Here's the Picasa albums to photos with separate albums for the two weddings:
The GAMBIA
Wedding at the Justice!
Village wedding in Sinchu Bamba!
 |
| Adama Njaay :) |
The Gambia, Africa
"And the adventure begins!..."
As I write I am in the air flying from Casablanca to Banjul. Have I mentioned I LOVE to travel? haha Everytime I go someplace new I am reminded of this. I love every part of it- even the 'wearing a pack that weighs more than me and not fitting down the aisles on the plane' part. You never know what's next. The best sort of unexpected fun. I enjoyed the airport tonight more than you could imagine. As soon as we land in Casablanca for my lay over I'm taking everything in! This airport is different than any of the 20 others I've been in. I instantly become the minority and am strangely comfortable with that. The signs are in 2 languages - Arabic and English. There are designated rooms and a small mosque for prayer although some of them just pray in the hallway while waiting for a flight. I'm making up stories in my mind about each person's story, which is what I always do in airports, but this time it's because English isn't heard from where I'm sitting. The majority of the clothing I see doesn't match my own and I love it. . . these styles are so so classy and just beautiful, bursting with color and every one is different. I was waiting in the security line with a man who looked positvely like a King- white satin robe laced with gold material and a walk that made him seem very important. . . I let him go in front of me. After lugging my pack through security I went to find my gate and patiently wait for 2 hours. The number of hours I have spent in airports is....a lot. so 2 hours goes by so quickly.
A moment after sitting down and getting comfortable, a woman and her cutie-pie baby sit down directly next to me- and luck had it that she spoke English! We began to chat about the usual- where we're from, where we're going, etc. and I discover she's from Lebanon and oh these Lebanese are so sweet! I've had previous encounters with them during my travels and if you've met a person from Lebanon I guarentee you will remember them- their kindness is hard to forget. She began teaching me words and phrases in Arabic (which I obviously mutilated) and I'm severly struggling to repeat them correctly as I'm holding the babe and he's drooling on my hand and trying to eat my scarf. It was an instant friendship. We continued talking and I mentioned how beautiful her necklace was. She said "Yes! It's from Lebanon - there is a lot of beautiful jewelry there, you must come to see" and the next thing I know she's taking it off and putting it around my neck! She said "Here I want you to have this! So you can think of me and Lebanon everytime you wear it" which I most certainly will do. You would have thought she had just given me the stars in the sky. I couldn't stop saying thank you! How many of you would give a stranger your necklace just to be kind? A really special gift received, that's for sure!
I haven't stopped smiling since boarding my plane in Spain. My heart beats a bit faster with excitement. 5 1/2 hours to go and I'm there! :)
04 January 2012
22:37
"Bananas DO WHAT???"
I am here! After the long wait I am finally in THE GAMBIA!
I went to bed last night (okay this morning at 5 am) with the sounds of roosters crowing, the Mosque song being sung, and crickets chirping outside of my open window. I loved this place as soon as got off the plane. The first faces I saw in the airport were Amber and Sam's. I couldn't have been more excited to meet Sambel Leigh! FINALLY. I mean, you don't typically meet the the groom 5 days before the wedding. I gave him a giant hug and told him how happy I was to meet him and he was all smiles. He didn't say too much but I liked him right away. So at 3:30 am, after paying D 1,050 (Dalasi) for a Visa, traveling down dirt roads with bumps the size of small hills and entering Adrian's house; I had reached The Gambia.
I woke this morning with only 4 hours of sleep and was surprisingly refreshed...okay, more like super excited to start the day. Amber and Sam came to Adrian's around 11:00 to get me and we began the day and what would be one amazing trip in Africa. The streets of Kombo are either paved (if it's a main road) or dirt roads in terrible condition where the compounds are located with homes closely side by side. You could be inside the walls of a house that would resemble a Western house, but take a step outside and it's a different world made up of compounds built with cement houses with tin roofs.
We went to market where I bought sandals for the wedding for D 200, which is about 8 USD and met a friend of Amber's who gave me a beautiful bracelet that I haven't taken off. The next 5 hours??? Spent hanging out at Sam's boss' house (I quickly learned that since Sam is a Customs officer, every other person I met was his boss) but anyhow- we spent all day at the home of this particular boss. I had consumed so much attia and domada that I could barely stand up straight by the time we left. Attia is the tea that the men brew. ALL day. EVERY day. They put more sugar in it than a Lemon Shake up at the county fair. Goes straight to your head!
