Lesotho, Day 5: A Little Bit of Free Time

Today I had something I very rarely have on these short overseas missions: a completely free day.

                

I slept in a little bit (translation: to 7, which is two hours later when I was getting up all week) and since I had already decided that I was going to go hiking this morning, got to take my time getting ready for breakfast, without having to worry about going running or hitting the gym or anything. I had breakfast with my team members and then we said our good-byes, since they were planning on leaving for the airport at noon and I was planning on still being hiking.

                

I had my eye set on the hill overlooking the Pope John Paul II stage (where he gave a sermon at some point in the 80’s), and I thought it would take all day. However, it was actually pretty easy to find the trail created by a whole bunch of cattle herders leading their cattle up and down the hill, and I found myself on the top of the hill (elevation >6000 ft) after only about an hour or so, less than three miles of hiking. I explored the top for a bit, but it was cold and windy, so I didn’t want to make a whole day of it. I tried to go down a different path than the one I went up, but I kept losing sight of the cow trails, so I just gave up and went back up to the top and then headed back the way I had come up. In all, it was a little under seven miles. I would have gone longer, since it was noon when I got back, but I discovered that that kind of hiking in combat boots doesn’t really work. My heels are pretty torn up from the experience.

Starting out on my hike

Up at the top

From the top

Another picture from the top

The Pope John Paul II stage, from the top of the hill

                

The rest of my team didn’t get picked up until 2, so we had a couple of hours after I got back to talk shop (and things completely unrelated to work), and when they took off, I grabbed lunch and then settled in to finishing what I needed to of this mission before leaving for the next. After sending off my reports and whatnot, I returned to my book and read that until it was over.

                

All in all, a pretty relaxing day. Tomorrow I have the morning to myself, and then I begin the continent-hopping flights that will take me from Maseru to Kinshasa, landing around 10 am on Sunday. With any luck, my entertainment system(s) will actually be working. 

Lesotho, Day 4: Last Day of Work

This was the last day of meetings in Lesotho, which is good, because I’m about meeting-ed out.

                

I decided to get an extra half hour of sleep this morning, and did 30 minutes on the stationary bike in the gym instead of going for a run. It’s not a bad gym—it has a few treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes, as well as weights and whatnot—but I’ll always prefer working out in the real world to doing something in the gym. It’s been a while since I was on a bike, though, so I probably needed it.

                

We got our first surprise of the day when Mo came to pick us up at 8, telling us we had a meeting at 8:15 with Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL), the largest health NGO in the country. He says he told us about this yesterday, but nobody had any recollection of this and we really weren’t dressed appropriately; I was in khakis and a shirt (with my boots on) and our exercise planner was in jeans and a sweater. He changed into a suit and tie; I didn’t realize what was going on and stuck with my attire. Anyway, we ended up late, but that was fine (African Standard Time…). We explained the exercise with the representative and invited any nurses or doctors to give or come to academic sessions. She seemed very interested and said she would get with some of her people to see if anyone wanted to talk. Seems positive.

Site of our meetings

After that, we went out to Maruja, which was where the first Huguenot missionaries came. They have a museum about the history of Lesotho, and we were scoping it out for a potential cultural day activity. During the MEDRETEs, there’s usually a day during the weekend to “experience the culture” of the host nation. This should really be changed to “tourist day”, because it’s really about being a tourist. There’s usually a market involved and everything. Anyway, we went to this museum, which explained the history of Lesotho from the big bang on (skipping large chunks of time, obviously). It was pretty interesting, but I’m not sure how much it would be enjoyed by the people on the mission. I guess we’ll find out.

Replica huts at the museum

             

We had one final meeting of the day at 1600, with PEPFAR. We told them about the mission and asked them if they would be willing to give some academics, and not only did they say that they would be, but they also gave us the names of more NGOs that they would put us in contact with. It was pretty much a win-win, and a productive meeting.

                

The rest of the team is flying back tomorrow, and I’m not leaving for Kinshasa (by way of Nairobi) until Saturday, so I have the day to myself tomorrow. I’m thinking I’m going to go hiking. One of the guys at the Embassy said that there are plenty of hiking trails to try that are right around the hotel, so I figure, why not? 

