Some of us after hiking the cliffs.



Dans la rue.



That was our hut in Siby, which was our first excursion spot.



But now it is story time.
This happened about a week ago, before my sister and I put the mosquito net up. It was a nice cool evening, it had just rained and I was getting ready to go to bed. After I finished up at the hole (la toilette) I laid down on the bed, sprawled out on my stomach. It was completely dark at this point and I was exhausted from the activities of the day and was half asleep when I felt something on my back. I woke up a little and tried to decipher what it was. There were four distict pawprints. I told myself it was the cat, that there was nothing to worry about. But then it climed up my back and rested on my pillow. I decided to slowly maneuver my hand to see what it was by touch. It was not a cat...

Je mange les haricots

Bonjour friends and family! how are you? Life here is grand, it is surreal to think i have been here only a week. we have been so busy, and so much has happened it feels as if it should be longer. But i am good, we went to the city of Siby last week for three days, climbing waterfalls and hiking through the hills. it was so beautiful. there, we were also able to visit a village, help with dinner (they thought it was funny how slow i was at cracking peanuts) and play with the children. They are so much fun, and regard us with such amazement (especially when you greet them in the native language- Bambara). from there, we moved in with our host families, which is quite different! I have 3 siblings, countless cousins, two aunts and my Malian parents all staying in the same compound. there is always something going on!
Oh, i really love Africa time. no one is ever late to anythingm because americans have watches, africans have time. so if it is 4:45, it is the same as 4, so when we go to "school" it is super laid back, and it makes me nervous about going to an american class ever again. but i am trying to improve my french with every conversation. i've learned that each family name has a certain joke about it, so other people always joke with you when they find out the family name. apparently, my jokes have to do with liking beans, and being other people's slaves. it is so much fun just greeting people on the street.
well i apologize for the grammer mistakes and problems in this email, but i wanted to let you know what was happening and i love you all! i hope everyone is doing well.
until next time,
Brittany

Bonjour from Africa!

Hello everyone, I am sitting down to write my first official blog from Africa! Now I am in Dakar, a bautiful city on the coast of Senegal. The people here are so nice! After learning that I am only here for a day, two seperate people have asked me to stay with them "for at least a month" in order to see the city properly. How generous! That is not the plan, however, as tomorrow I will land in Bamako, Mali and there I will stay the next few months. Its very exciting to know I will soon meet the family I will be living with. I don't have too much to say, but I am safe and caught up on sleep, and now I am off to check out the plage (beach). Ciao!

Getting ready to embark!

With exactly three weeks until I leave the States, I've created this blog to keep friends and family (you!) updated on my travels. Ideally, there will be pictures, funny stories and yarns of Malian life (depending on internet access). Feel free to bookmark this page for your viewing pleasure and thanks for your support!