Saying Good Bye :-(

Due to a family emergency, I have decided to Early Terminate (ET) from the Peace Corps. It was a very difficult decision to make and I hate that I am leaving Mali and Douentza. Here are some photos of my friends and family in Douentza.
This is Tata. She is my friend, Mama, daughter. She is so adorable! Here is me with Mama and Tata:

Mama and her children:

The toguna in the center of town:

My language tutor, Ada, and her children:

My host family. My host mom, Soma, is on the left. My host brother, Dre, is in the back. My landlord is on the right. The other two are cousins.

Susan came down to BKO with me. We went to lunch with Brendan at Le Relax.

And then we met up with Ryan and Sara at the Campagneyard. Here is me and Ryan:

Susan, me and Sara:

Ryan and Brendan being silly:

Me with the boys:

We have no idea what Brendan is looking at:

Me and Brendan:

Again....no clue what is so facinating off camera:

Then my friend, Robert, and his son Liam came to say good bye. Here I am with Liam and Brendan:

And then us with Robert and friends:

Ryan, Brendan, Sara and Susan at the Peace Corps bureau to see me off to the airport:

I cried the whole way to the airport. I definitely miss everyone there!

Meet me at the Prime Meridian....

Sara and I went Gao to visit Peter and Tim. We went on a boat ride to the Rose Dunes. Here are Peter and Sara: Me and Tim:

Walking up the dunes:

Peter, Tim and me on the top of the dunes:

Me and Sara:

Tim and Peter:

The Rose Dunes:

Peter and me on the boat ride back:

Tim relaxing on the boat:

Peter with his friend's daughter back at his house:

Me at the Prime Meridian marker:

Jo, Sara, Tim and Peter: We were playing Trivial Pursuit.

The Tombs of Askia: It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is near Peter's house.

A closer look at it:

Info....in French.

Some of Peter and Tim's friends were having a going away party on our last night. Here is Sara with their son:

Me, Tim and Diallo:

Me and Sara:

Peter:

Tim, Peter, Diallo and Jo:

Their son thought Peter's shoes were fun:

What a fun weekend!!!!

I've been to Timbuktu and back...and lived to tell about it

I went up to Timbuktu. We rode camels into the desert and spent the night with local Touregs. Here are some photos:



Drinking on a camel is hard Me and my camel. We named him Al:

Our camels chillin':

This is where we stayed for the night:

Thinking in the desert:

Waiting on our bed the next morning:

The daughter of the family we stayed with:

The two of us wait while the camels get ready:

I am petting Al. I don't think he liked it so much:

View from the camel:

More camel shots:

The Touregs lead us through the desert:

Hello:

More camel views:

I rode a camel! Yay!

I have actually gone to Timbuktu!