When I was 19 years old and studying in East Africa (mainly Kenya), I "apprenticed" with a local healer on the island of Lamu. (an incredible place to visit, highly recommend it). What that meant was that I went to his clinic every day and watched while he talked(in Swahili) to locals that came in and prescribed herbs for their ailments. All the herbs grew on the island. There was also a German student also doing research for his P.hd. Anyhow, I got head lice.
Ever had head lice?? It's horrible stuff. I was bright enough to actually think that I could drown them out in the ocean. I went swimming every day and stayed under water for as long as I possibly could and thought, today's the day they will drown.
Of course, this did not work. I was SO committed to not using any chemicals on my body (meanwhile being exposed to all sorts of second hand chemicals and pollution), that rather than using the 24 hour kill all your lice head spray, I used this local doctors remedy. This took one month and I had to sleep every night with this very aromatic herbal concoction on my head while wrapped in a towel!
At the end of my apprenticeship, the doctor strongly urged me to get married to a local man because that would provide me with better housing (no head lice in the local housing) and I would NOT have to convert to Islam! What a relief! (In Islamic culture, if a non-muslim woman marries a muslim man, she does not have to convert. But,if a non-muslim man marries a muslim women, he MUST convert) Interesting fact to know for all you single women out there who may be traveling to the coast of E. Africa!!
Lesson learned: sometimes the fast approach to health cures is the best approach!
