"Africa's most African City"

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

Today as I was walking over the "Old Bridge" in Bamako I told to my new friend, Samatha from Seattle, "I don't know how I am going to be able to tell people back home about the things I see here."  Everything here is so raw....humanity at its purest and most basic.  They say that Bamako is the most African of all African cities...I am not sure what that really means...but I do marvel at and relish its people, their way of life and this grand, sprawling city made of mostly dusty red dirt roads and mud huts. 

I think I am finally hitting my African stride too.  I am definitely acclimating to the heat, humidity and general disorganization and chaos.  The bugs all even seem a little smaller and less annoying today.  It probably helps that I have a sound and firm itinerary for the rest of my trip....on that makes me very comfortable and accomplishes all my goals here.  It also helps that my Seattle friends will be with me for portions of this itinerary...I am enjoying their company and music savy.  In fact, we just got done spending about an hour in the little hut of a CD vendor....he played us all this wonderful Malian music.  We bought 8 CDs between the 3 of us for 30,000 CFAs...or $60.  Now I am back in the wonderfully bizarre Appaloosa restaurant...drinking a Cuba Libre and utilizing its free wi-fi (the wine in this bar SUCKS!  I even tried to see if they had other stuff for me, but alas they couldn't accomodate this wine snob....so I opted for a Caribbean specialty instead...it is good albeit a bit strong).  Quick interuption....my guide, Mo, just called to make sure I was okay and asked if I need a ride yet back to the hotel.  So nice! 

I wanted to get in pictures a good feeling of Bamako.  I don't think I quite accomplished it because the people I wanted to get pictures of bashfully declined....and I didn't press the issue.  Below are a few of the others I was able to get:

The above scene is a fairly typical...banana stand tended to by a women clad in her lovely pagne complete with the head tie.  Everyone carries EVERYTHING on their head.  A little boy with a big rubber tub on his head with a bunch of plastic cups and bowls that I could only assume he was going to sell stopped me to ask me for my bottle of water.  I gave it to him (apparently I don't look I have germs :) )...and hoped he would let me take his pic...wrong :(

This is the motorscooter "highway" by our hotel.  It runs parellel to the main road and comes complete with its own stop light. In Senegal you would be hard pressed to find a woman driving a motorscooter (in
fact my guide, Sineta, in Dakar was Senegal's first woman scooter driver!! EVERYONE stared at here when she passed them.) but in Mali, there are women scooter drivers everywhere!!  It is fun to see them dressed to the nines zipping along the streets of Bamako.

This is the shop of a tailor who is going to make Sam her own pagne!  Sam found fabric she loved earlier this week at the Bamako's Grande Marche...and tomorrow she will have a 3 piece outfit!  Apparently the work done here is outstanding as well as efficient...I guess I will find out tomorrow when Sam gets her new creations.  I think I might have to do something similar!!  Where to wear something like it in SEATTLE though! Oh, I have to note that outside the shop a young girl was heating coals to put inside an clothes iron...she would use that to press the newly sewn dresses.  Amazing.

The Bamako skyline...and me looking a little worse for the wear...but I think Africa takes its toll on everyone....but my spirit is still bountiful! :)  That is the Niger River flowing under me....fantastic!

Kids enjoying the hot day in the river...something we tourists are warned against doing.  Apparently little bugs that burrow into your skin plus general pollution in the water are the deterrents....reason enough for me to stay away.  We witnessed a lot of bathing on the banks as well as clothes washing.

Fisherman in his mini-pinasse.  I hope he caught something.

I tried all day for a good picture of a fruit vendor....but this was the best I could do.  What was most fascinating is that right after I took this pictue a bus with a big luggage rack on top of it passed us.  But instead of luggage, this rack held about 30 live goats all completely tied down flat to the top of the bus.  I know I said this in yesterday's post, but it was unlike anything I had ever seen ever!  So many questions swirled in my mind....why did they keep them alive? What kind of scene would it have been to witness those goats getting strapped on their sides to the top of a bus?  How uncomfortable it must have been for the goats....some laid docile while others baa-ed away, lifting their neck if they could.  Unreal...actually as I write this I still marvel at it.

Tea paraphernalia.  Everywhere people are heating coals to warm their tea.  There is a ritual that goes with tea service.  One glass for the group....take a sip or two, hand back to get it refilled and then it is passed to the next person.

Almost midnight...my new friend from Cameroon is requesting more music from the DJ....argh, rap!

