Well, after the wonderful anniversary, I started my three-day work weekend; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Here is the port in which we are currently docked:
Saturday, after work, Joe and I were invited to go for a scenic drive with some friends who rented a car for the weekend. I thought since this would be my only weekend in Tenerife, I should take advantage despite my tired state. We simply picked a road and drove for several hours:
We stopped an interesting lookout point. I am not really sure what the buildings were originally. One of our friends thought it was a military base many, many years ago. The view was certainly stunning!
We drove further along the road, then chose a smaller road to follow. The road was narrow. So narrow, in fact, we had to back up and find an open parallel parking space to make room for an upcoming bus. We stopped at the end of the road which was in the middle of a small town, Igueste de San Andres, nestled into the side of the mountain.
I could seriously live here! The weather was perfect, the company wonderful.
On Monday morning (August 11), we had the other mandatory meeting. Thursday's meeting is usually a community meeting - worship and speaker. Monday's is a communications meeting - providing information to us that we will need for the week.
This particular Monday, the Managing Director (MD) shared some news that significantly impacts us. The sail date to Benin is delayed. We are supposed to leave this Friday, August 15. However, we will not be leaving until August 29. The International Management Team (IMT), or (as I call them) the higher-ups, want more time in order to evaluate the Ebola situation that is going on in west Africa. Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Nigeria all have confirmed cases of Ebola. As of the 11th, there are two suspected cases of Ebola in Benin. Blood samples have been sent to Europe for confirmation. There are confirmed cases in Nigeria at this time, but all are traced directly back to the American that flew into the Lagos airport from Liberia. No new cases have appeared. But still, the Nigerian border is less than 50 miles from our marina, and the borders are not tightly controlled as they are in the U.S.A.
The main concern for the IMT is the safety of the ship. The Africa Mercy is not equipped to handle cases of Ebola. Treating Ebola requires specialized equipment and training, neither of which we possess. We are a hospital ship equipped for certain types of surgeries. Unfortunately, many people are likely to show up who do not understand the difference. We are more likely to be putting ourselves at risk than helping the situation. I have included Mercy Ship's official statement at the end of this blog.
In other news, we have finally gotten our refrigerator and TV for the room! No, we will not have access to actual TV channels. The TV will only be used for movies. Both bring a sense of normalcy and home to our little cabin. But we have still not gotten our third bag yet from the airline. We have been trying to call, without success. The Purser's office will now be making inquires on our behalf, as we have been unable to reach any employee by telephone. It's now been just over a week without this bag!!
Here is Mercy Ship's official statement:
As its hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, prepares to leave for its ten-month mission to perform life-changing surgeries and train local healthcare professionals in Benin, West Africa, Mercy Ships continues to be acutely aware of the Ebola situation in the region. The organization is taking appropriate steps to protect its volunteers and staff. In April, Mercy Ships redirected its upcoming mission from Guinea to Benin out of caution for the safety of its crew. Benin has no reported cases of Ebola.
The Africa Mercy is the world's largest civilian hospital ship, designed to operate as a surgical specialty hospital. It is not configured to provide the type of treatment required by Ebola patients. In addition to having changed its itinerary, Mercy Ships has also implemented strict travel restrictions to the affected areas and will continue to monitor the situation closely, making programmatic adjustments as needed.
Founder Don Stephens commented, “The well-being of our patients and dedicated crew is our greatest priority. It is fundamental to our continued service to the forgotten poor in Africa. Our prayers go out for the countries impacted by Ebola. These are places and people we know well because we have served them in multiple visits over more than two decades.”
We will continue to update you...
More pictures please!
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