Aug 13: George here...Melanie's husband. Some of you following this blog have noticed her absence for about the past week now, and have inquired of me or expressed concern for her. Much appreciated, and I want to take this opportunity to assure everyone that she's fine, but it has been a tough week for her. She started feeling a bit 'off her game' last Friday, and had planned to spend the weekend at a nearby hotel, where they have air conditioning and a restaurant with more western style food choices, hoping this would help restore her energy level. But by Saturday, she had become very ill, and decided to go to a clinic and see a doctor. She was promptly diagnosed with malaria, and began a very intense treatment. Four consecutive days of a 6 hour IV drip, and an 8 day course of pills. The IV treatments were at least in part to help keep her hydrated, as malaria throws off the body's sense of temperature, making you feel chills even in the hottest environments. She had to keep herself wrapped in blankets to fight the chills, while sweating out all the fluids. She was very sick for the first couple of days, and then began to improve. I could tell the difference in her voice each day as she got stronger. The doctor advised her to take it easy for awhile, that it would likely take a couple of weeks to regain her full strength. She can't blog from where she's staying, and must still do the walk (or boda) across town to the internet cafe, so it may be a few more days before she gets back into blog mode. So, please be patient, don't worry, and check back in a couple of days.