One last story before I sign off....one of the cutest moments of the day is when 2 little girls in adorable little dresses came walking up to me with their hands held out....they wanted me to shake/touch their little hands before going on their business with mom.  It was lovely...and touched my heart.

If all goes well, tomorrow I will be in the town of Segou.  I have no clue what if any internet access I will have there....so stay tuned :).  Bisous!!

HAKUNA MATATA!

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

Hakuna Matata...they actually do say that here in Mali, even though the phrase is Swahili.  I am not quite at the "No Worries" stage :)....but working on it each day!

So I write this now from a little hotel called The Sleeping Camel in Bamako, Mali.  My room is absolutely bare minimum in its decore and furnishing....but what it lacks in design flare and comfortable furniture, it makes up with many, many, many tiny brown bugs that LOVE to crawl all over me.  They aren't particularly unique bugs...they kinda look like the little ones that infest flour bags in warm places like southern California (I am pretty sure I opened a bag down there once to find these little creatures).  But at $25 a night, I would expect these guys as my roommates....at least they don't make a lot of noise.

My room in Bamako! 

There are actually 2 Beds in this room....the other one is broken though (go figure).

Floating above the bed is the mosquito net that I will most definitely use tonight since there is a bit of a Malaria problem in this country...in fact, I met a guy from Seattle today who is recovering from Malaria. And YES, I can anticipate your first question, he was taking his malaria pills. Those don't guarantee a thing!

Ouch! One of those wretched little bugs just bit me!  Lets hope that doesn't swell to high heaven.  His sniffer must have been bad cuz I have Deet on to the max :).

My departure from Senegal this morning was rather anti-climatic, which means I didn't run into major plan altering snaffus just mild ones that still allowed me to get the airport on time (albeit the hotel owner did tell my driver to "go as fast as possible"....because of their doddling, not mine).

Fatima and Me!

Fatima took good care of me at my Dakar hotel.

The necklace I bought on Goree island.  It is ebony and bronze (you may recall it was also spit shined by a sales woman).  The tank I bought at Banana Republic....cotton, spring '09 collection. :)

Boarding my flight to go to Bamako. 

This airline is out of Burkina Faso. It was an incredibly comfortable ride.

Most surprising to me were all the people meandering about as we taxied for take-off!! They were finally asked to take there seat when we revved the engine to go down the runway :).  Love Africa!

They even served us a full meal on the 1 1/2 hour flight.

I chose the chicken...which I ate, left the rice, ate the baguette and butter, left the mayonaissey looking salad and, of course, devored the dessert :)

Some of my first glimpses of Bamako.

Again I took some really neat videos that give a great sense of this place, but don't dare try to download them as the bandwidth here is the size of one of those coffee stirring straws.  But it was incredible as I flew in to see all the rectangular shaped mud huts with tin corrigated roofs. So Simple. So Plain. They were usually surrounded by a mud fence and had clothes drying in the hot sun and goats tied to posts. 

I gasped as my taxi driver drove me by an outside market with a sea of dilapidated vending stalls.  Some with cages of chickens stacked 10 high, others with sides of meat hanging in the sun, some selling  fruits and  vegetables....all of them so close to one another and so packed with people...it was like nothing I had ever seen before.

As rustic as the picture above looks, it accurately depicts a lot of the streets here in Bamako.

These are storefronts.

When I got to the hotel, I spent time getting to know my neighbors.  The hotel is owned by an Australian man, so he attracts a lot of English speaking folks like myself.  I was surprised that my neighbors in room 1 (I am in room 3....but I like to think of it as a suite) are all from Seattle!!!!  One of them, Samantha, actually lives on Capitol Hill too :)....ah, ain't the world small.  They are a group of musicians making their way across Mali and basically doing jam sessions, live and recorded, with other Malian musicians.  Music is SO IMPORTANT here in Mali....and the talent of the musicians is incredible.  They are having a dream-like experience as they perform with some of the most talented artists in Africa.  Another couple I met, Glen and Clare, is on their honeymoon!!!  Glen is from Canada, Clare is from England, they met in Thailand and for their honeymoon they are doing a 7 month overland trip of Africa in a Land Rover they bought in South Africa 6 months and 2 weeks ago.  They said if they can survive this trip together, they can survive a lifetime together.  I tend to agree.

