“The Apocalypse” – Seasons & Bugs

The second day we were in country, we experienced our first monsoon. I mentioned to a friend that if the same thing had happened in the states, everyone would think it was the Apocalypse. We were sitting under a hangar having some of our first introductions when the sky started to turn red from a dust storm. I guess dust storms are typically more common in hot season, but we got to experience one now. The winds were really intense and the rain was like a torrent. It was a frighteningly beautiful experience to say the least.

There are three seasons in Niger – rainy season, cold season, and hot season. We are currently in rainy season, so there is more green in this country that anyone expected. Right now farming is very prevalent – with the main crop being millet, a pretty bland grain that they manage to eat at every meal. We’re lucky because we get mangoes right now, but it’s a treat that won’t last very long. Along with the mangoes, we have lots of fun creatures that like to come out to play during the rainy season. My first encounter was rounding the corner of a building and seeing these massive, brightly-colored lizards scurry across the wall. So lizards here are equivalent to squirrels at home. The second night I was here, I came across a chariot spider. It was about the size of my fist and it ran (really fast) across the wall in a room I was standing in. I found out the reason they call it a chariot spider is because scorpions will jump on the spider’s back and ride them places…Seriously. I have yet to see that happen, but I’m sure it will be a sight worth blogging about. Our latrine is covered in cockroaches (basically at night) and we have a “cuzu” who lives in our hut (that’s Hausa for mouse – we figured that out when our host mom went running after the cuzu with a gardening hoe), but they don’t really bother me as much as they do some of the others in stage. Mosquitoes pretty much leave alone, but due to the rainy season, we have a massive infestation of bed bugs. My poor roommate was almost eaten alive for the first three weeks, and they started on me for about a week before our beds were finally changed out. We think the problem is at a standstill for the moment (knock on wood).

I was given some excellent advice that came in the form of an anonymous note on the first day of training. It said “If there is lightening in the East, take your bed down and sleep inside. If there is lightning in the North, South, or West, sleep outside and enjoy the show.” Due to that, I have been able to predict some of the crazy weather patterns here in Niger. Luckily everyone prays to the East (towards Mecca) so I have my directions down pretty well.

Cold season starts around November – which is exciting because we will be swearing in on September 11th and we will be at post (our individual villages) for what is considered the most comfortable of all seasons. I believe that it actually gets as low as the 40s at night in the coldest part of the season. Peace Corps Volunteers have told me they still sleep outside at night. We’ll see how that goes. During hot season, there are temperatures that reach an upwards of 120 degrees – so I don’t believe I’ll be sleeping inside from March until July.