Big Changes

Thanks to a slew of incidents and probably a massive flood of parental concern hitting the levy of Washington that separates us from the States we have been offered IS here in Mauritania. For those of you not in the Peace Corps vernacular that means Interrupted Service. What this really means is the option to just go home and receive at least half the credit of a completed service.

Through many miles of deliberation, my mind wandered and I could not justify taking the offer to return home. Although I have a number of problems here in Mauritania, I don't feel as though I am finished with this place or this place is finished with me. I believe that I could still leave a lasting impact here. I want to be here and that's actually a change I did not see coming. The feeling of ownership has finally hit me here and I can't leave all the good relationships I've built among Mauritanians and American volunteers.

In total we lost 21 volunteers and without the incoming class--a whole different blog--we are reduced to only 47 volunteers at present. It will be a long kinda lonely year, but we have the resolve and fortitude to stick it out.

Bamako Blackouts

Well the vacation in Mali was absolutely incredible! What an amazing country with development in mind and the improvement of it's peoples' lives at the heart of their purpose. The contrast between Mauritania and Mali is so amazing that it blows the mind. Mark McMurray, a region mate of mine, and I left Mauritania on May 21 and arrived in Dogon shortly after the 30th of May became the 31st of May. Dogon is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, been in, be blessed to walk through. If you happen to find yourself in West Africa at anytime in your life it is an absolute must that you explore this ancient and incredible region of the world. The people of this region live almost as they did 500 years ago.

Mark and I ventured our way back to Bamako where we had tickets waiting to see my first professional soccer match. A world cup qualifier between Mali and Ghana filled its billing as an intense spectacle of sport. 65,000 crazed soccer fans made the concrete of the stadium pulsate with their own anxieties. Although Ghana won, 2-0, the experience was an amazing one indeed!

As for the partying aspect, Bamako proved to be all it has been hyped to be, I was in no way disappointed with the options available for food or drink; a kick ass town!