I spent dinner at this kitchy, yet delicious, restaurant called The Appalossa.  The owner is Lebanese yet he apparently has an obsession with America's wild west. It felt a little like walking into Africa's interpretation of the OK Corral. John Wayne's picture hung on the wall, Georgia license plates dangled near my table, a American Flag waived proud in one corner and elephant scene tablecothes graced every table....what sent me into hysterics though was that the poor servers in this restaurant even had to dress like cowboys!!!!  Black cowboy hat and all!!  I tried to get a photo of us with our server below:

Our server is the one in the way back, his black hat is a bit shadowed, but trust me it is there :).

The guy in the white shirt, Mo, may help me with my Timbuktu trip...we are still negotiating a price. The guy in the blue shirt is the one that spotted me at the airport....so I am sure whatever I negotiate with Mo, he will get a cut of.  I still don't really know who that girl is....the restaurant we were at did have a bevy of Eastern European girls behind the bar who mostly sat smoking on short stools (so you would look at the bar and just see a line of well coiffed tops of heads and smoke coming up...it was truly bizarre)...they served drinks as well as offered more tantalizing services after hours.

My lebonese meal of hummus and tabouli at The Appaloosa Ranch.

Lady Gaga serenaded me for most of this meal.

Oh, Peace Corps volunteers also were at this restaurant tonight...it was fun talking to them a bit.

Mo and I go into final negotiations tomorrow so I need to be well rested for that meeting at 10am...ish :).  I still seem to be a magnet for our mini 6 legged friends...er, annoyances...but trying to be tough :)....I mean, really, I did wrangle a 2 inch cockroach in Senegal...these guys are nothing!

I Really Feel Like I am in Africa...

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

I know I have been in Africa the last 3 days, but today I really FELT like I was in Africa.  I don't know if I can explain the change...I think it is a little bit of everything: acknowledging my own culture shock and a bit of homesickness, recognizing the power of this place and how it is in control, not me, feeling a bit of anxiety for my next stop as I journey further into the heart of this land, and also just feeling more comfortable with my surroundings and the people.  Apparently I am also starting to look Senegalese :).  That is one of the favorite jokes told to me around here.  It goes a little like this:  Senegalese person: "Where are you from?" Me: "Seattle, WA in the United States." Senegalese person: "Oh? I thought you were from here! You look Senegalese! Ha Ha Ha"  Me: "I know!  I get that all the time! Ha Ha Ha"  It actual really is kinda funny.

The sunset this evening on the coast of Dakar.

Spectacular.  The weather was perfect as it was about to rain....so not hot at all and a little breezy.

Ah, this morning!!  I must share the events of this morning....cuz where else would they happen but here!  I woke up (late!) to clamoring and yelling in the hotel hall way and lobby.  I could tell there was a good sized group of people out there and clearly some sort of problem or altercation had occurred, but I could not understand anything. So I dressed quickly to go out and see what the ruckus was about.  As I opened my door I was passed by two burly African men carrying out a couch from the lobby!!!! Huh!!!???  They placed it in a big moving van, came back (along with their team of about 10 men) and took the other couch, all the tables in the dining area, chairs, barstools, the coffee table, the flat screen t.v. and finally the espresso maker. While this was going on a shouting match developed between the manager of my hotel and apparently the guy who owned the furniture. Near them, gathered by where the espresso maker once use to be, were all the women staff members at the hotel.  All were shaking their heads and  looking mournful.  I asked Fatima to explain what was going on...her words were, "big trouble."  Apparently the previous manager of the hotel wasn't well liked or something (the details of all of this are quite sketchy to me) and now someone is trying to "steal" the hotel from the current manager....starting with the furniture.  I wasn't sure if my bed was on the list of items to stuff in the moving van, so I asked the manager what I should do.  At first he told me to "be cool" in a testy tone, but later revised his statement and thoughtfully told me not to worry that all will be fine and that the furniture will be returned tomorrow.  He did look exasperated by the whole ordeal...in fact he looked much how I looked when I ran to him the evening before asking for help with the 2 inch cockroach in my bathroom....his response to me is what I stated back to him this afternoon, "Africa is tough."

Behind the Jeep is the moving van used to haul all the hotel furniture away. You can see the little espresso maker (which elicited the most emotion from the women when removed) in the bottom left hand corner of the truck. I must say, I was sad to see it go too...BUT it will be back tomorrow....or so I am told.



After feeling assured I would come back to a furnished room ( a room, however, with electricity is an ongoing question mark here in Africa), I  took off for a little R&R at a beautiful seaside hotel called Terrou-Bi.  Frankly, I haven't eaten much since getting here for a myriad of reasons so I was just famished when my hotel driver, Ibou, dropped me at the 5 star hotel. 

