Why does Nigeria always cut off the power supply?
Trip Start
Apr 15, 2009
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Trip End
Ongoing
Guidan Roumdji,
Niger
Friday, July 3, 2009
After coming back from Scotland I spent a couple of days in Niamey. It's funny to think that when I first arrived I thought Niamey was like a desert, but coming back from Guidan Roumdji I realised that it is so green and full of life! That's what living in the desert for 3 months does to you. Myself and Mathilde (MSF expat in Maradi) took advantage of being in the big capital and went to the Alisee disco until 5 in the morning. An open air disco with a view of the river...life doesn't get much better I think! We thought it would be a good idea to go for a little swim in the river at 3 am, but luckily were discouraged by one of the owners of the disco. Whilst in Niamey we also went out for a drink with some of Mathilde's local pals and one of them tried to prove to me that Allah sent all the dinosaurs to live on another planet as they had pissed him off. Is anyone able to prove this theory? He also said that on the 25th of July we will see two moons in the sky, Jupiter's moon and our moon. So watch out stargazers (I'm thinking of you Paul!).
Left on Wednesday for the 12 hour journey back to Guidan Roumdji, where we narrowly avoided hitting a camel - as Kerry said, that would be the straw that broke its back! Also lots of eagles on the road at one point (you would think they would AVOID the tarmac as it's so hot!).
We've been having a lot of power cuts recently, it has something to do with the season (hot). Sleeping outside is the only option. The poor crops here are suffering from lack of rain, near Maradi they are doing well but outside the village they are brown and withered. I don't know what the population will do if they don't get any rain. There's impressive thunder and lightning all around but the rain doesn't appear. There are a lot of kids in the Creni again, now it's the season for malaria so we are hiring people to do malaria checks.
Went for a walk with Francois yesterday to see the dried up river bed and on the way back we stopped in to visit some of our staff in their quarters. They were preparing a local dish of dried plant leaves with peanut butter sauce. The plants tasted of plants but the peanut butter sauce was nice...
Comments
Your Address
Hi Emma,
What's the address so I can send you some books? Can't imagine you without them!
Paula
Impressive
Hi Emelem - loving your blog, really well written! Just browsed through the photos and can really get a sense of the good work you are all doing there. I'll definitely be giving you the Good Twin T-Shirt when I next see you. lots of love Kerry xxx
Hi Emma
I really enjoy reading your blogs, they are so descriptive. Hope you're keeping free of germs and bugs, goodness knows how you manage it, we all seem to catch cold as soon as anyone sneezes back here, and you're in amongst so many more.
It'll be nice to see more of your photos next time we see you, I reckon that won't be at our Anniversary do then? I hope you can remember all the different occasions, and it'll be interesting to see how things have changed when you are finished your work there too.
We've had Lynn and the children to stay for a few days at a time over the last few weeks, Lynn thinks the visits are too short, we just need the time in between to recover. They are all just fine, though trying to keep them all occupied is a feat in itself.
Bruce and I are off on our 'Cruise 'n Stay' with the Millers on Thursday, Morocco is the first stop on Saturday, the Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal before a week in Majorca. It's been such a difficult first half of the year, we're really looking forward to it.
As you'll be aware The weather here in Scotland has been, in the main, really nice over the last couple of months, some torrential downpours,which we were caught in of course, and which seem ironic, given that you could be doing with some of them out there. We could try doing a 'rain dance' for you, but I've a feeling that it would work the wrong way.
Stay cool, well and happy.
lots of love from Bruce & Pat
xxxxx
ps, we've sent a package for you, it went off weeks ago, so, since we'll be on the high seas when it's your big day, we do hope you have a nice day, full of love from all of us.