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| Unexpected Bougainvillia beauty in a communal wash area |
(My last two days' posts refer...)
I saddled
the old nag this morning and trotted over to the other side of town on her for the first time in three months. As she gets more and more decrepit with age I haven't been taking her out very far, and
the incident where I knocked a young girl down also still weighs on my mind (especially because it is happening more and more frequently here - often with fatal results).
Tropical Storm Bingiza was still making herself known in fits and starts, but overall it was a pretty uneventful and not-too-wet trip.
I am always amazed when I find efficiency in this town of chaos: I'm seeing a specialist in tropical diseases at the Seventh Day Adventist Clinic, and I already feel like a new man after starting with the medication he prescribed yesterday. Although I suspected it was this bad, he confirmed that Tana sits amongst the top-5 most polluted cities in the world, which makes serious allergies pretty commonplace. He drew blood for more specific tests, and the vial was rushed straight off to a lab for testing. It seems as if we have caught it before it becomes a chronic problem.
He also tells me that it should be relatively easy to remedy. All I need is to find a sunnier, drier, more airy abode, hidden far from the main road with its choking fumes. Thank you too to everyone for your prayers ...
I love travelling through town on my bike, because I get to stop and take photos whenever the mood catches me. Here are a few from the last two days: (click on photos for bigger, clearer versions)
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| The wash area, sandwiched between two main roads |
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| Happy as a bug in a tub: a little child waits for her mom to finish with the washing, while quietly chewing on a brick of soap |
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| Roadside washline |
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| Cocooned: A baby acts as weight to the washing. |
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| Art Pub: For all your printing needs, and second-hand car licence plates |
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| The Rova (Queen's Palace) as seen from the Waterfront road |
Your photos are beautiful. You've certainly captured the some wonderful moments.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're feeling better and that even though there is a lot of pollution and things to cause problems, you're able to find some sort of a solution!
ReplyDeleteAlso - beautiful photos! They made me feel as though I was right there in the moment..love them.
Love the photos, and glad you are medicated and starting to feel better :)
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing blog. I am visiting from The Smitten Image blog where Hilary awarded you one of the Posts Of The Week. Congrats on the POTW and hope you get healthy soon.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I love the the cocoon baby! Great post and congrats! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon...you have a very interesting blog...enjoyed your writings...these photo's are spectacular! Congrats on POTW at Hilary's.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your photos. Glad you're getting help for your allergies. I can believe Tana's in the top 5, though I haven't been to a lot of real polluted cities besides Tana and Los Angeles and its outlying areas.
ReplyDeleteAn amazing part of the world to be part of.I have thought about traveling and teaching, I am spoiled by some of the things I like to stay comfortable, like AC.
ReplyDeleteJust stopping by from Hilary's - Congrats on your POTW!
ReplyDeleteThese are stunning pictures - the poverty of the people makes me ashamed that I just this morning fretted because I may not be able to afford my yearly Disney trip in November.
The irony - the Queen's Palace towering above the dilapidated houses and makeshift fencing below, and the children inside the "art" shack - selling signs from Mercedes Benz and Renault.
Being my first visit here, I had no idea you were sick, but thank goodness, you have access to adequate medical care. Hope you're completely recovered in no time. And thank you for what you're doing to help in Madagascar.