Reindeer in Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle, Finland

Photo taken in early January 2002 just before Pammie came down with malaria for the first time....and no, I didn't get the malaria in Finland, I got bit by a bad, bad mozzie in Tanzania, but didn't get the symptoms for another five days. I remember when and where I got bit (New Year's Eve, next to the pool at the Safari Bar, Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, Tanzania), and even on which body part (left shoulder) and the shirt I was wearing (funkadelic 70's look blue stripey number, I still have it).


At first I thought I was being a drama queen when I came down with the classic symptoms: alternating shivers then heat flushes, aching body, waking up in pools of sweat on a winter morning in the Arctic circle, etc (I did not get other classic symptoms such as painful hair and wrists). But I was determined to go on the two day husky dog safari I had signed up on. Just look at those guys up there, they couldn't wait to go. I was exhausted just from walking. I managed to last about thirty minutes on the trail till finally I told the leader I had to stop. He instantly whipped out his Nokia, and dialled up a snow mobile to take me back to the lodge, complete with an old mama dog to sit on my feet to keep them warm.

I treated myself in my room with the medication I always carry with me, and the lodge people checked on me every once in a while, to make sure I didn't die and cause them any unnecessary paperwork. Eventually my tour mates returned and I had dinner with them in the evenings. They were concerned about malaria being contagious. I coughed into my hand and said malaria wasn't contagious, that it was spread by mosquitoes. They said what if a mosquito bit me, then bit them? I said that was highly unlikely seeing as how it was in the middle of winter and we were north of the Arctic circle. And not to worry anyways as malaria is carried by a particular brand of mosquito that they didn't have there.

I figured a sauna was out of the question, seeing as how my liver was probably having a tough enough time as it was!