Fog Blog

This week was a lesson in P and F (patience and flexibility), the buzzwords of Peace Corps Existence. After a beautiful spring day last Sunday, the mountain turned into cold fog and mist. The view into the valley was a solid grey wall, revealing none of the life or sound in the kraals below. Each day, the moist air seemed to get heavier and colder as the dank wind blew through our flat and office. The air was so damp that even the duct tape we used to seal the windows slid down the window sill. We opened the curtains each morning hoping for a break in the fog so that we could get our washing done and the clothes would dry but the fog would not let up. Our Saturday trip to town turned sour as we missed the 6am taxi and had to hike to the tar road to hitch a ride or hope for the bus. All passing taxis were full and no one would stop for the strangers waiting by the side of the road so by 1030am we walked back to the Hospital to settle down for the day. Locals accept the vagaries of transportation and take the delays in stride and with good humor but us Americans think about wasted time and are annoyed with changed plans.

Amazingly we had a great afternoon in spite of the change in plans. The space radio was working in the fog so we were able to catch NPR radio shows including Click N Clack Car talk and Punchline. Surely passing patients wondered about the gales of laughter emanating from the flat behind the business office. This morning (Sunday) turned out bright and sunny so we tried again to head to town and caught a taxi on the tar road minutes after putting our index finger into the air bidding for a ride. Public transportation is doable-it is just uncertain and one has to be prepared to wait or give up when it just isn’t going to happen. The sad fact is that many unemployed people living here at Mountain High could get decent jobs in town but they cannot get reliable transportation to the job and there is no housing for them in town. So intelligent, capable men and women remain unemployed and unable to support their families.

The hat marathon is underway in earnest. By Friday 60 hats were sewn and ready to hit the market. By Friday afternoon the staff had scarfed up over 20 hats and were asking for more. (Of course some sales were IOU and some were layaways, known here as laybyes). But the enthusiasm is building and next week we will hit the pensioner market. Who knows, maybe even the taxi rank!!