Salt cures and SIDA

Ramadan in Rawfi. (October 2006)

What's happening?

The AIDS bike ride was a success, and now I'm living the good life in the capital. I hope everyone had a sweet Thanksgiving. Feel free to mail me the leftovers.

I'm gonna try and post a ton of photos here, so pardon the short greeting. Special thanks to Katy Miller (my neighbour here in Africa). I'm using some photos of hers from the Cure de Salee festival we traveled to back in September. Enjoy.

Here's the big crowd at the Cure de Salee. This festival takes place in Ingal, Niger - southwest of Agadez. It's a yearly festival that takes place at the end of rainy season. The nomadic Tuareg and Fulani men come to this area to let their cattle graze on the grasses, which happen to have a uniquely abudant amount of salt. Then they get dressed up and party.

The men in the background are atop their camels. I can't help but focus in on the German guy at the bottom of the photo. That hat is magical.

Here's a Tuareg guy with the Mr. Big Stuff camel gear. This festival serves as a chance for the well-to-do Tuaregs to show off their wealth. The camel and all that leather on it are very pricey for the average Tuareg man. This nomad is loaded.

These are young Wadabi men lined up for a song. This is a long standing tradition in which Wadabi men dress-up for the unmarried girls and show off their stuff through song and dance. Bright white eyes and teeth will attract their attention, and if they're lucky a girl will select him.

Here's my friend Kate and I with some well-dressed Tuareg ladies. The Tuaregs are from Berber descent and have a distinctive appearance. Their language sounds more like Arabic than anything sub-Saharan.

Three Wadabi men.

A couple of young Tuareg girls.

Here's a few more American ex-pats who I traveled to Ingal with. We were watching the performances atop our Land Cruiser. The guy in the yellow hat (Chris Burns) is my advisor here and his wife, Jen, is standing next to him. Cojo, who's sporting the mustard-colored funk suit, is a Peace Corps driver.

A classroom in Yelewa, a village nearby Rawfi. A friend and I were walking through the village and stopped to check out the school. I'm hidden in the back row.

Here are some Fulani girls from Kate's village, Korup. About one-third of her village consists of Fulani people. They tend to dress differently than Hausa peoples, and they speak a different language - Fulfulfde. They're also beautiful. Kodi, the tall girl in the blue head-wrap, just got engaged to be married. She's probably 16 years-old.

Liz and Jason on our Peace Corps "magic bus". This was taken the day we left our training site in Hamadallaye to be installed in the villages we now live in. That was way back in March. Liz loves the 'thumbs-up' as witnessed in this photo. Jason does not.

Kate and Natalie. Two fabulous volunteers from Team Konni.

Sunrise in the okra fields outside of Rawfi. I was walking to my bush-taxi stop one early morning and snapped this shot.

Early morning close-up of sorghum. It's one of the staple crops found in Niger. As it matures, the green seeds will turn rusty brown and white.

Out to their fields at 6 am. (taken with a flash)

Here's Team Konni at the last swear-in cerermony. This was taken at the ambassador's house in Niamey. We all live and play together in the Birni N'Konni area.

Freddy getting integrated at the swear-in. Some people call him DJ Wombat. I've seen him dance with glow sticks on mutlitple nights.

Check out these threads. The American and Nigerien flags unite. Taken at the swear-in ceremony.

Rawfi's imam leading the prayers on the last day of Ramadan. This outdoor mosque is located on the outskirts of the vilalge and is only used during the most important religous holidays. About one thousand men and women (mostly men) attended the prayer.

Team America. (Alex Towns as Wonder Woman.)

Two Nigerien dudes bundled up in clothes during a morning lecture on HIV/AIDS. Taken during the recent SIDA bike ride.

Kid duty on the bike ride.

1,000-watt smile.

The mechanics crew taking care of business.

Hope you liked the photos. An early Happy Holidays to everyone. Lots of love,

Matt