Something to Chew On

 A hot shower and air conditioning? What? It seems like Congo, at least the capital of Kinshasa and in our hostel, has many of the same comforts of home. It was a welcome surprise after such long flights. It was an unwelcome surprise to get woken up early this morning so that the residents could get the containers (our donated medical supplies) out of my room to take to Vanga by road. Nothing like meeting people in green pajama pants.
We got acquainted with Kinshasa by daylight today. It is beautiful in many ways, with palm trees and a tropical climate. But there is also the stark reality that Kinshasa is home to well over a million orphans, victims of HIV and war. We drove to one of the small community clinics which was built after Tim's first trip here in 2006. The roads are fairly well paved (by the Chinese) on the main avenues, there are stoplights (somewhat paid attention to), and there are high rise buildings (some finished). The temperature is fairly comfortable when there is a breeze to tear at the cloak of humidity. We turned off the main road and into a muddy dirt path between concrete houses to find a 2 room clinic with very basic but life-saving medical supplies. Our first patient received treatment for malaria- a good reminder to take our medicine and kill as many of those suckers as we can. (We are sleeping under mosquito nets.) We ate a meal there, our first taste of the local fare. It was a feast: chicken, rice, salt water fish, fresh water fish, beans, kasava bread, plantain, and caterpillars. Yes, caterpillars. Now that's something to chew on. Contrary to popular belief, they do not taste like chicken...
Tomorrow, we are flying to Vanga which is a more remote village. I just hope the caterpillars don't get bigger.