When it Rains it Pours

The monsoon has officially arrived in Mali. We have had several days with large amounts of rainfall this past week. Everything is green and fly season is in full gear! Here are some pictures of our street "aka Badala River" when it rains. It just so happens that we got a picture of these kids playing foosball the same afternoon on our way to the supermarket. Click on the image to enlarge!


Disclaimer: We were not flying due to a large mesoscale system that covered all of southern Mali on this day.

Meet Walter "the girl"

After checking with the guards and confirming that the dog has no name...
HER official name is Walter (thanks Missy)! The guards are in stitches every time we greet the dog.


P.S. Erin broke down and bought her dog food...

The Shawarma-Kefta Hybrid Sandwich

Last night's dinner...YUMMY!

The Food We Eat

Several people have asked us how the food is in Mali. We are pleased to report that we won't be returning home 10 lbs. lighter. It consists mostly of dishes including: spaghetti, pizza, steak, pasta of assorted variety, French bread, cheeseburgers and lots of pommes frites (French Fries).

Occasionally you can get chicken; however, due to the extreme heat a majority of the chickens did not survive. The remaining ones that did are fed fish...so you end up with "chicken of the sea". Haa haa haa.

As for local food, they eat mostly Lebanese dishes. Almost all of the restaurants are owned by the Lebanese and they serve things like shawarma, kefta, and beef kabobs.

Shawarma- mixed assortment of mystery meat (usually steak or some other version...lamb) accompanied by lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and pommes frites which is then wrapped in lafa (a sweet flat bread). A mixture of unidentifiable sauce usually fills in the cracks of the wrap. This item tastes good, but has been known to cause frequent trips to the bathroom. Jody refuses to eat these...but Erin occassionally takes the risk.

Kefta- minced beef and lamb mixed with parsely and warm mayo on a flat bread.

Beef Kabobs- beef on a stick accompanied by a tomato sauce and rice.

Our favorite is the beef kabobs (brochette de boeuf avec riz blanc - in French).

We do make frequent use of our kitchen, but finding things at the grocery store can get a little complicated and often just as expensive as eating out.

We learned right away that food is not cheap in AFRICA!

Here is an example of the prices:

Box of Cereal $8-10 USD
(1) 12oz Diet Coke $1.25
(1) Can of Pringles $4.00
10 "thin" Slices of Ham $10.00
5 Slices of Cheese $5.00
(1) Candy Bar $1.25
(1) Box of 6ct Ice cream Bars $15.00
(1) "gas station size" bag of Doritos $5.00
5oz. Pistachios $5.00

Vegetables and fruits from the market are cheap and we have resorted to eating them, but only when well-cooked.

Erin's favorite = Pinneapples & Onions (not together of course)
Jody's favorite = Bananas & Green Peppers

Side note- 1 box of laundry soap = $30.00 USD!

Sofitel

2 Coke's = $6.00 USD

2 Chicken Club Sandwiches = $24.00 USD

2 Ticket's to the Sofitel Pool & Resort = $20.00 USD

A day at the pool while the mechanic is working = PRICELESS!

Meet the Drivers

Driving in Bamako is very difficult and traffic often consists of dogs, cars, bicycles, donkey carts, motorcycles, people, goats, SUVs and kids. Both drivers are responsible and friendly. They are contracted for the duration of our stay in Mali.



Moussa- Moussa is 38, married, and has 4 children (3 girls and 1 boy). His wife, Fatou is a midwife at a local clinic. He speaks very good English and is our main source of translation. Moussa drives a Chevy Venture Mini-Van. We feel right at home in this vehicle!

Talla- For the ladies out there...Talla is SINGLE! He is 27 years old and has poor English. He is currently learning time, numbers, and the days of the week. Talla drives a Peouget 407, a 4 door French car similar to a Honda Civic. Talla keeps us laughing!

Mali Flowers & Plants

The rainy season has started and several plants and flowers are in bloom.

Our Front Yard

The Apartment

For those of you who don't hear from us on a regular basis (which I know is most of you), Jody and I moved into an apartment here in Bamako. We decided that staying in the hotel was quite boring. So our apartment adventure began!

After looking at several apartments that were either not furnished, unsafe, dirty or inhabited by "things" (ie. lizards, bugs, etc.) we picked this little place in Badalabougou (in Bambara Badalabougou means "place by the river"). We heard about the apartment from a pilot at the airport. Usually the apartment is rented out to a charter pilot.

The apartment is on the second floor and comes with all of the ammenities we have come to love in the United States- fridge, microwave, towels, sheets, dishes, washing machine, air-conditioning, stove, furniture, and of course a hot shower!

Since we live near the English school, we have several American/Canadian neighbors. In otherwords...we don't stick out as much. The place has three bedrooms, two full baths, living room, and a kitchen.

Here are some pictures of our place.


P.S. If you find yourself in Bamako stop by and visit!
P.P.S. Our apartment is on the second floor and that is our guard dog!