This morning started off with some crepes and Nutella for breakfast. We left the Vijiji Hotel around 9:30 am and made our way to the TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks) headquarters. There we met with someone from the marketing department who shared more about what the organisation does. He spoke about their involvement in the World Travel Awards for Africa and explained how people can vote. One thing that stood out was when he said “Coming to Tanzania is like coming home” referring to the belief that humans originally came from Tanzania, although he jokingly told us not to fact-check him.
After the visit, I took my daily malaria pill like usual but not long after I started feeling off. We got on the bus to visit a local college where we were supposed to teach the students how to vote for TANAPA. The bus ride was bumpy and my nausea got worse. By the time we arrived I felt quite bad. sharp stomach pains, weakness and dizziness. I sat on the grass and felt like I was going to be sick. I didn’t think it was anything too bad but Jo and Charlotte said we should probably get me checked out at a hospital, just to be safe.
As strange as it sounds, part of me was curious to see what a hospital in Tanzania would be like. Though I didn’t think about it until the worst of the sickness passed. When we got there, they took me in immediately, which was a little bittersweet since others had been waiting longer. I was taken to a bed and waited for a bit before they came to run some tests. Charlotte and I made sure everything was clean and up to health standards, and honestly, the staff were so efficient. They even got my results back really fast. The doctor did laugh at our accents, but he was nice. Everything came back normal.
After an hour, we rejoined the group who’d been at a restaurant for lunch and went back to the hotel. I spent the rest of the day sleeping. Unfortunately, I threw up a few times later in the evening, but I wasn’t concerned. I just knew my body needed to rest and recover. Now i’m getting ready to sleep hoping i feel better in the morning.
Goodnight. Wish me luck.
