I saw my first grass hut, my first elephant in the middle of the road. You learn very quickly to keep your distance as well as your patience. I once saw a bus filled with people attacked by an elephant because of an impatient bus driver. I was trained by the U.S. government in language and culture. In spite of the fact that I had been trained in East African culture, it was a cultural shock for me when I first got to Africa.
Nights are pitch black and as silent as death.
Only the occasional glow of village fires illuminate the eternal darkness. The only light was the glow of the sodium lamps in the town several miles away. I walked down a pitch black path - the only sense of direction I had was the glow of the sodium lamps coming from the town. Being ill is like taking that long walk once again - you have to ignore the pitch blackness and focus on the warm orange glow of the sodium lights. You have to ignore the danger from wild animals and focus on your goal - to arrive safely and in one piece.