Author: Greg

We’re spending time here on the Internet–slow, but doable. We’ll probably leave day after tomorrow for Mali-ville, Guineau and then to Kedougou, Senegal. Mali-ville (really Mali, Senegal, but commonly called Mali-ville to differentiate it from the country, Mali) has no electricity, so Internet is unlikely. So we’ll be out of touch for about ten days. Phone may still receive SMS.

We’re enjoying the hot showers, good bed. Not enjoying the noise and motos. Hotel has only pizzas for dinner; we miss the local food of Doucki. Otherwise the hotel is great; has a nice patio and very good manager.

Some footnotes to Louisa’s Doucki posting: Price was a whooping $16 per day per person–food, lodging, and English speaking guide. As a reference the “better” hotels are relatively expensive here– about $25 per day including breakfast for two with dinner about $6; although cheaper in local restaurants. The video Louisa alluded to should be posted on YouTube in a few months. Hassan Bah speaks excellent English which made the stay much easier too. Temperature was about 90F during the day and low 70s at night. Humidity moderate.

The scenery was great–cliffs, waterfalls, slot canyons, villages, fields, jungle. Detail is low here: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=fr&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=10.997733,+-12.599667&ie=UTF8&ll=10.997732,-12.599688&spn=0.124359,0.160675&t=h&z=13&om=1
We noticed the all too usual women and children only working in the fields around Doucki. Then we realized that there weren’t many men between 15 and 50 in the village and surroundings. We found that they were all away in other countries working–Freetown and Dakar (many of the Peul lived in Sierra Leone when driven out by Sekou Toure starting in 1976). We asked about the new houses being built–financed with remittances. The local region just can’t support the people. Bah said the key needs were water (meaning foot pump wells, instead of hand drawn), education, and health. He had one of the few solar panels to provide light for his house and charge the cell phones. Cell phones seem to be the first major purchase.

Labe has working age men; but many hanging out it seems, but there must be some work. We were surprised to see how much building is going on in Labe, several multi-story buildings downtown. And seemingly many more motos–many private and as taxis.

One unusual observation at the “upmarket” restaurant last night. Two separate couples came in and only the men ate. One women had a few bites of her companions meal. Both women looked well fed and dressed by local standards.

Phone note: Sotelgui has the best rural coverage, but costs a bit more. Probably not more than $10 for a SIM card and some minutes. Areeba was $6.

In our hotel the visitors are either USAID or NGOs. USAID held a multi-country forestry meeting here this week and we met a couple of the US personnel.

In Dalaba we met four tourists from Montana, one solo Alaskan, and a Brit. But tourists are few are far between. Sad because the scenery is great, the people nice; although the amenities can be basic. Yesterday we looked up immigration here because we weren’t sure we could get our passports stamped when we left which can cause problems when we arrive in Senegal. Expected some hassle. None, friendly, helpful. Passports stamped. No bribes–not even hinted at.

Later, Greg

You all probably think we got kidnapped or lost in the jungle. We’ve just been busy and also in places without working Internet. Internet available, but couldn’t connect that day. Louisa is posting on our past six days, so I’ll leave it at this for the moment.

The phone number in the previous posting was wrong. It’s now been corrected. We are about three hours from Conakry. A bit cooler here, but on a warming trend. High of 90. Humid. Thunderstorms seem to be gone. Power out all day yesterday from the storm. We called Aicha from here thinking she still lived her, but now lives in Conakry, but took a bush taxi the next day and arrived yesterday. Gifted us. I got material to make a shirt and pants outfit which was made today and we picked it up this afternoon. Now I’ll be styling. And now I have a second pair of pants to wear. We met a French expat here who married a local three years ago. The five of us went to a nice waterfalls for a picnic today. Very leisurely. We were expecting to have to walk in, but wasn’t far. Aicha was the young lady we met last year who was helping the French running group. Was instrumental in recovering my GPS.

::The day after the above.

The internet cafe we were at two days ago wasn’t great. Slow, computer crash and power failure. Found another one that’s faster and new equipment and US keyboard (placement of keys, one can usually change the keyboard from French).