These men were hilarious and I felt right at home. Such a relaxed atmosphere. I probably would have no problem living that way every day haha Relaxing on the porch, brewing attia, chatting with great friends, eating great food, taking a snooze, reading a book, listening to music. Yeah- that wouldn't be so bad. That was what our day consisted of. We were dancing ridiculously to a few songs (okay maybe it was only me) but after 5 attias things start to happen! I shared my seat with a precious girl named Mariama who shared a Coke with Amber and the men commented that she could be my namesake and my name should be Mariama. I soon learned that this really WAS what I would be called by everyone in The Gambia for the entire trip! :) We relaxed for a bit longer then headed to the airport to pick Kathy up. A wonderful afternoon it was in Kombo!
My first full day in Africa!
My first time sleeping with a mosquito net surrounding me
The first time I've showered with a lizard on the wall
Enjoyed my first African beer. JulBrew Export mmMM!
First time I've been called beautiful 20 times in a day
Entered a Gambian market for the first time
Experienced Bumpsters! (and bumpster-etts). WOW.
First time wearing my fleece jacket as pants
Having the cash amount of 2,000 ANYTHING for 60 Euros exchanged
Seeing donkey carts in the street, women carrying HEAVY items on their heads with babies on their backs, and Gele Geles
Had my first drink of Baobab juice (such a treat!)
I'm sure I'll continue to have many firsts while here but this is the beauty of travel, isn't it? The joy of going someplace new and experiencing so many firsts that stick with you. What's even better is when you enjoy it for a long enough period that it doesn't feel new anymore and it just feels typical.
I am so happy to be here :)
05 January 2012
23:00
"There's a party in your pants?!"
Today began with a couple of games of Yahtzee followed by an amazing bread and bean sandwich with a soda pop for breakfast. Then it was off to search for the tailor to try on my bridesmaid dress. Everything in Africa happens at a slower pace. You can't imagine that being true when looking at the main roads which are pure chaos - loads of taxis blowing their horns, gele geles rushing to get from place to place, and so SO many animals and people walking beside the road, on the road, crossing the road. The type of commotion that makes your blood pressure rise even though you're not in the driver's seat. As soon as leaving the main roads you will find the dirt roads with potholes and the bumps that are more like hills with much less traffic. The tailor was located off of the main road and it took a minute to find him, but after seeing my dress that turned out wonderfully, we began our journey up country! A four hour drive by car to the African bush. This was a roadtrip like I've never had before- that began with a few pitstops alongside the road to exchange money, get petrol (foil as they call it) and food and water. While sitting in the car waiting for Sam, I looked over and saw a baby who was sitting with it's mother beside the road selling fruit. I looked at him, smiled and waved and he immediately started screaming and crying! I think my eyes popped out of my head. This was first. Amber- obviously not affected said "don't worry! totally normal. Our white skin is scary to a lot of the kids." and it WAS. The small children who weren't used to seeing white people would run away scared or just start to cry and those who weren't scared would just scream "TOUBAB!" which means white person, to get our attention. The mom of this baby just covered his eyes and laughed as he continued to scraem. I wanted to cover MY face so the poor kid didn't have to look!
We continued to travel out of busy Kombo and began passing small villages that had many of their live stock running free which would often enter the middle of the road. There were also a lot of police checkpoints where we had to stop and were continuously asked by the young girls in the villages along the way to buy their produce- Oranges, bananas, peanuts, water in a bag, etc. The paved road (which has taken years to complete) eventually turned back into dirt. This dirt is the color of orange clay and by the time we reached our destination we had a small layer of orange all over our bodies and our luggage. The road we took was the only road to go up- country and it was a straight shot East so there was only one turn the entire 4 hours.
