Catherine didn’t feel well enough to attend school today, so we visited the HealthLink clinic in East Legon. The pediatrician was kind and thorough, ordering several lab tests. Fortunately, the results were fine; nothing seems to be awry. The only suspicious reading was low blood pressure. Catherine needs to work harder to keep hydrated. Thankfully, she perked up this afternoon, and I expect she’ll be ready for school tomorrow. The visit to the clinic consumed our entire morning, though.
In addition to hydration, she needs something with electrolytes, like Pedialyte but more palatable. The doctor’s prescription? “More coconut.” (Apparently, there are several health benefits.) So, we stopped at a coconut stand, and Catherine watched the vendor open the fruit with a machete. She enjoyed both the milk and the meat.
There is no shortage of entertainment on the roads of Accra. On the way to pick up Mark from school, we passed a scrap truck. With a little enterprise, a whole lot of stuff can be crammed onto a flatbed. Bonus points to the guy who used the scrap itself to form the sides of his lorry!
Later, while waiting at a traffic light, we witnessed a breakdown on the opposite side of the street. A navy blue Land Rover stopped dead in the worst possible place: a single-lane portion of the road bounded by rather tall curbs. I saw the incident develop and alerted the kids. We watched and wondered what would happen. What would you do if you were stuck behind the broken-down Land Rover?
Every car, taxi, and tro-tro, without exception, made its way up and over the curb and onto the sidewak as the driver fixed the flat!
—Matt
