Today was my last Monday at school. It
was pretty surreal.
This past weekend was the annual Lucky
Star Marathon, which takes place in Swakopmund, the most touristy
town in Namibia. Volunteers come from all over the country, some to
run, some with learners who run, and some just to hang out. For some
of us (like me), it was the last time we'll see each other in
Namibia.
Ashley (the other Group 30 Omaheke PCV who lives
2 hours north of me) and I were supposed to travel to Swakopmund on
Friday on a bus with learners going to run in the marathon and a
girls under-15 soccer team. Because nothing ever works the way it's
supposed to in Namibia, we ended up taking alternative
transportation, but ended up having great luck getting to Swakopmund.
We even saw a fairly large herd (herd?) of giraffes on the side of
the road, only the 2nd or 3rd time seeing wild
giraffes, and definitely the largest group I've ever seen. It was a
great moment that happened so quickly I didn't even have a chance to
take pictures.
Ashley and I managed to get seats on
the bus on the way back to Gobabis yesterday. In a car, the drive
from Swakopmund to Gobabis should be about about 6 hours. On the
bus, it took a very long 9ish hours. We made a bunch of turns (Namlish for "made a bunch of stops") before even leaving Swakopmund, including a
turn to let the learners put their feet in the ocean for the first
time ever, and made a bunch of turns in Windhoek on the way through.
We got a tour of the location (the 'townships', or poor areas of the
city) that perhaps we wouldn't have otherwise gotten, which was good,
but part of this “tour” was due to a lost learner who wandered
off while the bus was stopped for a few minutes. We looked for her
for an hour to no avail, so we ended up having to leave her in
Windhoek. The 2.5 hours from Windhoek back to Gobabis seemed
impossibly long, but we did see more giraffes along the road!
Today, my last Monday at school, was
complicated by the fact that I've been battling a UTI for the last 4
or 5 days. Anyone who's ever had a UTI knows that it puts you in a
state somewhere between discomfort and misery. Really the only
reason I went to school this morning was because I knew it was the
last morning assembly I'd be able to attend, and that they would
likely make me part of the program. I was correct. I was called up
on the stage, the learners sang for me, and the principal said a
brief word of thanks. I had to later explain to him why I seemed so
unenthusiastic, and then shortly thereafter left to go to the doctor.
For 2 years I managed to avoid the state hospital – the hospital where those who can't afford to
pay go. Today, the private doctor sent me to the lab there to give a
urine sample. That place was the definition of shitshow. The line
for reception was at least 2 dozen people deep, and the area beyond
reception was, as far as I could tell, absolute chaos and disorder.
The laboratory ended up being a closed door with a “No Entry” and
“Authorized Persons Only” sign on it. The lab technicians were
confused about why the private doctor sent me there and kept trying
to open an account on which to bill me. When they FINALLY provided
me a cup in which to pee, the first toilet I was directed to was
indefinitely locked with no one inside it, and the second toilet I
found made even me cringe – dirty, no lock on the door, no toilet
seat, no toilet paper and no soap with which to wash my hands. It
was pretty gross, but I've heard of worse – in the Caprivi Region
(that strip of land that extends to the east) there are monkeys (and
who knows what else) running around the state hospital.
Of course, the urinalysis will take 3
days to return results. Lucky for me, the private doctor gave me a
antibiotics that hopefully will make me feel better soon soon!
On my way to school this morning, I
realized that there are just so many things I wish I could share with
the world (I guess via this blog), but it's just.... impossible.
But, I'm going to do my best in the next couple weeks!
Thanks for reading!
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