Day One I went out as soon as I arrived. I slathered my skin with repellent over my sunscreen.
During the day there aren't many if any mosquitoes, so on Day Two I literally just applied sunscreen and went out.
When I got back at night I had to clear my room from mosquitoes.
I took my shoes and pretty much swatted them when I could. I inspected my bed like a madwoman several times and took down the mosquito net and inspected my bed and net one more time before I decided to call it a day.
I did put some repellent on my skin again (feet, arms, neck, face and forehead). Hey it doesn't smell nice and my eyes feel slightly irritated, but it does work.
I'm not on holiday to get sick. At all. Daily I've been taking supplements and my malaria prophylaxis.
This one night I woke up to buzzing at about 5am-ish. I was annoyed. I knew the mosquito was fighting to suck my blood. So after some major erratic movements with my blanket I was desperate for it to go. So I put on my artificial flashlight (my iPhone 'flashlight') and quickly got up out of bed to grab my repellent and slather it where required.
While scanning my room for the repellent, I found a cockroach, almost the size of the inside of my hand excluding the fingers, on the dresser.
My heart sank.
I didn't have many crazy encounters with bugs in Africa so far but this was something else. I found my repellant and with quickness I got back into bed. I could not believe what I had seen.
The buzzing of the mosquito calmed down and it became the least of my worries. The loud, big cockroach became the centre of my concern. The way it was loud!
I covered myself in my bathrobe and blanket and wrote this post, desperate for it to be sunrise.
In the morning I was tired as hell. I didn't sleep for about three hours in the morning because of the loud mosquito buzzing. My cousin was asking me why I was still asleep and I told him about the mosquito buzzing.
Later on my other cousin arrived and sorted my room out. I haven't been (pun alert) bugged by mosquitoes since.
However, I missed a dose on Wednesday so thought on Thursday morning, 'let me just take the medication'. Mind you, I hadn't eaten and I only took it with a few sips of bottled water.
I was already feeling a little sick to my stomach. However, a good ten minutes later the medication made me feel worse so I decided to lie down. Another ten minutes later I had to rush to the bathroom. I was violently sick.
I refreshed myself and decided to just eat a few biscuits and wash it down with water. I sat up in bed for a while but had to rush to the bathroom again because I was getting ill yet again.
I ended up cancelling my day, spending most of my time napping in bed trying to get well.
I learned my lesson.
Saturday I went to spend the night away from home and took some of my anti-malaria medication with me. I had about two tablets with me.
Sunday I became trapped because of the unrest in Juba; I was first stuck in a hotel and then the place I was only meant to be staying at for two nights.
I missed my malaria prophylaxis for about two to three nights. I was getting concerned. I couldn't get the rest of the prophylaxis and my stuff because parts of the city was unsafe. I tried to survive on my repellent as much as possible as well as inspecting the inside of my net and slaying any mosquitoes I would see.
Now I have definitely become accustomed to living life in a malaria zone. Before I go to bed I always put on repellant and I take my prophylaxis right after I eat. I even take it about six hours apart from my supplements as some minerals such as iron found in supplements can inhibit absorption.
The sound of mosquitoes is still incredibly annoying and the only two remedies that works for me is either,
1) kill them,
Or
2) get so tired and pass out.
The buzzing is still an issue, for the most part, but I will survive. Let's hope tonight is a great one.