Malick!! 

 He was my delightful server that helped and entertained me for the 4 hours I sat in the spot that I took this picture from.  Besides bringing me delicious goat cheese terrine, fresh bread, salad and French white wine, he taught me words in French and told me about life in Senegal.

His income: $245 a month!  Imagine that...with a wife and child!

My time in Senegal is coming to a close.  It has been the perfect host in welcoming me to Africa....and Mali will have big shoes to fill.  I have so enjoyed the people and their genuine warmth towards me....from the school kids that clustered around me to sing their praises of America, to the sales women who fanned me in the heat and spit cleaned my necklace purchases (never had seen that done before!), to the guards man who left his post to make sure I got to the restaurant I was looking for okay, to the shop owner who just took off 30% of the price of an African antique as I went to pay for it (I think she was surprised by my shriek of delight)...everyone has treated me with respect, kindness and patience.  I hope to come back someday.

Tomorrow Mali!



Gorée Island and The Door of No Return

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

***Due to Power Outages (that apparently happen all over Africa all the time) there were many technical difficulties posting this last night :)...alas here it is today, one day late.  These events occurred yesterday, Sept. 27.  As a note, as I write this there is Xmas music playing in the background....hmmm ***

Although I was tired when my head hit the pillow last night, jet lagged foiled the blissful sleep I was anticipating.  I didn't fall asleep until after 4am :(.  I forced myself up by 10am as I was anxious to discover the tiny island of Gorée 3 km off the coast of Dakar.

This island is the home of the infamous Door of No Return in the House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) Museum that memorializes the Atlantic slave trade.  There are varying statistics as to how many slaves passed through this "house" between the late 1700s and early 1800s and exited Africa forever in route to European colonies in the Americas (estimated 20,000 - 60,000).

Me in the Door of No Return. 

Beside me on both sides were 4 long "stand by" cells where African men, women and children waited to board ships to cross the Atlantic. According to my guide, men, women and children were all sent to different colonies in the Americas which meant families were split forever.

The terror, pain and suffering was palpable when standing in these dark, small, stuffy stone cells.

Who would ever think such treatment of human beings was ever okay?

This is the statue outside the House of Slaves.

 The sculpture powerfully depicts the sheer agony family members were forced to realize as they were ripped from their home country and loved ones and sent to strange lands and fates unknown.  Over 50% of the Africans died in the cells at the House of Slaves.

My guide, Pappi, and Me in the House of Slaves.

Pappi was born, raised and lives on Gorée.  There wasn't a soul we didn't pass that didn't know him AND he greeted everyone of them!  Greetings are a VERY important custom in Senegal. They range from the mundane, "Bon Jour" to more involved back and forth phrases and handshakes.  I think I saw all of the variations today :).

Although the history of Gorée island is shadowy and sorrowful, it does not feel that way today. It is a wonderfully charming place, and the people that inhabit it seem happy.  The European colonial architecture on the island is beautiful and the colors of the buildings are vibrant reds, yellow and blues.  There are lush gardens, bougainvillea lined passage ways and large, shade producing trees at every turn.  I was taking so many photos that  frankly I think I annoyed Pappi with all my photo stops and gawking...which is fine since he kept trying to get fresh with me when we were in quiet alleys and....this is the worst!.... in the empty cell where the children where once quarantined in the House of Slaves. He learned I am less charming when I am annoyed...yet that didn't seem to deter him.  My 60 year old guide was by all accounts harmless, but he did like to test the waters....in his words, he loved the idea of mixing "coffee and milk."

The beautiful island of Goree as seen from my Ferry. 

It was $10 to go to and from the island (kinda pricey in my mind, which makes me think I got the blond girl price!)

I am a little obsessed by the farm animals that run free in Senegal. So I asked Pappi to take a picture of me with this pretty little goat that will soon be someone's meal.

OOFTA! The rainy season here means beaucoup, beaucoup flies.  I had the pleasure of dining with a swarm of them at lunch.  One of my hands kept waving over my food the other was used to quickly yet tres elegantly shove my skewered fish in my mouth before it became a black mass of hungry flies.  Oh, and what big eyes the flies have here...I am sure there has been some horror movie inspired by them!

Kumba and Me. 

She owned a shop on the island, and with that in mind befriended me immediately.  Since I am a sucker for anyone that calls me "my sister" I fell into her entreprenual net and even bought a few necklaces from her.

