Cape Town & African Tick Bite Fever

Sorry folks for not keeping you in the loop, but I almost died...

Ok... I jest... but I was really really sick. (Thanks Africa!) Now, let's catch up...

During our last chat I had just returned from zee bush where we were busy counting giraffes (and I was busy catching a virus). The next week I was off with Christy to Cape Town, specifically Hout Bay, to visit some more of the projects. I have always wanted to go to Cape Town, so I was beyond excited. We drove to Johannesburg, caught our flight on 1time, and we were off!

Overall, sneezes aside, Cape Town did not disappoint. We have a new backpacker lodge and it was luxurious compared to Tent #8 in Ezulwini. And I was fortunate enough to have my own room and bathroom for the week! (My first private time since leaving for India!) It was a slow month which gave me plenty of time to get to know the coordinator and new lodge manager.

On the project side of things, Shannon & I went on a tour of the township in Hout Bay (Imizamo Yethu) with our tour guide, Afrika... as far as townships go, it didn't seem too bad... although wikipedia just told me "The Disa River which runs through this settlement has the highest level of e-coli bacteria that has ever been recorded in South Africa" so I guess you decide. I suppose nothing some hand sanitizer can't take care of? Just don't go swimming.

On tour day, and the subsequent days, we visited all the daycare centers that we support within the township and helped with the reading club one afternoon. We also visited a boarding school outside of the township for troubled youth, plus a company that makes crafts out of used tea bags. They employ township residents and we are hoping to place future volunteers there.

We also visited a school in a community in Hout Bay called Hangberg. Still trying to wrap my brain around this particular area, but it's a community of "coloured" folk who speak Afrikaans. It's a dangerous area, with a drug problem, and a quick google search revealed a riot in 2010. I'm still learning about this community, but there seems to be some parallels to the aboriginal community in Australia. We met with Christy's favorite teach, Teach, and there is clearly loads of work to be done.

During the week, the coordinator took us on a touristy tour of Cape Town and we headed up the jaw dropping Victoria Road to Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. And this is when I fell in love with Cape Town. SO BEAUTIFUL! Stunning coast... impressive mountains... and a lovely city to boot! It was like Africa's Sydney and I can't wait to go back. It was a quick tour for me, and on the next trip I plan on taking some vacation time to explore Table Mountain, Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, wine country and possibly some white shark cave diving (gasp!)... at which point in time I may have to get the shark tramp stamp I have always wanted... If I survive.

It was a great week and it felt refreshing to be back in civilization once more. Christy and I headed back to the Kingdom of Swaziland... just in time for Easter and a weekend of braaie and volunteers and sadly no Easter bunny... and then I got very, very sick.

I was still recovering from my virus and Monday started out with a feeling of general poopiness all morning, and then I got the chills and the aches and feverishness and then it turned into the longest week of my life. Some nights I slept... some nights I was too cold to sleep... and other nights I woke up completely drenched. I had to go to work because I was still in training, and I felt like total shite with an off and on fever that lasted SEVEN days. We had Christy's going away paint ball, and then mountaintop picnic, and I could barely hold myself up. I was ridiculously miserable.

Not only did I have a fever... but weird things started happening to my body... at first my belly was covered in red dots that looked like mosquito bites of varying shapes... then they moved to my face and it was like 16 year old Sarah was coming back for a surprise visit. I then developed a nice bumpish thing on my right cheek near my underwear line and Susie did some investigating. I'm going to keep it real here, folks... she said it looked like I was growing mold. She took a picture with her iphone and she was right. If that's not disgusting enough, during paint ball I discovered two more similar creatures, one behind each knee.

I don't think anyone believes me, but I swear I have African Tick Bite Fever. Google it. Google image search the hell out of it. Remember the giraffes from a coupla weeks ago? Well... those giraffes were covered in ticks and so was I. There were ticks EVERYWHERE and at least one of those fellas musta bit me... I have been to hell and back but the good news is that I am here to tell you I am a survivor... I'm gonna make it...

It's been a solid two days fever-free and suddenly I like Swaziland again. My face is starting to clear up again (although my three moldy sores are taking their sweet time)... tomorrow is Christy's last day at work... I buy her car on Monday... and I move into my new cottage on Tuesday! So long Tent #8.

And it's off to Botswana in a week!