The transport out of my site is difficult any time of the year. It took us 12 hours this time to travel 150 miles. Yep, an average of 12 miles an hour, crawling up a rough dirt road in an old rickety coach bus, stopping occasionally to repair flat tires and other mechanical issues. It's an exhausting trip. I got in on Monday and have been recovering, getting some work done and getting ready for a fun weekend in Dakar, Senegal. The West African Invitational Softball Tournament is held every President's Day weekend in Dakar, and Peace Corps Mali will be fielding three teams this year. I had an old baseball glove sent over, so hopefully I will get to play! There are fun events planned each night as well. Afterwards, I'm looking forward to some time on the beach and hanging out with friends before heading back to Kenieba. I'm also looking forward to escaping the heat that's creeping into Mali. It has been over 100 degrees here every day, and it's only getting warmer.
The Africa Cup ended a couple weeks ago, and unfortunately Mali had a pretty poor showing, despite that surprise comeback in the opening match against Angola. When Mali was still in the tournament, Kenieba was fired up on game days. I came across a little parade through the market one morning, with guys dressed up in funny big hats and flag capes, playing their drums and getting the crowd fired up for the game. There were little Mali flags hanging like banners across the main street, like we have at home on Fourth of July. It seems as if there is more national pride when the Mali national team is playing a big game than on their Independence Day! Unfortunately Mali did not play well in its other two games and was out of the tournament after the first round. But we continued to watch the Africa Cup until the final match at the end of January. The electricity in town would turn on an hour early, at 4 PM, so that people could watch the games. They definitely love soccer here!
At the end of January, a friend from high school came to visit. He is a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal and his site is not far from mine. It’s a funny coincidence to grow up in the same town in the states, and end up so close to each other in remote West Africa! It was fun to show him around Kenieba and learn about how his Peace Corps experience has been. It was also interesting to compare daily life in Mali and Senegal. For example, there are lots of warthogs and bushbuck (african deer) roaming around the Senegalese plains, but there are none in Mali as far as I've seen. It seems like most wild animals have been hunted out in Mali (including lions that used to roam through Kenieba years ago!). They are protected in national parks in Senegal, so they thrive there. Senegal also benefits from the tourism; since the animals are there, foreigners pay big money to go on a safari and see these animals in the wild. I am planning to visit my friend on my way back from Dakar, so I will get to see his site before he finishes his Peace Corps service this spring.
The Africa Cup ended a couple weeks ago, and unfortunately Mali had a pretty poor showing, despite that surprise comeback in the opening match against Angola. When Mali was still in the tournament, Kenieba was fired up on game days. I came across a little parade through the market one morning, with guys dressed up in funny big hats and flag capes, playing their drums and getting the crowd fired up for the game. There were little Mali flags hanging like banners across the main street, like we have at home on Fourth of July. It seems as if there is more national pride when the Mali national team is playing a big game than on their Independence Day! Unfortunately Mali did not play well in its other two games and was out of the tournament after the first round. But we continued to watch the Africa Cup until the final match at the end of January. The electricity in town would turn on an hour early, at 4 PM, so that people could watch the games. They definitely love soccer here!
At the end of January, a friend from high school came to visit. He is a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal and his site is not far from mine. It’s a funny coincidence to grow up in the same town in the states, and end up so close to each other in remote West Africa! It was fun to show him around Kenieba and learn about how his Peace Corps experience has been. It was also interesting to compare daily life in Mali and Senegal. For example, there are lots of warthogs and bushbuck (african deer) roaming around the Senegalese plains, but there are none in Mali as far as I've seen. It seems like most wild animals have been hunted out in Mali (including lions that used to roam through Kenieba years ago!). They are protected in national parks in Senegal, so they thrive there. Senegal also benefits from the tourism; since the animals are there, foreigners pay big money to go on a safari and see these animals in the wild. I am planning to visit my friend on my way back from Dakar, so I will get to see his site before he finishes his Peace Corps service this spring.
I’m off to pack and get ready for this big weekend in Dakar. Though I’m longing for winter and the snow at home, I’m looking forward to a fun weekend and relaxing on the beach for a few days.
