To Madagascar today

, January 17

Today I set out for Antanavaro, the capital of Madagascar. It was a sad day as I left John behind to start my adventure.  We had stayed for two nights exploring and touring Johannesburg after our safari all week. I took a train to get from our hotel to the airport and was a bit nervous about it, as I had been told that the crime rate here is high. When traveling in another country when you are unsure of what to expect and bit of anxiety comes with the territory. Especially when every thing of value to you and highly needed like your passport, phone, money, credit card, and all electronics are on your back. 

I'm glad to report that all went very well, and there were no mishaps. Here in South Africa the poverty level is high and the unemployment rate is about 40%. There are people all over the airport dressed in business attire, all wanting to help you, all for a tip. I kept my head up and just read where to go, and avoided them as best possible. 

I met 3 others heading to the Mercy at the gate. Leah, from Missouri,-she's a lab tech, Derrick from Toronto, Canada an engineer, and Yong, an operating room nurse from Dallas Texas. Derrick and Yong have worked on Mercyships in the past. Derrick has been in Madagascar and is returning back from being home for the holidays. Yong worked last year and is returning to the ship for 4 weeks this year. 

I am excited! I was a bit nervous to transport to the airport, but now I am fine, and ready for this exciting time. I can't wait to meet the patients, their families, and my coworkers. 

Sunday January 18th

I had a great nights sleep in our cozy hotel. We woke and had breakfast at 6 am, to ensure an early start to the day. Our breakfast of bread and jelly was a bit of a scarce breakfast, but luckily I still have some apricots and almonds left over from the week. 

As I sit here in the middle of a hot 8 hour ride to the ship, I am wondering if we will ever get there! 

We are on the middle of a tropical, mountainous forest. The road is not bad, one to two lanes, and paved so far. The people live in great overtly here. Ninety percent live on the equivalent of one dollar 

Per day. They smile at us as we pass by, and seem happy to seea bus full of about 20 people passing by. We are a majority of women with 2 men. One of the men is a guy named John, an ear nose and throat surgeon from Seattle. The rest of us are mainly nurses and lab people. 

As we are driving, I see many bananas, this seems to be a main crop. Out here in the country, I wonder what their livelihood  is. I think they live off of their land -hunting, raising chickens, growing crops and selling whatever abundance they have. They are washing clothes down on the river. For lunch we stopped at a pagoda type restaurant for more bread, cheese, jam and bananas. 

We are all tired... 

After much travel we have arrived. 

I am in my cabin, my roomate is from London and is a pediatric nurse in her 50's, so a good match for me. My room is a cabin for two with the bathroom down the hallway. Many of the nurses are informs of six with two bathrooms. 

Yesterday was spent in orientation, hospital, regarding types of patients and charting and then hospital charting. I had to do a math test! The problems were like all of the math taught in the associates nursing program, so I'm glad I know how to do my math. The type of questions were safe dose range, drip factors mcg to mg, and those types of problems. 

I learned also that the lab is also the blood bank. The crew is asked, if they desire to donate blood for the patients. Many of the patients come and are malnourished and anemic and need blood before surgery. Many of them need extensive surgery and need this boost before they can be done. 

The surgeries for these next few weeks are plastic surgery, cleft palates, lips, large rumors and many burns. From campfires. 

That's all for now, please feel free to Facebook me or email me at jesser40@yahoo.com

My first day of work is tomorrow! 

These are two of my fellow nurses. Beth from London and Marieka from the Netherlands at lunch yesterday. 

Although working on the mercy ship this blog is strictly my personal view and observations. None of this information is an official view of the mercy ship