DRC, Day 3: Back to Muanda

Well, I’m back in Muanda for another six nights. The joys.

                

We got up this morning to go running, as always, and this time managed to find the running path I went on before, the one along the Congo River. Since the hotel now is further from the river than the Fleuve, we only did a short loop (about a mile) before heading back, for a total run of about 4 miles. It was nice, but the problem with running with people taller than you is they also tend to be faster.

                

Because of traffic, we were running a little late for the N’Dolo airport and our flight to Muanda, but of course, nothing in Africa runs on time, so we still had to wait after making it through customs and security. The flight was uneventful (always a good thing in those little prop planes), and then we were back in Muanda.

Flying over Bas Congo. The cleared patches are oil test wells

                

Our only official duty today was to go around the installation and do introductions. We met with BG Mustafa, the base commander; the head of the nursing school; and BG Amisi, the hospital commander (COL Amisi last time I was here). I think we came up with a plan for activities for everyone. MAJ Lang, the environmental science officer, will go around with the base engineer and do sanitation and hygiene surveys. BG Mustafa said he should find quite a lot of things wrong. The two Navy doctors will stay at the nursing school, mostly giving an overview of trauma care for the two days that they’re here. And then I’ll be at the hospital, doing a follow-up from the MEDRETE in June.

Outside BG Mustafa's office. He's the one in the striped polo shirt.

              

I still have open sores on my heels from my blisters that I got while hiking in Lesotho, so that makes being in boots pretty painful. I’ve been putting Neosporin on them, so hopefully they don’t get infected. I’d rather not have tropical ulcer as a souvenir of my time in Africa.