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Since the beginning of our trip we've dreaded malaria. Today we learned the first of our group went down with it. The person who caught malaria, Norman, a Scotsman, had been feeling ill for days and finally decided to get checked for malaria. He went into a dilapidated clinic in Man for a blood test. After the blood test proved positive, he stayed in the clinic for treatment - a quinine drip and a lot of sleep. Everyone wished him well ( One of the group members stayed behind with him and they will catch up to us in a few days time if he gets better). We're surprised Norman caught malaria since he had been fastidious about wearing insect repellant and long-sleeved clothes despite the stifling heat. It showed us that we're all vulnerable. Now some people are wearing bug nets over their heads in the evening and night.
Man, sometimes called the city of 18 mountains, sits at the base of lush green hills. It's one of the best-looking inland towns of Cote d'Ivoire.
The life of our group, Neal Parker - 'Nellie' - gets a shave at the barbershop. They don't use shaving cream out here, so it's not a pleasant experience. What can you expect from a place where boys are circumcised without anesthesia?
Jill prefers her blender and microwave to this contraption.
We see millet, like the kind carried around in this basket, everywhere in West Africa. The women pound it into flour with mortar and pestle and then make porridge, bread, or even beer.