INA KALLON DABBA

INA KALLON DABBA
Well, first of all, let me be neurotic in saying that I am typing on an English keyboard for the first time in like 4 weeks and I can’t do it!!! I keep having to look at my fingers and find letters.

Anyway>
So this past weekend we went to Parc W which is the largest wildlife park in West Africa. None of us were looking forward to it really other than it was nice to get out o Niamey for a weekend – especially because our water mysteriously shut off just hours before we left. That and we didn’t have our hopes up to see any animals.

However, we had an awesome time!!!
First, we got to ride in three white land cruisers all weekend, which was tons of fun. We also got to wear turbans, even more fun. The turbans were to protect us from the elements (in Niger that means dust, wind, and sun). Parc W is about 3 hours outside of Niamey. We left on Saturday at about 2 pm. Then when we got to the park we climbed on top of our land cruisers and rode to the campsite where we were staying, but things were a little more eventful than just that.

After we got the opening of the park, we got out to look at this water area where we saw a crocodile!!!! Then, as we were driving away, my land cruiser was last, our driver stopped as the others went ahead. He pointed left and told us to look. We looked down the water way and there was a huge elephant pulling water with his trunk while crossing the river. It was really incredible to see an elephant in the wild. The other groups were a little bitter that we saw the elephant and they didn’t, but we told them we wouldn’t tell anyone who actually saw it. So if anyone wants to claim it, they can…. But I really did see it… I swear.
Anyway, camp was awesome. We had a really good dinner of couscous, noodles, beef stew, soup, and mutton. The mutton was awesome, but I probably will get some disease from it… so says Hamza (the king of amoebas). So far I’m fine, though, and it has been 3 days.
One boy, Djioffo, found a scorpion on his mosquito net. . . that was awesome….
It was really cold at night, and by really cold I mean 60… but I was still freezing with goosebumps, pitiful I know. However, it was a beautiful morning to wake up next to the river and eat a breakfast of bread, jam, and hot chocopunch with Nescafe and powdered milk. I realize this all sounds a little sarcastic, but it really was awesome.

So all but one made it on to the jeeps in the morning, my roomie was sick, but she is feeling better, and we saw the rest of Parc W. This included antelope, buffalo, lots of birds, and that is pretty much it… however we were still happy with just our elephant sighting.
Back at camp we enjoyed some more lunch and such and then piled back in the land cruisers for our trip home – fingers crossed that we would have water to shower with. We did and we enjoyed a calm evening after a trip to the Yellow Store for Solanis, Tampicos, Fanta and Milko . . . my very sad, but delicious substitution for chocolate milk.

Things learned this weekend: check for scorpions, hot chocopunch is awesome, avoid turban tan lines, and eat the meat (even if it might make you sick, because it’s just that good)

Oh, and the health update. I am fine… but we had two people with Malaria… both on Mefloquine. I am on Doxy – so far so good, go Doxy!

We leave for Burkina on Thursday… 2 assignments to turn in before then.
Check my pictures. If the internet cooperates I’ll upload Parc W and some pictures of the two wood statues I am working on.

Love you all!!
Sai an jima