My attempt at posting 2 videos just failed. I am perplexed, but have learned here in Africa to just move on cuz you never know when you will lose internet access.  The first was of a gentleman named Diali serenadingme with his Cora, the first musical instrument of Africal.  You would have also seen my guide, Pappi, dancing away in the background! As a substitute I posted below a pic of me with the Cora (Diali is sitting behind me eating bread)! I am not as good of a player as Diali :)

The second video was of the streets of Dakar.  I took it while in the taxi on the way to the ferry.  The taxi guy took me a bit of a round about way, but since I don't speak French there wasn't much I could do about it.  I will try to post both on Facebook as an alternative.

Tomorrow nothing is planned....Senegal has been more expensive than anticipated so I only drink bread and water tomorrow :).  Au Revoir!

I am in AFricKa :)!

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

My first full day of this 2 month sojourn is officially complete!  And, geez, did it beat expectations!

Few Senegal Fun Facts:
Languages Spoken:  Wolof, French and not enough English :) (oh wow am I having to learn French phrases fast!)
Population in Dakar:  5 million souls
Population in Senegal: 14 Million
Independance Earned in 1960. It is a Republic with a President that is elected every 5 years.
Religion: 90% Muslim, 10% Christian and less than 1% practice animism

My flight landed in Dakar at 4:15am local time.  The business class seat I was assigned actually allowed for some restful sleep and some darn good airplane food (AND when did flight attendants start having passengers actually taste the wine before pouring a full glass???  Not expecting that, I initially thought she didn't think I looked very thirsty!) so I was wide eyed when the doors were opened. Senegal welcomed me with a rush of hot, humid heat that confirmed I had just landed 6151 miles away from home.  The intense blast reminded me of the sauna in the thermal spa I became a regular at during my parents' and my cruise to Alaska just a few weeks back.  I would visit it to open my pores before going to relax and read on the heated, ceramic recliners.  Needless to say my pores have been WIDE OPEN ever since I landed here.  Senegal is in its rainy season so although the rain falls in the afternoon and cools everything off, when the sun comes out it basically becomes a steam bath.

After being scolded by a customs officer in a language I didn't understand for something I wasn't clear about, I collected my bags to go find my ride to the hotel.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my maiden name on a placard held by a young Senegalese man.  He pointed the path I was to follow in order to get to him behind a wall of baracades.  Seemed easy enough...ah, but once on the path I was overwhelmed by men coming at me in every which direction trying to have me take their taxi, sell me a SIM card, change hotels last minute cuz theirs would be better, etc, etc.  I thought it would cease once I reached my ride...but silly me.  It wasn't until I was in the car and being driven away that it became quiet...not only cuz the solicitations from the men were over and now directed at other departing tourists, but because my driver didn't speak English and, well, I don't speak French.  The silence allowed me to take in all I could of the streets of Dakar as we winded our way to the hotel.  I think we only were on a paved road once :) and some of the potholes we dodged were actually the size of small lakes in Minnesota.  I marveled that although it was 6am, the streets were packed as young people poured out of the clubs and discoteques.....my driver was even solicited by more than one "lady of the night" on our journey to Hotel du Phare.  Thankfully their come hither hissings did not distract him from his task on hand. 

Below Photo: My hotel room when I entered it this morning!  Perfect!  I slept blissfully on the big bed (I had 3 to chose from) until noon...only complaint is that the pillows don't have enough fluff!

My afternoon adventure: Tour of Dakar by motorscooter! BUT don't tell my parents that I was helmetless on the back of a motorscooter being driven by a 16 year old as his mom, on a seperate scooter, guided us around the coastal city....in the rain!  :)  At one point I was so drenched it looked like I had just stepped out of the shower with my clothes on!  The below pictures may help give a better perspective of what I saw and experienced today.  Jonathan and Sineta were so incredible.  Sineta is an expat from Florida and Jonathan is her son...I heard such things as "Let's Bounce" from Sineta when it was time for us to explore a different sight...not exactly Wolof, but at least I could understand (for once!).

Jonathan and Jen

Pirogues - boats used by the fisherman

They take these little guys out for up to 7 days at a time!

Me with thee Dakar coastline and the Mosque du Divinite in the background.  This mosque is also know as the fisherman's mosque because right below it is where all those pirogues and their fishermen set sail to go fish.

