Slept in a bit on Saturday. I awoke just in time for a quick breakfast at 7:45 followed by a two-hour hike up a nearby mountain. This was the hike we had planned early on Thursday morning but did not have time to make. There really is no trail, but we began just behind reservoir number one with the lead person hacking away with a machete at the tall grass. The area is also farmed, so now and then we came across patches of various plants – mostly cassava. We eventually made it to the base of the mountain and began our trek upward. The mountain is basically one big rock/boulder so at time we had to navigate steep inclines without anything to hold on to. Going down the one steep area was quite fun. Some still walked, other scooted along on their back side, and I opted for a crab walk. From the top (and various spots along the way) we had nice views of the surrounding mountains, town of Egbe, and the reservoirs. This really is a beautiful area!
After the hike we headed back to the hospital compound for a snack and then were off to the market. The market evidently moves around in this region and is in Egbe every eight days. This week is was on Saturday, so next week it will be on Sunday, etc. I took lots of pictures – being sure to avoid Muslims or at least their not seeing me. They had small electronics (radios, flashlights, etc.), tomatoes, yams, onions, fresh meat (well somewhat fresh), clothes (pants, shoes, shirts, cloth, etc.), jewelry, live chickens and goats, and some packaged foods/snacks. You can also buy rice (expensive in comparison to Ilorin), pampers (small assortment), and they have beef and chicken bouillon cubes.
We came back to the compound for lunch – ended up eating around 1pm. After that we broke to do some more work. I ended up beginning the engraving process on the tools. They have this little tool with a stencil and vibrates away metal or plastic to essentially carve letters – we are putting EHR (Egbe Hospital Revitalization). Abby came by after a while and asked if I wanted to go into town to get minerals (soft drinks) and to see the one grocery store in town. Minerals come in glass bottles (although can are available). You put a deposit on the bottles initially and then just get the same ones the next time you go back. So, if you have a case of 24, you return the empty bottles and then just purchase another 24 drinks. The deposit is returned only when you return the empty bottles for the last time. We went by the grocery store but it was closed – probably since the market is in town. Back to the compound I did some more engraving and we eventually stopped to rest a bit before dinner.
After dinner I headed over to the computer lab to do a few things. Showered and read some before bed – actually dozed off while reading!
McAlhaneys on Mission 