The equatorial storm is like none other. When it rains in the Congo jungle, it absolutely chucks it down. The thunder doesn’t clap here, it bellows with a rage only Mother Nature could muster. Lightning splits the thick cloud in two with an electric purple. Once the rain stops and the skies begin to clear, you get this picturesque jungle landscape where dense clouds of steam cling onto the thick canopy overhead. Different shades of green emanate from the interlocking leaves and branches, still shiny and wet from the downpour. The wet season is now beginning in the North and this morning it rained for hours. It changed the climate completely, cooling the air right down to the point where I was almost chilly for the first time in three weeks.

Finally, a long-awaited delivery of medical gear arrived for the eye clinic after spending two weeks clearing the chaos of Congolese customs and being held in Brazzaville. I drove with Henri to the airport to pick up the boxes, which were passed through a hole in the wall onto a derelict old conveyor belt which, I am told, sometimes works.

The small airport was alive with the comings and goings of those wealthy enough to afford to fly to the capital; mainly governors and their families, and the odd business man. As we waited to see if our boxes were there, I stood around and watched the colorfully clothed people greeting each other with African finesse. Elaborate handshakes, lout shouts and the odd gentle, endearing head butt. England needs more of this. ‘Customs’ is a thin, scratch-covered, plastic screen with a small door manned by two police men picking people at random to search. The military and the police are everywhere here, swaggering around with an air of authoritative bravado, their guns and berets fashionably donned. They are not to be messed with, as it is well known they can make your life a whole lot more difficult.

We have received news that the YAG laser, used for laser eye surgery, is due to arrive on 6^th September in Brazzaville. This is another step forward for the clinic, and it will hopefully open a new door for the patients in need of eye treatment.

Guest Blog By

Rowan Cassels-Brown
New Sight Summer Intern

Filed under: Musings, Living in Congo, Developing countries

0 COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Post A Comment

Name
Email
Email
Comment
Please enter the text you see in the image above. (This is just so we know that you're human.)	Can't read this image? Click SUBMIT for a new image.