Once reaching Brikama Ba it was an awesome reunion between Amber and her friends. They were so excited to see SAINABOU! and I was very happy to meet them all. She had gotten to know them well in her two years and it was obvious how much they had missed her. After greeting them we continued up the road to meet Sambel's amazing family in Sinchu Bamba. Hard not to love them as soon as you meet them! Welcomed with the wamest smiles and the best food. We ate in the typical fashion- on the floor out of a community bowl, but in Ma's room (because we were guests) and this food was so so delicious!!! After stuffing myself full I spent the rest of the night chatting and getting to know the family and snuggling with the babies. I finally got to meet Sal!! Who is adorable and is Amber's dad's Toma (or namesake) who was named after him. So he is Gary Miller and Salifu :) Towards the end of the night some of the guys in the compound started playing music on their phones and before I knew it I was being pulled from my seat to exchange some dance moves with one of the guys in the village, which was no doubt hilarious. Him showing me how to dance to Gambian music; me showing him how to do the two-step for some Southern line dancing. My stomach hurt from laughing.
I loved being there with Sam's family, sitting on a cement slab and looking at the moon that made the entire compound glow. The night was a perfect temperature and the kids played in their barefeet until they were too exhausted. Really, a perfect day. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
06 January 2012
12:23
"What's your horse's name? HORSE!"
Today I got to experience LUMO! The huge market that has...well....anything you could want. Food, henna, shoes, material, clothes from white people, and gele geles! (you say this like Gellie Gellies). These are full-sized vans decorated in quite creative ways - with flags, stickers, paint, anything really- and they take you to surrounding villages for a cheap fare. The detail that makes these gele geles unique....is that they don't leave until it is completely full, and normally PACKED to the max with the top of the van resembling a thrift store on wheels, occasionally with a goat or two strapped to the top for transport. You're just positive that something will fall off- but it never does. We spent all day at market, checking out the stands and visiting friends of Amber and Sam which was great- then had the opportunity to ride in a gele gele, something I had been looking forward to all day. . . and I was so exhausted from the heat that I fell asleep during the trip! Possibly the only person to ever be able to fall asleep in a gele. We rode to Sainabou's village- Sinchu Alagie where we got to meet her family in the compound and see where she lived. It was so wonderful to see where she spent the two years in Peace Corps. Her family is great. Full of beautiful people and of course more babies :)
Tonight we are having a sleep over in the compound! and I get my very own hut- the home that Sainabou had when living here. I'm laying here listening to the (hilarious sounding) goats and the sound of the radio playing softly oustide. The compound is quiet other than that. The moonbeams are streaming through the holes in the tin roof and make a pattern on me and my bed and I replay the day in my head as the crickets are singing. It's an African lullaby.
07 January 2012
23:42
"Baboon sighting!"Today I woke to the sound of the women pounding the coos, the roosters crowing and the goats. . . these goats! They sound like children in distress. Why didn't I get a video of this while I was there??? Anyway, waking up feeling totally refreshed I changed into my wrap skirt, brushed my teeth and we went to greet the dad of the compound. After greeting a few others we sat in the middle of the compound hanging out with the kiddos while the women prepared breakfast- rice porridge topped with sour milk. After the men in the compound made me pet the cows because they thought I was scared of them (which I'm not haha) we ate breakfast and Sambel and Kathy came to pick us up soon after so we could travel back to Kombo. Before we left we stopped to see the garden Sainabou worked on as one of her Peace Corps projects. It's amazing! HUGE! and full of pepper plants, eggplant bushes, cashew plants and banana trees. She was happy to see the women of the village had maintained the crops after she left.
After seeing the garden we started back towards Kombo. As I'm writing we are still in the car about an hour from Kombo. This has been another eventful adventure! With the sighting of a huge pack of baboons crossing the road and not long after seeing a group of monkeys cross the road. I was pretty excited about it! Sam didn't get it haha We made it about half way and heard the noise of...a flat tire. We stopped to fix it and were quickly greeted by the children in the nearby village. Came to see the Toubabs! Although they couldn't help they stood around us watching until we drove away.
Tonight we are having a Bachelorette party for Sainabou! Can't wait :) and we can't have too many JulBrews because tomorrow is the BIG DAY! Have to wake up bright and early for the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Sambel Leigh!!!
08 Sunday, January 2012
14:17
"Some bumpsters & A WEDDING!"
Around 7:00 Kathy and I headed back to our "palace" with a case of Jul Brew to play Yahtzee and cards with James, another Peace Corps volunteer. The bride had fully passed out from exhaustion in her gown and her Groom was still chatting with friends throughout the night who had come back to the house with us.Amber is MARRIED. This will take awhile to get used to :) A beautiful day to remember!
09 January 2012
"Did that baboon just throw dirt at you?"
