned where the cleaning supplies are to clean our own cabins and how to sign up to reserve washer and dryer. 
• Water shortage  so only allowed one laundry load per week. 
• Showers  We have ship showers meaning 2 minutes. There is an easy on/off lever in the tiny butt-hits-the-wall shower so you turn it on and get wet, turn it off and lather up, turn it back on to rinse. Add a couple more on/offs if hair is to be washed, and whah lah, you are clean!
• Currency  Exchanged U.S. currency for local Guinean currency. We can get a local taxi for 30,000 or about $3.25 US.  
• Internet  *We are hooked up to a satellite out of Florida so our location APPEARS to be the U.S. but it is relatively slow. 

Guinean currency

Next Door Neighbor Ship - exporting BAUXITE

more to come about WHAT I am doing here......