Lesotho, Day 3: Finalizing Plans

Today was my first 9/11 out of the States, and I definitely noticed the difference. While my Facebook account was covered in cries to ‘Never Forget’ (referring to not only 9/11/01, but also the events in Libya last year), I was in meetings in a country on the other side of the globe, the date having no more meaning for them than the 4^th of July or Thanksgiving. There were no moments of silence, no news broadcasters replaying the events of twelve years ago, no American flags being waved from street corners. And that was fine. In a time when everything is always broadcast and always recorded, it was nice to have a day to when all I had to worry about was what the anniversary meant for me, not for anybody else.

                

And now back to Lesotho… As I did yesterday, I got up early to go running, trying a different route this time. Since they warned us about going around town when it’s dark out (and the sun doesn’t rise until about 6:30 around here, when I’m pretty much done from my run), I’ve been staying away from the “town” parts of the roads, which doesn’t leave a whole lot, and all of it pretty steep. Looking at my elevation chart after my run, I ascended 300 feet in less than half a mile. No wonder I had to walk up some of it.

Elevation map

The entire morning was spent at Makoanyane Military Hospital, getting the more in-depth tour (which allowed me time to ask questions to refine the mission plans) as well as the tour of the Thomas Wellness Center, the PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Program For AIDS Relief) funded clinic that focuses on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. After the tours, we sat down and hammered out plans. My original thought was for four doctors and two Public Health nurses, the four doctors being two infectious disease specialists (one adult, one pediatric), me (preventive medicine), and family medicine. My thinking for family medicine was because of how much obstetrics work they do, in terms of the prevention of maternal to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) treatment of pregnant and breastfeeding women and whatnot. However, when I explained my plan, they asked, “Can we get an obstetrician?”

Thomas Wellness Center

                

Hmm. Get an obstetrician for obstetrics work. Who would have thought?

                

So we changed the family practitioner to obstetrics, hammered out the rest of the details, and then broke around 1200. Mo, our Embassy contact (he’s Basotho, and like all Basotho, no American can pronounce his name, so it got shortened to ‘Mo’) drove us out to the site where the Basotho tribe made their stand against pretty much anyone who tried to invade, a large steppe with only one path up (in other words, easily defended). We took some pictures and bought some miniature souvenir woven hats (the national symbol of Lesotho) and then headed to Kick For Life, an NGO run by FIFA (soccer people), which has a good cook. Sure enough, the lunch was pretty good, for being European-type food served in Africa.

The rock

Lesotho hat

                

We headed back to the hotel after lunch, where I quickly sent of my justifications for mission personnel to the person in charge of manning the mission, and then settled in to do nothing but read a book for the remainder of the afternoon. I had grand plans of going to the gym to get on the stationary bike, but that just didn’t happen. Oh, well. Maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m going to continue sitting at the bar, sipping cheap red wine while playing on the computer and pretending to watch the rugby game on TV.

Lesotho, Day 2: Let the Work Begin

Today was the first day of the PDSS, and busy. I started the day with a run, which was pretty difficult considering the elevation and the fact that the hotel is located on a pretty substantial hill. I didn’t manage three miles, but I was happy(ish) with what I did get done, considering the factors at play.

                

Our first meeting for the day was with the Chief of Staff of Operations of the Lesotho Defense Force, a two-star general. He had with him three one-star generals, so it was quite the meeting. We explained the mission—we’re going to be pairing up one-on-one with Lesotho Defense Force doctors, seeing patients in the mornings and doing clinicals in the afternoon, the same pattern as the DRC MEDRETE. They were under the impression that this was going to be a much larger mission, so we knew from there that we were going to be fighting an uphill battle. They did eventually figure out what we were talking about and agreed that it sounded like a good mission.

View of the Barracks from the road

As if that wasn’t enough high-powered people in one room, the second meeting of the day was with the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, where we again explained the mission and he did a lot of head nodding and thanked us for our support. Then we went to the military hospital—the only military hospital in all of Lesotho—to talk to the hospital commander (lieutenant colonel) and some nurses and the only two doctors in all of the Lesotho Defense Force (it’s a small country…). We again explained the mission, they told us what the hospital needs—which is mostly stuff, which we can’t provide—and we went on a quick tour. We’re supposed to get more of a tour tomorrow.