Tuesday we visited a Nature Reserve near the city. It was beautiful! We walked a trail through the forest which was super shady and cool on the hot day. There was a slight breeze blowing and the scenery around us was perfect- super relaxing. Our walk lasted about 2 hours. Along the way we saw SO many monkeys! and loads of baby monkeys! They were close enough to touch and the best part was that there was no cage to see them locked up in. Completely adorable they were. We walked to a nursery where they kept hyenas (they were huge!) and a family of baboons. I had never really watched baboons but they're hilarious! They're so active and communicate so much with each other in obvious ways that makes it seem possible for us to understand. There were a couple of tiny babies, one still black so probably a new born. They were so entertaining to watch. The king of the jungle - the daddy baboon- was up in the house when we got there but soon came outside in a fury! Quite the temper this baboon has. After standing there for awhile a man came up to try to sell us ground nuts (peanuts) to give to them. We declined his offer and as we were saying no the big baboon become so angry! Screeching and pacing back and forth. I was just saying 'listen buddy! we're not getting those peanuts' and I swear he was looking right at me while I was talking because as soon as I said it he starting throwing dirt at me! All the while screeching some terrible baboon profanity I'm sure. There was absolutely no question as to why I was having bits of rock thrown at my ankles. I was just thinking to myself that if there wasn't a cage between us he'd probably attack me until he had some nuts, when I turned around and just about stepped on a baboon! I jumped off the ground, probably higher than I've ever gotten, and screamed. I thought for sure he was coming to do the dirty work for the boss man. So after running in circles around Kathy and Amber I stopped when realizing that he didn't even show interest in the fact that I was there. Took a minute for my heart rate to slow down! I WILL be buying ground nuts the next time.
Needless to say the next morning was rough, but absolutely worth it.
Today was a day of travel from Kombo back to the up-country. . . This trip?? Took a cumulative SEVEN hours haha it was a warm trip! Of course the trip couldn't have been a roadtrip up country without a few things. 1) Stopping approximately 15 times (probably more) to greet friends along the way 2) Creating karaoke performances in the car- there's no radio 3) Having my pants become completely soaked from butt sweat 4) Our skin turning orange from the dirt roads and 5) a flat tire. . . that could luckily be chanegd with our 2nd spare. and dancing in the middle of a dirt road in Africa singing Disney songs was actually a highlight, so really a pretty good trip! I was happy to get back to the village to be with Sam's family. Have I mentioned how wonderful they really are? Getting to be in the compound and enjoy their company has been the best part of the trip, no doubt.
10 January 2012
Some time in the day?
"You can search for constellations on my legs. . . . . and we MIGHT be in a time warp. . . ."
Time in Africa seems to just get lost. With the glory of having no access to phones, computers, calendars, or internet time becomes less of an issue than ever imagined. The time spent with friends- chatting and brewing attia is much more important than replying to emails. Eating a meal in the company of your family and staying to hang out until 10:30 pm on any given night is more important than worrying about a strict bed routine or figuring out the schedule for the next day. Their cultural values are very prominent in their daily schedules and this lifestyle is contagious.
As Kathy and I sat in our room before going to bed we begin talking about the events in the past week and are convinced we have lost a day somewhere because it is so difficult for us to remember exactly what day of the week it is! I don't know if I've ever not been able to look at SOMETHING to tell me the date. It was too funny. It's Thursday but we were going through our week and it just couldn't be Thursday! It had to be Friday. . . it is definitely Thursday though. . . but really, who cares what day it is?
This morning I got to have the best omlet Sandwich (ever) on the porch of the customs office. Then I got to venture through more parts of the market as Sam and Sainabou searched for materials they still needed for the program tomorrow. We stuffed ourselves silly (AGAIN) when going to visit another customs office in a nearby village later in the day - drinking attia and eating delicious rice.
When getting back to Sam's village I asked to borrow the moped from Sam's compound and took Sainabou on one hysterical motorbike ride through the village after ignoring Ahmadou and the others as they insisted that we get off of the moped so we wouldn't hurt ourselves. They were pretty concerned haha Women do NOT drive motorbikes! I think Sainabou assumed she was going to die on the day before her wedding, but come on. . . I had everything under control the whole time. :) It just took about 3 tries to get OUT of the compound- but once we were somewhat balanced and out of the compound walls we were on our way and it was just fineeeee!
