Rub a dub dub....

I took my first shower yesterday. Yes…I spent 4 full days in the Sahara, trudging in the hot sun through goat herds and clouds of dust, without a shower. That is about par for the course—I was told to expect a shower once every 4-6 days.

How does a shower here look, you ask? Let me set the scene: A 6x6 ft sand-brick shanty/outhouse with a sandy cement floor. At one wall is a ceramic tile with a hole in the middle. This is the toilet, or “squatty potty”. Yeah, it does smell, if you’re wondering.

A large bucket is filled with water from the large barrels that are trucked in by NGOs—there is not much to go around, so any sort of running water for a shower is out of the question. Instead, you fill the bucket with water and use a large cup to scoop the water out and pour it over your body, whilst standing near the “drain” (toilet).

It was a rather tedious process, and very chilly. ‘Washing’ my hair was particularly difficult…it’s not easy to rinse. However, it was the first time since I arrived that I got the chance to wash myself with water—for the most part, our hygienic routines consist of wet wipes. So, all things considered, it was quite a luxury, and I enjoyed it immensely.

I’m expecting that some of you are horrified. That’s okay…I might be dusty, but I feel alive. 