Vanuatu

If all mosquitoes were idiots, would malaria be a problem? We had a briefing today on Malaria and the chemical preventative options available (medicines).  We watched a short video on the seriousness of malaria and the importance of taking the meds.  It was convincing.  Non-chemical options revolve around not getting bitten in the first place.  Makes you understand why some humans are seriously considering attempting to completely eradicate the mosquito . The life cycle of the malaria parasite is much more complex than I'd imagined.  There are probably some good Youtube videos on the subject (the bandwidth here isn't good enough for me to watch). Mefloquine may be taken weekly, which is convenient.  Some users report strange psychological effects, such as vivid dreams.  That may not sound like much, but they're troubling enough that they stop taking mefloquine. Malarone and doxycycline are the other two,and both are taken daily.  Ma...

I've joined the Peace Corps and have been assigned to the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu . My group! Vanuatu Peace Corps Volunteers, Group 29. We arrived in Vanuatu last night, Monday, April 17, 2017, touching down at 7:45pm.  It took about 42 hours of travel and airport delays to get here.  Long day, but other than the delays everything went well and everyone was in a good mood anyway. This is the Fiji airport (NADI). One vol. suggests keeping a pillow on your backpack for airport delays. Long layover at the Fiji airport. The Vanuatu International Airport at night, from the tarmac. I think we were all blown away by the greeting we received at the airport last night.  I mean, we were dazed after 40+ hours of travel, but still.  The PC staff, which consists of both local staff and US staff and volunteers, overwhelmed us with joyful and enthusiastic greetings.  One woman wrapped a colorful cloth around my waist (we all got one) and told...