After returning to the compound we left to go on a beautiful walk through the bush- visiting rice fields and the River Gambia. We had 1 of many incredible African suns setting for us on our entire walk home. There is really nothing like those sunsets. Wow.
I contributed to the wedding today which was nice! The women of the compound had me pound coos earlier in the day to prepare for the program- unbelievably hard work! They all got a kick out of it. . . . Don't quite have the technique down haha Then they had me stir the coos (of course with my hand) later in the evening. They are preparing to feed hundreds of people! That's a lot of coos baby.
It was another perfect day in The Gambia! :)
12 January 2012
12:13
PS- I have roughly 30-40 mosquito bites that start at my hips and go down to my toes. These ridiculous bugs have made designs on me."A day of preparation"
Today was the prepatory day for the traditional Fula wedding program that Sam and Sainabou will have tomorrow. . . and what a day it was! These programs are a BIG deal and this one especially. They bring in women from different villages to help prepare the food. The work starts in the morning and goes on all day and all night. Pounding coos, cooking enough rice to feed an army, butchering chickens, fetching enough water from the well to get through the day, etc. The men worked on putting up the tarps for a tent to shade from the scorching sun. Sam and his friends worked on gathering things needed - chairs, canned pop, plates, and so on. There were already SO many people there and the program isn't until tomorrow! but that's Africa for ya. Or at least the Gambia- a hand is needed? They will come. They have a community like I've never seen before and a willingness to help that would inspire anyone. Hearts of gold.
A couple women from the village went to work on the bride's Henna- a type of cultural tattoo that lasts about 3 weeks and is quite a form of art! They began taping Sainabou's feet around 2 pm. They were still taping at 6 pm! She was almost finished so I got to sit and have them do mine which was much less intricate (thank goodness!) I didn't think I could sit there that long, but much to my surprise I did anyway. After applying the henna, which is like a cold green mud, they wrapped our feet in plastic bags and then put socks over the bags. Gambian style spa! After that we sat. and sat. and sat. . . until 2 am! when it was ready to be taken off, but that wasn't the last step. They still had to apply the ash from that fire that they mix with a chemical to turn the henna black and this must stay on all night. Guess these black bags and green soccer socks on my feet are going to be an addition to my Pjs tonight! and I guess taking a shower is out of the question?? Walking with these on isn't the easiest task - the chemical and ash is also a bit like mud so with the plastic bags, it becomes slippery when walking. Getting to the car when leaving the compound was a sight I'm sure. Just had to walk with a bit of a waddle. . . no big deal.
While we were waiting with the henna on we ate the most delicious garlic rice from the community bowl and listened to a traditional group who had come to the compound to play music. Twice! They were really great and played in preparation for tomorrow's wedding. The women and children danced- they're impressive! I can't wait to see them all tomorrow. Now I'm laying in bed with my bags and my soccer socks. My entire foot burns from the chemical that is over my mosquito bites. Not comfortable. Can't wait to see this tomorrow morning :) Excited for wedding day #2!
13 January 2012
23:42
"A Fula Groom and his American Bride"
 |
| Baobab tree - but the picture doesn't show you how great the tree really is |
What a day! It was so wonderful getting to be a part of it all. I can't believe we have to leave in 2 days, it's not something I even want to think about.
14 January 2012
3:13 am
The next day we all slept in and headed to the compound to hang out on our last day there. Really the day (for me at least) was spent playing with the kids in the compound. God I'm going to miss them so much- I already do. My face literally hurts from smiling so much. That's all I get done doing when around them!
It was a lazy day which is obviously typical after a full 2 days of party planning and party having. We taught Ahms to play Yahtzee and ate excellent food. I walked behind the compound at sunset to get some photos in the field. There was a game of football being played further away and it was the perfect view. The enormous sun setting making the players' bodies look like only moving shadows and the sky turning 100 different shades of pinks, oranges, blues, and purples. The animals are called home at sunset so the cows ringing their cowbells were heard across the field as they came towards me to go into the village. The donkeys and their babies stopped for a treat of trash lying in the field next to me. The animals didn't seem to mind me being there at all. I stayed a bit longer then went back inside the compound before it was so dark I couldn't see which would probably result in me falling in a hole or something. After the sun goes down the compound goes completely dark and the only light you see is from the fire used for cooking and the stars.