Makoanyane Military Hospital

                

After lunch, we headed over to the Ministry of Health, to meet with the Principal Secretary there. When we told him what we were looking for—which is pretty much for them to participate in the academic session of the exercise—he quickly found people for us to talk to, and came back with the head of the programs for TB/HIV, Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response, and International Health Regulations. In other words, exactly who we needed to talk to. We explained our plan, they agreed to participate in academics, and committed to at least six hours of lectures, in order to make sure the LDF doctors know about the national programs for disease surveillance, TB, HIV, and STDs. Success!

                

Throughout the entire day, the civilian on the survey who’s in charge of the security survey spent the entire time complaining about how boring the medical meetings are and how they have nothing to do with him. I didn’t say anything, but I wanted to tell him that when he’s going on a pre-deployment site survey for a medical mission, there might be one or two meetings about, I don’t know… medical stuff? It was frustrating, but he was fairly easy to ignore.

                

In all, late night (it’s 9:35 and I’m exhausted), and my allergies are killing me. I forgot to take into account that it’s spring in Lesotho, and spring is when my allergies are the worst. Ugh. Fortunately, it’s easy to buy medications here, so I bought some generic Zyrtec (what I take at home), and hopefully will be feeling better tomorrow.

Local allergy meds. A lifesaver.

              

And now, time to go to bed, so I can go to more meetings tomorrow.

Lesotho, Day 1: South Africa and Traveling

Today was another day of traveling and exploring and seeing new places, which is always a good thing. I started the day early and went for a three mile run in the residential area around my hotel, and by the end, I could definitely feel the altitude, compared to the 10 feet above sea level I’m used to in Savannah. It’s going to be interesting tomorrow, when I’m even higher in Maseru.

Fountain seen on the run

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to go on an organized tour of Johannesburg and still make it to the airport in time for my flight, so I opted to go to the airport, check in, and then get on the train and go to Sandton, which is a shopping-type area. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about international travel to developing countries, it’s that there’s always someone at the airport will to “help”, who expects a tip at the end. Sure enough, almost as soon as I walked through the doors, a man came up and offered to help, directing me to the counter and taking my bag before I could really even protest. After I checked my luggage, he asked what next, and I said I needed to go the ATM, so he took me directly there. Then he took me to the “Bag Port” (luggage storage) so I could drop off my backpack, and then took me to the train station and showed me how to buy a card for the train.

                

Yeah, he earned his tip.

                

Sandton wasn’t really all that exciting. I was hoping Nelson Mandela Square would be a historic-type thing, but no. It’s a mall. So I wandered around for a bit, bought some souvenirs, and then found myself at the Peacemakers’ Museum. It’s very small, maybe the size of a normal store in the mall, and all about Nobel Peace Prize recipients (obviously with more emphasis put on the three South Africans). If there was one thing I learned from reading the reasons why people were awarded the Peace Prize, it’s more about the hopes and wishes of what the Norwegians want to happen than anything that had actually resulted in peace. Some people had done legitimately good things that made the world a better place (ending apartheid was no small feat), but others—like “ending the Vietnam war” (in 1973) or “peace in Israel” (hmm…)—were more of what the military calls “Good Idea Fairies” than any real accomplishments.

Normal Borlaug's speech

Nelson Mendela inside the Peace Maker's museum

Anyway, after that, I headed back to the airport, hung out in the South African Airways lounge for a bit (ah, the life of a Star Alliance Gold member…) and then met up with the three others in my group before our flight to Maseru. The flight was short—less than an hour—and then we were at the airport, where I experienced the fasted trip through customs and immigration known to man. To give you an idea, there were so few people and the plane was so small that they brought the luggage from the plane in a cart, and set it on the carousel (which I’m pretty sure is defunct).  

Baggage claim

                

Our driver gave us the brief history of Lesotho as he drove us to the hotel, so I had to ask why it existed in the middle of South Africa. He informed us that during the Boer Wars, King Moshoeshoe I requested protection from the British Empire, and became a British protectorate (not a colony, as he corrected me). Everything else in the area became British colonies, and then became South Africa. So now South Africa is very diverse, in terms of tribes and ethnicities, and Lesotho remained almost entirely Basotho (the demonym of people who live in Lesotho) with everyone speaking Sesotho. English is the official language, though.

                

After we arrived at the hotel (which is quite nice), we were joined by Mo, from the Embassy, who went over the agenda for the week. It looks like a busy day of meetings tomorrow, and then things will taper off from there.

Sunset from the Lesotho Sun

             

We shall see…