Bamako

I've reached my 10th day in Bamako. Yesterday I finally met my boss, so life is as settled as it will be until I move into my house. Which will be sometime mid-September. Until then I am living in a local hotel. Where I am grateful to have wifi. 

Don't ask about the light over the bed. I don't know. I pretend it's not there. 

View from the hotel. 

The clouds have been pretty fantastic. 

It is rainy season, so everything is lush and green at the moment. 

The Niger River separates the town into two parts. There are three bridges that connect the two sides - the old bridge, the new bridge, and the Chinese bridge. Guess who built the last one? 

Fields near my future home. 

The city is a interesting mix of urban and rural. Heavy on the rural. The donkeys munching on the side of the road and the horse drawn carts in the capital city will clue you in real quick. Half constructed buildings pepper the landscape. Some have remained unfinished so long moss is covering them like paint. 

Only the main roads are paved. Traffic is crazy. The motos (motorbikes) are everywhere. And they have no fear. They careen down the streets inches from cars and people. Last weekend, while walking along the side of the road, one came close enough that the knees of both riders slammed into my leg as they flew by. They grazed the woman behind me as well. Besides the road hazards Bamako has felt very safe. And thankfully no one seems to drive fast enough for a serious accident. 

All the expats here seem to love it. People who have worked all over Africa attest to how much they love to come back here. Everyone I meet tells me how much I'm going to enjoy living here. Since they all have been doing it for a while I'm trusting they know what they are talking about. 

For now I'm learning my job and trying to get settled. Harder to do when I'm not moving into my housing for several weeks, but so far so good.

Though the hotel room may be full of packages from Amazon by the time I leave here. You really can buy almost anything on there. Hallelujah. 

More to come...

The Stop of Rest

If the distance/duration of travel is long enough one may take a rest stop on the way to post. In hope of lessening the jetlag effect I requested to extend my layover in Paris. I intended to take it easy, but ended up walking so much I gave myself blisters. Worth it.

During the taxi ride from the airport to my hotel we drove past the very hotel I stayed in my first night in Paris during study abroad. I'd missed the shuttle at the airport. Well, missed because I couldn't even find it, and had a horrific time figuring out where I was going. I remember stepping off the shuttle just as my professor and his wife were walking down the street. It was perfect timing. One of those moments you feel like you've never been so glad to see a familiar face in your life. 

A lovely place...

Naturally, I started reflecting on what that arrival had been like. An interesting comparison to my current situation. At that point I had as much of an idea of what my arrival in Bamako would be, as I did of Paris when I arrived at that hotel almost ten years ago. ...I can't believe it's been almost ten years.

I do love Paris. It was wonderful to take one of my favorite routes and think about how different my life has been each time I've visited Paris. The city changes too, though it's always beautiful. 

The brief stop was a good break to help with the mental adjustment. Being away someplace I felt comfortable made my final destination seem less terrifying. Though the hope that it would aid with jetlag was too optimistic. 

Bring on the vaccines

"In 2012, US Embassy Bamako had more malaria cases than any Embassy in the world". This is great news. It means someplace else earned that title in 2013!

My arms are permanently sore from all my shots. 

C & B Wed

My summer began and will end with a wedding. An excellent way to get the most out of your last summer in the U.S. is to have multiple friends throw parties and get themselves hitched. A perfect excuse to see friends and family when there are more important things to talk about than your looming departure. Especially when C is the one being wed. Her wedding a few weekends ago was perfection. Yes, it was beautiful. Yes, she was beautiful. But I most loved the looks on their faces as they knelt across from each other and then later as they exchanged vows. I have high expectations of the great things they will do, and I'm certain B will take good care of C while I'm off trekking around Africa.

 Mr. & Mrs. B

T & I happy to be bridesmaiding in CA.

I could eat this cake every day. No joke.

 First dance.

Coordinating fake tattoos.

Sadly, not everyone was thrilled about C & B. My poor 5-year-old nephew J had the following reaction when his mother (also J) informed him he had missed his chance. Though he did make C a lovely Angry Birds wedding picture/card that I stuck on her fridge.