The rest of my night was spent laying on what I consider the compound lounge :) The big cement slab attached to the house. I was there all night looking at the stars, curled up next to little Sal (Gary Miller) as he fell asleep. I couldn't even begin to think about leaving this place without crying. After dinner I went and layed back down not wanting the night to end. One of the giggly girls came over to nestle up next to me and fall asleep. She's such a sweet one. Always saying "MARIAMAAAA!!!" across the compound and singing. I was known as Mariama everywhere we went and although I couldn't communicate verbally with most of the adults or the children, they always said my name with a big smile and a wave wherever I went.
Not much later Sam said it was time to go- which meant saying goodbye to Ma, Aba and Mawdo. . . Something I was dreading. Mawdo is Sambel's brother and Aba is his wife, the parents to Sal (Gary Miller). We spent every day in the village with them and I am so SO happy I got to know them. I can't wait until I see them again.
After Sainabou and Kathy had said goodbye I squeezed them all tight. Especially Ma. I have such an enormous respect for that wonderful lady and I have the biggest smile just thinking about her. Aba walked to the car with us and kept saying "don't cry Mariama" as she wrapped her arms around me and wiped the tears off my cheek. There was no part of me that was ready to leave and seeing Amber leave them was heart breaking. Such a hard goodbye. After meeting that beautiful family it's not easy knowing you may not see them again for years. I had become a member of their family and in getting to know them was continuously amazed by their kindness- the kind that makes you want to be better- and well. . . that's just not something you want to leave.
We climbed into the car as they all gathered around the vehicle to watch us go. We said our last goodbyes and drove off, sadly making it feel a little more real... that this really was coming to an end. I'll be ready to come back as soon as I get on the plane. It's easy to say that this is one of my favorite places I have ever been.
15 January 2012
12:30
"Mm....yeah...I guess we should have left a bit earlier."
We woke up early Monday morning to start our 4th and final roadtrip as we headed back to Kombo. The trip was made without getting a flat! and went very quickly. More baboons were seen! This time a GIANT pack of them. We made it back to Kombo around 1:00. It was a pretty somber day, knowing we were all leaving that night. After going to the market for a bit, we all hung out and relaxed most of the day then headed to the airport at 8:30 to drop off Amber and Kathy. With their VIP treatment (Sam as all the connections) and some enormous hugs, we sent them off. Sam was able to go through security with them to say goodbye and the poor guy has been hanging his head ever since. Pretty lost without his bride. I went back to the palace with the guys to hang out until having to go back to drop me at the airport. We arrived back at the airport around 12:45. . . to find that the check-in desk had been closed! Holy shit. After a small freak-out (okay a large freak-out. . . I've never missed a plane!) we went to talk to the airlines and was told just to wait until morning to go to the office and book another ticket. Probably should have left earlier :) Obviously nothing I could do so I just looked forward to having another day in the Gambia. I kept telling the guys I shouldn't have wished so hard to stay!
After eating we headed back to the house, relaxed for about an hour and left at midnight for the airport. . . this time getting there in plenty of time! On the flight to Casablanca I slept most of the time, got to the airport, slept for 6 hours and am now sitting on the plane drinking a diet coke as we pass over the ocean and beautiful Morrocco. The view is crisp and clear and looks like it would be perfect if I could just parachute down there to see it. I will definitely be exploring this place someday.
I wasn't ready to leave the Gambia. At all- but I thought it best I didn't miss my flight twice. I felt like I had just gotten there! I hated saying goodbye to my new brother and great friend., but for some reason it really felt like I'd be seeing them again soon. There is no doubt I will go back someday. It's an addicting place! Nothing like it. These past 2 weeks have been incredible and went much too quickly. I knew that getting to be there to see Amber get married would be great, but I couldn't have imagined it being this fantastic. It's in a league of it's own, really. I have photos, loads of mosquito bites, a couple of souveniers and a pair of TOMS covered in Gambian dirt that I'm taking back with me, but these things will only make me hope even more that I can go back someday soon. If I could, I would bring a piece of it back for each of you, so that it would be easier for you to really know the Gambia. . . but since that's not possible I suppose we'll have to make a trip out of it ;) Thank you for following on my journey to Africa! I loved writing to you and look forward to sharing this with you. Back to my book and that scenery below the clouds. Life is one big adventure isn't it? :)
18 January 2012
15:33
xoxoxox
Maria "Mariama"
