In Lagos

[Darcy]

Isn't there a vaccine for malaria now?

If so that will make this discussion dumb.

Not necessarily dumb, but not up to date. The vaccines are relatively new and I've no idea if you can get them in the west, but apparently they are being rolled out across Africa:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria_vaccine

I forgot but yeah, I did hear something about it. Quick google search, very good news: https://www.who.int/news/item/02-10-2023-who-recommends-r21-matrix-m-vaccine-for-malaria-prevention-in-updated-advice-on-immunization

[Kurt]

Back.

Got a chest infection from the Sahel winds just blowing bacteria everywhere. My Doctor in Lagos (Yaba area) is really good. I recommend St. Luke's Hospital (like a clinic actually) for just random Lagos shit that you pick up.

The biggest danger is roads. With a white guy in the car no one can stay in one place too long but a crash or a breakdown is even worse. Next biggest danger is herdsmen. So there I was, in a city with a population of 15 million (most likely more) driving around looking for land we had purchased and next thing you know I am smack dab in the middle of about 100 cows.

Ha ha, typical third-world-shit with cows in a city right? Well, normally if they are being driven to market it is typical but these were driven to grazing land (our plot) and the dudes who brought them there are fleeing the Sahel for pastures, armed and believe that God told them to move their cows there. If you grab a rush and switch one out of the way you will get shot. If your car gets to close to them the herdsmen will claim you hit one and demand payment and then you will probably die anyway.

Avoid cows in West Africa. Seriously avoid them. Do not fuck with cows ever unless you paid for them at a Suya stand or at Burger King. I can totally see a whole bunch of missionaries from the West dying because they took selfies with cows.

At MMIA I saw a Fulani herdsman right outside the airport, talking to security guards. He had an AK-47 strapped on and was in full garb, straw hat and all. This would be akin to having a fully decked out Militia member in the US hanging out at JFK chatting with the TSA. I would have taken a picture but Africa + Airport + Noticing Something = Getting tossed in jail forever and / or having my Igbo family suffer retaliation. So no photo of that guy.

But more photos and film of the World's Most Dangerous Cows will be up soon.

[ReptilianKittenEater]

Look forward to some pics

[Ozymandias]

That sounds like quite an adventure Kurt, look forward to the pictures!

When I first moved to Africa (Sudan) in 2005 or 2006 I read all the horror stories about Malaria so I started taking Doxycycline. I look back in horror now at how many months straight I would go taking it every day. I didn't get any of the side effects like nausea or sun-sensitivity, but it's an antibiotic so taking it long-term has the same effects as any other: potentially messing up your digestive tract, turning you into a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria etc. I came off it in Angola and immediately caught Malaria, pretty badly! But since then I've never taken Malaria prophylaxis, and never caught it again. I'm not even particularly careful. The only time I take tablets to avoid Malaria now are on long expeditions (such as down the Kwanza in 2016 and down the Mangoky in 2022) where I cannot afford to get sick, and will be a long way from a hospital. Taking Doxycycline also has the other added benefit of reducing your chances of diarrhea and various other infections you might get from being on a dirty river for over a month.

As soon as there's a Malaria vaccine available on private health insurance, I'll be getting it. I've already had the Dengue vaccine as I live in a Dengue area and get munched all the time by mosquitoes.

[el3so]

But more photos and film of the World's Most Dangerous Cows will be up soon.

Good eating on them?