Today we had lunch with the French expat and his wife. Invited over at 11 am when the food preparation was barely underway which was fine since we’d had a late breakfast. And we got to observe local food preparation methods. His wife, Nafi, and a helper prepared the meal. Potato leaves, onions crushed in a “mortar and pestle,” chicken, smoked fish, beef, okra, tomatos, and spices. All cutting is done without a cutting board. The two of them cut up the chicken. Served over rice and it was delicious. The two hour wait allowed us time to digest our breakfast. A nice couple. She definitely has a say so in the relationship–looked like any of our relationships (yes, the woman is the boss).

Turned interesting when the lawyer for his former Guinean wife showed up. Rather heated for half and hour and then they seemed to settle down to business. We didn’t know what was going on at first, but found out later from Aicha. We took our leave and headed to the market.

 Aicha helped Louisa procure a new dress. Bought the fabric, hired the tailor and all was finished in three hours. Even a chapeau from left over material. Now we’re both styling.

As far as we can tell we’re the only tourists of any nationality in town. We didn’t think we saw any in Conakry either. We’ve met several Europeans, but they’re all working or volunteering for NGOs. Other visitors at the hotel are military or businessmen–both local and westerners. At the hotel last night was a couple who took a short break from their volunteering in The Gambia–a small country north of here. He’s a British doctor who’s now the equivalent of a resident and working for nine months as the main doctor in a small town. His wife is a teacher who has helped set up a library and worked with local teachers to set up lesson plans.

The most interesting guy was a French Canadian who said he owned a security company here and in other countries in Africa and South America. He was up from Conakry with the French owner of the hotel. The owner has been married to a Guinean for twenty years with a daughter studing in Toulouse and an eight year old here. He’s now in diamonds! The Canadian said his preparation for the security business was that he was in of some kind Canadian special forces. Didn’t seem the type. Travels around Africa alone. Usually European businessman travel with drivers, but he feels he knows how to get by.

One final tidbit. The fourth mobile phone service is going in here. Obviously money to be made and free enterprise is at work. Communications is very important, but would be nice if somehow development could be directed at other businesses. You usually can’t phone people on a service other than your own (you never can text message to another service). Oh well.

We’re heading to Dalaba tomorrow. Up in the mountains, so the temperature will be nice. We plan to do some hiking and biking. Aicha is heading back to Conakry tomorrow also.

We arrived safe and sound if a bit tired. And our bikes and luggage arrived too. Haven’t taken the bikes out of the bages yet. We’ll leave for Kindia early and we’ll unpack there. We got a phone card and the number should be good until |Nov. 17 and possibly longer. +224 64 87 16 79. I think the card expires then and we can’t get the same service in Senegal or Mali. We don’t have voice mail or if we do I don’t know how to work it yet.

We expected the worse at the Conakry airport. But everything went smoothly. |Last year we were sheparded through by a Peace Corp worker and her local assistant . But the airport was quieter and they didn’t hassle us about our bikes nor our luggage. One cursory bag peak. We didn’t have a reservation and arriving at 3 in the morning, we weren’t too excited about that. We asked to go to a place that was often supposed to be full. The night watchman let us in, rousted the manager and five minutes later we had a room.

Changing money was equally uneventful. Of course we knew the routine and what the money looked like and how it was going to be packaged. 1200 US equals a stack about 5 inches tall.

The only disappointment was dinner tonight. We wanted a sit down restaurant (as opposed to street food without tables or chairs). Ended up at a place trying to be western, but for the presumably well off of Conakry. Food was not very good. Particularly after a meal with our friend Ibrahima who we met last year. He helped us out of getting hassled by a small time thug in the bus station when Louisa attempted to shoot a video. He’s an accounting student. He’s the eldest son and his family is helping him with school. It’s a free public school, but he has living expenses here. He’ll graduate mid next year, but doesn’t really expect to get a job. His father is a small time vendor in a small town.

And it’s not as hot as last year. Probably high eighties today. Rained last night just before we arrived which was unexpected.

Signing off for now.

Tickets purchased. We’re committed.

Today in the NYTimes, African Art at the MET

Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death.
-James F. Byrnes

Trip is on. We just booked our reservation. Royal Air Maroc because it’s about $400 cheaper, but the times suck. Pretty much the same schedule/times we had last year.