Chickungunya

Thought I should discuss chickungunya (lè chik as they call it here!) since Reunion is now famous for it!. Before we arrived they were recording around 4000 new cases per week, so we were a bit concerned to say the least! Now it is a 'mere' 1000 cases per week. I have been bitten by mozzies; its impossible to avoid and for the first week we were here I was paranoid that I had 'le chik' until my boss said that he gets bitten everyday! Its a very strange thing and they know very little about it. Some people have fever for a day and then that's it, no further problems, but others have a chronic form that is debilitating for years. I guess I'll just keep putting on the old 'Bushman's' for now!.....

Reunion Island impressions...

So, here is the first 'post' from Reunion! First impressions I must admit are mixed: the place is quite a mish-mash of experiences for the foriegner. The natural beauty of the island contrasts with the difficulty in getting things done on a daily basis. This is because the French administration system is archaic, chaotic and totally cruel to end-users. Just to post a letter requires a (minimum) of four people, eight verifiable identity documents and twelve weeks! More posts soon ...