catching up

Returned to Bgara on Sunday, after being out of town for most of the past three weeks. (The few days I was back in town, the internet connection was down.) Eight days “en brousse” (in the field), two days at a local conference, one week at international conferences in Bamako. The week in Bamako was a welcome respite—a retreat from the dust and heat and noise of Mali. It was clean and everything smelled nice. I took full advantage of my Radisson mini-vacation, extended my stay by two days and lived in dust-free, AC bliss for a week. Room service too. I even drank a capirinha. And got ice cream, once. Sadly, the one club (the one club that we knew about) in the city that showcases live music had changed owners and closed its doors. Too bad my little holiday ended with malaria. Good thing I had already bought the emergency anti-malaria drugs.