Langano

Langano.  I put two pictures in here, don't know if they will show or not.

 

From the top.  Wow, what a great trip.  We did manage to have Kim and Dan take our bags and jerry cans of water and food and all, and they even said that morning- do you guys want a ride?   We said, "No, we'll just take the bus!"  They thought we were crazy.  I was mostly worried about the 9 mile hike into Langano, but Brian was really excited about it.   We had this discussion on the bus- if we see a taxi, are we going to take it?  My theory was we should use a taxi to as far as we could!!   Brian thought walking sounded cool, and I kept telling him he was overestimating me!

 

Anyways, got on the bus near Stadium in Addis, waited about an hour for it to fill up (with all kinds of hard core bush/Awanno looking people), and then we actually made pretty good time down- about 4-4 ½ hours.   It took an extra half hour because we stopped for lunch in Zoway and as everyone was getting back on the bus, the bus lurched and the bus door slammed onto a girl's finger, and she was crying and crying, so of course the bus driver had to take across the way to the clinic!   So everyone got out and were milling around- actually we got going again in half an hour, so that wasn't so bad, after all.

 

We got out at "the red road"- turnoff to Langano- looks like the middle of the Sahara.  NOTHING.   So we started walking, Brian said he felt like we were in a movie or something.  Actually, we had walked probably 20 minutes when along comes this Land Cruiser, and here is Nancy saying she had to take someone to the hospital and she was on her way home!   We jumped in with her, and the big long hike ended up being a little too easy.

 

Langano- the station- is really spread out.  Takes a while to get from the clinic up to the missionary housing, and from the houses down to the beach.   We went swimming right away, the water felt great.  As it turned out, Brian camped by the beach, and I stayed in the short term house with Joan.   The whole time was really great- I "worked" (mostly observed) in the clinic for two mornings, and in the afternoons we swam and fished and watched the hippo.   (sweet!  We saw the hippo).

 

The clinic was kindof depressing.  I just know clinics.  Similar to Awanno- Nancy is kindof burned out now, so she is continually frustrated with the Ethiopian staff, and what isn't being done right, etc.   I was there for the morning of obstetric prenatal day, and I actually liked that.  My job was fundal height, Doppler heart tones, and leopolds.   I think my leopolds improved in that one day, one baby I felt and said, I think this one is breech, what do you think?  Nancy agreed with me. This is the Langano clinic.  Sure looks like a clinic in the middle of Africa!!

 

So, it was great.  Campfires at night, gorgeous stars, all the guards saying, "whoa, you speak Oromo!!"   I went visiting one day, went into one house, then got served dinner at a funeral.  All by myself, too, it is easy enough to have simple conversations in Oromo.   This is Arsi Oromo, but not too different from Jimma Oromo.

 

I had a good talk with Kim this morning- she likes being in the clinic best, and wants to develop the community health more, so that is where she envisions me.   I can see community more than I can clinic for myself, so I liked hearing that.  She said maybe you can help out in the clinic just on the busy days.  

 

Back in Addis.  Today was sort of long and hard.  I suppose it is the same feeling again- floating around HQ.   At least this time I don't have too much down time- I am leaving tomorrow for Butajira with the Venture College Group.

 

Nebiyu said if I want, they will make a trip to Awanno with me.  If I wasn't here, they wouldn't go, but some of the Awanno staff would make the trip up here.   The weight of that decision seems so hard!  I wish I didn't have to go just me with some Ethiopians.  I wish Brian, or Denise, or Gi-Yeung could go.  Maybe something would work out, but I will probably have to tell him before I know how everything will work out.   When/if I come back next year, the SIM contract will be over in Awanno, might be even harder to go.  I don't know.

 

So, off to bed.  I am all packed and ready for the next trip.