Welcome to Africa: The Flu and Acid Bugs

On my second week in Africa I didn’t receive the warmest of greetings! I ended up with the flu on Monday night, and I spent almost five days in bed! It is amazing how large the ship appeared on the first day of arrival. After being cooped up in my room for several days with only briefly getting out of my cabin, the ship started to feel a bit smaller with not having many places to go where I wasn’t going to infect someone else! I am glad to report that I am doing better with each passing day, and I’m back to work on night shifts this weekend.

One advantage to having a cabin on the lower decks of the ship is there are no windows! It is great for sleeping when working night shifts or being sick in bed. After awhile though, you need to get outside to see the sunlight. There are lots of chairs on the top decks, and there is even a pool on Deck 8.

WATCH OUT FOR THE ACID BUGS! I’ve recently discovered these new little flying insects here in Africa which are attracted to artificial light! I’ve only encountered them on Deck 7 and 8 of the ship. They do not bite, but you must be careful because the Acid Bug releases a toxin which causes inflammation and blistering to that area on the skin! So you have to keep a watchful eye when venturing outside on the ship decks!



The "ACID BUG"