You're probably thinking, "What's this 'Hardly-a-tan?' I thought there were only 2 seasons in Africa: hot & dry, and hot & rainy." Well, surprise, surprise. Here in the Sahel region - the transition zone between the arid deserts of North Africa and the tropical forests of the south - there is an extra season. HARMATTAN.
During Harmattan, powerful winds blow across the region, bringing dusty, sand-filled air from the Sahara down into the Gulf of Guinea. The dust settles on everything and everyone, and hangs in the air like smog. In short, this:
...is Harmattan.
There are obviously many downsides to all that particulate in the air (just great on the lungs), but the one plus is that the sun doesn't beat down quite so hard as it otherwise would.
I think being right on the water helps a bit with the dryness, too.
Other than enjoying the (sometimes) cool mornings and brushing off the sand, I've had a pretty low-key week to settle in here. Due to the large cohort of new nurses, and the slow ramp-up of surgery after the Christmas break, I was kind of put on the back burner to give newer nurses a chance to learn the ropes. This meant office work and more free time than expected. Despite this, I've managed to keep myself on a half-decent sleep schedule (which, if you've ever seen me in the morning, you'll know is a minor miracle).
Now that things are back in full-swing, we've got a variety of patients filling up the wards. Kids with cataracts, adults with goiters, and both with hernias. Last week there was also another screening day up-country, where hundreds more patients were given appointments to see a surgeon.
My evening shift is starting soon, so I'd better sign off for now.
À la prochaine,
-D
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