Living and dying in the Sahel

sahel

Dehydration has been a major issue for us ever since we came into the Sahel.  This is a transition area between tropical areas in the south and the great Sahara Desert to the north.  I don’t think I’ve ever been in a place this dry.  Three liters of water today…still getting dehydrated.  It’s not even the hot season here, and we still struggle being out between noon and two.

IMG_3254 1Photo by Zeke du Plessis

We’ve been making rehydration drinks, but the drinks taste like sea water. Yuck!  However, a 1.5 liter hydration drink and a 2 hour nap has been our solution to our dehydration daze.  It’s a harsh environment, at least for us.  I feel like I’d die in the heat of the hot season.  My lips are peeling off.  My skin feels scaly.  I have a headache. My eyes look glazed. I need water. I need sleep.

But, at night the sky is amazing.  The stars–I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many.  They are so bright.  Is that a planet?  Mars has never looked so red. I think I see a satellite–yes, I think I can distinguish the difference between God and man’s creations in this sky.   The air is cool at night.  I have to wear a sweater.  We eat outside on a mat each night after dark.  I finish my food, and I look up.  I can’t stop looking at the sky.  I’m returning to my hut, and  I’m still looking at the sky.  Wow, God–I’ve never enjoyed your cosmic lights like this before.  I look back up–Orion’s belt has moved.  It’s the only constellation I recognize here. I’ve never noticed how it moves before.  I feel alive.

Read someone else’s thoughts on this area.

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24

01 2010

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  1. Tim #
    1

    Welcome to the sahel, Heather. If you start getting headaches that don’t seem to go away, that can be from dehydration. If I ever wake up with a headache, it is almost ALWAYS that. They make “sels de rehydration” that you can buy in the pharmacy for 40 cents or so.
    Mix them with water and some koolaid-like substance for flavor. They do the trick!

    If it is any comfort, Dec and January are the worst times. I take a bottle to bed with me and ALWAYS wake up parched.

  2. Kathryn #
    2

    Thanks for your entry…I’m passing your website address along to my husband as he teaches a course on the history of Africa. He’ll enjoy your posts!



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