Sineta getting some of my US$ converted to CFAs (pronounced "cefas") on the "black market." Since I have never been a big fan of bank fees this seemed like a great alternative....plus a great rate!

No time to stop and buy fruit, but these lovely fresh fruit stalls can be found on many corners.

The robe the men wear is called "dou dou" (pronounced "doo doo"....seriously)

More street scenes from today...and no, I didn't drink coconut juice.

We survived! 

My first dinner in Africa.  The curry chicken on that plate was INCREDIBLE! The restaurant served only traditional west african fare.  Wine was pretty darn good too...just sucked that they wouldn't take my Visa :(.

Jet lag is setting in a bit and I must rest for another sensory filled day tomorrow.  I couldn't be more satisfied with today's experiences.  Tomorrow I will travel to the island of Goree. I also plan on mustering the courage to use some of the French phrases I tried to burn into my brain today.

Oh, one last note before sign-off, the electricity here in Dakar seems to come and goes as it pleases.  Surpisingly enough it is a quirk that I am enjoying immensly.  I was delighted tonight with a light knock on my door by Fatima, one of the hotel workers who is usually laughing or frustrated at my French,  who handed me a soft burning candle to read by.  My meal experience this evening was also heightened when the lights at the restaurant went out. I was surrounded by darkness but for one dancing flame on the table and that is what I finished my meal by.  It was quite magical especially since I was the only one in the restaurant.

More magic tomorrow.... :)



Waiting to Board Flight to Dakar

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

Here are 2 Jen Factoids:  I hate red eyes and I am horrible at dealing with jet lag!  AND here I am exhausted at JFK airport from last night's red eye only to board yet another red eye :)!  Brilliant! My fellow passengers are starting to accumulate around me there are a lot of regal Senegalese women in beautiful and colorful pagnes...can't wait to get to their home country!  Me, on the other hand...well I look less regal and more like one of those day old donuts in a package that has been overly fondled....the ones that are a little crumbled and make you wonder what curious consumer would ever pick it....tomorrow I will be a 2 day old donut.  It won't be a pretty sight!

Since sentences are having a hard time forming in my sleep deprived brain.  I will just leave you with a photo of my bon voyage champagne toast I had at Vino Velo last night in Seattle.  It was a delightfully pretty little bottle.  And yes, I drank the whole thing!  It paired well with the malaria pill.

Next post from Africa!

Welcome to my first blog ever!

NOTE:  As of January 17, 2012, I have moved my blog to my new website:  www.onegirlsadventures.com

I will still be doing duplicate posts on this website for the next 6 months or so, but plan to close it down after that.  Please go to my new website and subscribe!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

****

"We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world of the glories of our journey."
 JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

This Saturday, September 25, I embark on a 2 month journey through West and North Africa and then Europe. 

The impetus of this trip was a photo I saw at an art fair in Tempe, AZ back in April of this year. The image was of a beautiful and ancient mosque made purely of mud. In the foreground of this mosque was a bustling market. Colorfully clad African men, women and children selling foods and wares happily went about their day in the red dirt and dust of the arid setting. I was captured immediately. Where in the world could a place like this exist!?...and, more importantly, how could I experience it for myself!? Speaking to the artist I learned the mosque was located in a little town in Mali, Africa called Djenne. That was all I needed to know. At that point my internal compass set its course.

Now 6 months later I am getting ready to cross our great nation, the Atlantic and part of the Sahara Desert to travel down the Niger River to see this unique corner of our world.  I am yellow fever, polio, typhoid fever, tetanus, hep A and B immune, and my malaria pills start on Thursday!  The table in my kitchen is littered with different clothing piles, stacks of papers with  trip details and hotel locations, first aid kit supplies, extra make-up and deodorant to stow away, my passport and necessary visas as well as plenty of Euros and Dollars (there may be a few chocolate bars ready to fill my carry on too!).  Unfortunately, I won't be entering Mali or Senegal with either of their currency as my bank wouldn't source any FCFAs for me....apparently those two countries are on their "black list" which means they don't do any business or currency exchange with them (unstable government, terrorism, etc could be the reason for "black listing").  Looks like my first stop in Africa will be to an ATM machine. :)

My two month itinerary:
September 26 - 29 - Dakar, Senegal
September 29 - October 16 - Mali
October 17 -24 - Algeria
October 25 - 28 - Morocco
October 29 - November 3 - Spain
November 4 - 8 - France
November 9 - 22 - Italy
November 22 - 27 - Greece