2 weeks to go

I leave for Africa 2 weeks from today and I think my preparations are complete. Yesterday I received my last shot, for Yellow Fever. I needed proof of vaccination in order to enter The Gambia.

This was the only shot that hurt, both financially and physically. It wasn't covered under the healthcare or my prescription plan so I had to pay for both a consultation, which consisted of a 5 minute talk with the doctor, beginning with "Why would you want to go to Sénégal?". The cost: $100. Then I got the shot itself which cost another $125. I am not generally squeamish when it comes to shots but this one was really painful. After the pain itself went away, I felt flu-ish and went home. Today, the flu-like symptoms are gone but I am feeling arthritic-like muscle and joint pain. The symptoms are supposed to pass in a day or two unless I am "on steroids, HIV positive, pregnant, trying to make someone pregnant or on chemotherapy" in which case the shot could kill me. Fortunately, I am none of the above.

He did give me a good pamphlet on what to watch out for regarding food and water. I already figured I would stick to bottled water, even to wash my face/hair and brush my teeth with, but the tips on avoiding dairy, fish and meat that isn't very well cooked right before I eat it, ice cubes, and fresh fruit that doesn't have a thick skin are all good advice. I may try to find a supermarket and buy packaged food from France. I have CIPRO for "traveller's trots" in any case.

I have bought lots of bug spray with 40% DEET, sunscreen and mosquito netting. I have a small but bright LED camping lantern for the frequent power cuts, a small flashlight, a small shortwave radio for company in the evenings (Love ya BBC!), luggage locks and cables for security and a money belt. I have a Canon 12MP camera and tripod and a backup camera with 3 batteries each as well as two 16GB memory cards, an alarm clock, pens, 240V power converter and surge protector and my travel book. I have hand sanitizer creme, chlorine pills, antiseptic and Malarone for Malaria, which I have to start taking 3 days before I leave.

I have €1500 in traveler's cheques and have their numbers listed, along with a scanned image of my passport and driver's licence in an encrypted file I emailed to myself so I can access from any computer in case they are lost and I need to replace them. I have a secure VISA card with $2000 limit as back up; if anyone gets the number and tries to commit fraud, they won't have access to my regular bank account. (I have to remember that there are about 650 CFA francs to the Euro when I get the traveler's cheques exchanged.)

I talked to someone who lived in Sénégal for 3 years and found out that there may be a bigger language barrier than I thought. My Québécois French is passable and I have no trouble understanding Parisian French, but Sénégalese French may be another matter altogether. Even he had trouble, though he studied in Paris for many years and is completely bilingual. I should also learn a phrase or two in Wolof, the local language. I guess there will be lots of pointing and nodding.

When I asked about safety, he said it probably isn't much more violent than a major American city, but watch out for pickpockets and crazy drivers. He also said that it was often difficult to tell who was being friendly and who was trying to separate you from your money and possessions, either by nefarious means or by trying to help you for a fee even if you don't need it. It is better to err on the side of caution. You may not make a new friend but you also won't lose your stuff. Sad, that.

I have also been looking at the weather. Dakar's daily temperatures seem to be around 28-34 degrees centigrade, or in the 80s-90s using the old scale.