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Imma goin to Kenya and Tanzania--Advice?
Scalfin
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Hey guys. I'm studying abroad fall semester with this program. My group will start in Tanzania and finish in Kenya. I'm not sure where I'll be spending the midterm break. During the term, I'll be staying at field stations in the ass end of nowhere, with a day off every week to visit the nearby rural towns (one for each country).
I've already heard that the weekly malaria pills will fuck me up (I've heard everything from inability to sleep due to intense dreams to complete mental breakdown, depending on vulnerability), so I know to take the daily ones. I've also been notified that Kenyans will accost you to give you high fives if you wear any Obama paraphernalia and love Americans as long as they don't reveal McCain support. One claim I've heard is that pre-paid phone minutes are the fiat money of choice is sub-saharan Africa.
I also wouldn't mind some clothing advice, as adult Kenyans follow the British custom of never wearing shorts, so ideal materials and cuts would be appreciated. I've gathered that linen blends would probably be ideal, although I am fond of pique. I've also concluded that dress shirts would probably be best because they cover the skin and are made of light materiel, although my knowledge of clothing types is fairly limited.
So, what advice have you, Penny Arcade?
I've already heard that the weekly malaria pills will fuck me up (I've heard everything from inability to sleep due to intense dreams to complete mental breakdown, depending on vulnerability), so I know to take the daily ones. I've also been notified that Kenyans will accost you to give you high fives if you wear any Obama paraphernalia and love Americans as long as they don't reveal McCain support. One claim I've heard is that pre-paid phone minutes are the fiat money of choice is sub-saharan Africa.
I also wouldn't mind some clothing advice, as adult Kenyans follow the British custom of never wearing shorts, so ideal materials and cuts would be appreciated. I've gathered that linen blends would probably be ideal, although I am fond of pique. I've also concluded that dress shirts would probably be best because they cover the skin and are made of light materiel, although my knowledge of clothing types is fairly limited.
So, what advice have you, Penny Arcade?
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Apperantly, there will be an open-air shower. No laundry, though, so no white clothing for me. I've actually worked with capuchins before, although they were sort of trained and kept in parrot cages.
For skin tone, I wouldn't be surprised if I could blend a little, at least passing as north African (although full-blooded African is totally impossible), as I tan incredibly easily and darkly. During the winter, there is a very distinct difference between my torso and my extremities. During the summer, not shaving for two weeks results in a farmer's tan on my face, even though my facial hair is not very thick no matter how long it grows.
dressing smart is the thing to do. Long, unlined linen trousers, long or short-sleeved shirts, a zipped top for if it gets a bit chilly (and it can do).
People are usually very, very friendly as long as you are friendly too. Learn basic greetings in the local languages (hello, goodbye, how are you, etc).
You may well come across groups of street kids begging. I know it hurts, but try not to give them money.
Make sure you have an unlocked phone and then buy a MTN sim card at the first opportunity - the airport will probably have a place. It can be used all across southern Africa and you should be able to buy local top-up cards (double check with the retailer before buying one, but this certainly was the case a couple of years ago).
Don't flash the wealth. What you consider a small amount of money could be more than an average day's wage.
US dollars (cash) are the best currency to take. You should be able to change it at any bank in a major town for local currency.
Take some hand wash liquid/powder with you so you can wash your clothes. They will probably dry in less than a day.
(more as I think of them)
Actually, the malaria pills problem is more complex. The major ones on offer in this country are:
Lariam (mephloquine) - is effective over most areas, is a weekly pill, but causes neurological problems (from minor ones such as headaches to major ones such as psychosis) in around 25% of people.
Malarone (atovaquone + proguanil) - is effective over most areas, is a weekly and daily combination, but causes minor problems (inability to sleep, stomach problems, sickness etc) in a higher percentage of people (around 50% from personal observation of a 100+ sample size).
Chloroquine (chloroquine) - is vulnerable to increasingly resistant strains of malaria in many areas, but is safer and has less side effects than either of the above.
The obvious choice is usually Chloroquine, but this may be negated by the area you are travelling to (find out if Kenya is a resistant area, probably from a secondary source other than your doctor who may be locked into delivering certain types of anti-malarial by HMO or policy). The safest non-psycho choice between the other two is Malarone. However, I would suggest that being crippled by minor illness caused by pills you have to take daily is more likely to either a) ruin your trip, or b) make you stop taking the pills, meaning c) catching malaria. A 25% problem with Lariam (which as a weekly pill you aren't going to forget to take, another problem with dailies) is still a 75% relatively problem free time.
It's a judgement call, but I've taken Lariam several times with no problems, and I've been made to take Malarone (with the military, where flipping out and guns are generally frowned on) at other points with significant problems, and seen the same among others, to the point where they just stopped taking the drug.
Whatever you take, do not miss a cycle. Moreover, make sure you confer with your doctor and ask them how long you have to keep taking the meds after you leave the malarial area. With some of them, you can stop... but with others, you have to keep cycling because malaria takes about a week and a half to activate after you've been infected and those pills only kill the active parisites.
While no substitute for a prophylaxis, you can also buy clothes that are impregnated with permethrin or even wash permethrin into the clothes. (The impregnated version lasts much, much longer.... ~50 washings vs 5~6)