Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Better Living Through Chemistry

Travel is supposed to simplify things. Take only what you need, streamline your routine.

But here in this Entebbe motel, I take my shower with shower gel and conditioner, I swallow various antimalarial and other medications with bottled water, I clean my face with antibiotic-infused towelettes, I smush gel into my hair, I spray DEET-containing bug spray on my exposed skin and coat my lips with SPF 15 chapstick.

Then I program my travel clock, reset my watch, check my Ugandan cell phone and open up my laptop.

In The Gods Must Be Crazy, a single Coca-Cola bottle brings a Pandora’s box of humanity’s worst impulses to a formerly happy tribe.

Maybe someday I will get rid of everything and see if I get any happier.

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