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I didn't sleep at all, between the heat and the rain that started, complete with thunder and lightning, just before 7 am. We had breakfast about 9:30 and by 10:30 it was still raining, tho' lighter. We went to the internet cafe for a couple of hours, and had to negotiate puddles the size of small lakes on the dirt streets around Idrissa's house. After the cyber cafe we went to a different restaurant downtown for lunch. It had attractive murals painted on its walls - Papa posed in front of one.
After lunch we went back to Idrissa's for another boring couple of hours. I walked to the local store for a coke, which I ended up giving about a third of to a little boy, and then I just wandered around the local streets for a bit. By the time I got back I think Papa was getting worried, thinking I'd got lost! I played a bit of Sudoku, and watched Idrissa and his friends, including a young boy about 8 or 9, make jewelry, then around 3 asked to go to the beach again. I don't think any of them understood why I wanted to go to the beach after all that rain, but they humoured me. At least this time we took the landcruiser, so the journey was a lot quicker and less hair-raising, although the dirt road was even worse, under water in several places requiring interesting detours.
I had a nice paddle, and finally found where the river started to drop off. The current at that point was noticeable, but still not very strong. Around 5 we headed back to town, first to the internet cafe where we found someone who could download my pics (I'd bought a cd in town earlier in the day, along with a new notebook, and Papa had bought "new" clothes for his family) although we had to go to another shop to do the actual downloading. After the transfer we went back to the original internet place, where Papa struck up a conversation with a couple from Montreal while I checked my emails. I think the girl was named Melanie, and she was in Mali teaching. I suspect Papa was trying to drum up a little business, which was fine with me. We gave them a lift back to where they were staying, at the Auberge de l'Amitie, before going back to Idrissa's for a quick wash, then on to the Cafe des Arts for supper and some live music. Idrissa came with us, but met up with some friends at the cafe and stayed on after we left.
After lunch we went back to Idrissa's for another boring couple of hours. I walked to the local store for a coke, which I ended up giving about a third of to a little boy, and then I just wandered around the local streets for a bit. By the time I got back I think Papa was getting worried, thinking I'd got lost! I played a bit of Sudoku, and watched Idrissa and his friends, including a young boy about 8 or 9, make jewelry, then around 3 asked to go to the beach again. I don't think any of them understood why I wanted to go to the beach after all that rain, but they humoured me. At least this time we took the landcruiser, so the journey was a lot quicker and less hair-raising, although the dirt road was even worse, under water in several places requiring interesting detours.
I had a nice paddle, and finally found where the river started to drop off. The current at that point was noticeable, but still not very strong. Around 5 we headed back to town, first to the internet cafe where we found someone who could download my pics (I'd bought a cd in town earlier in the day, along with a new notebook, and Papa had bought "new" clothes for his family) although we had to go to another shop to do the actual downloading. After the transfer we went back to the original internet place, where Papa struck up a conversation with a couple from Montreal while I checked my emails. I think the girl was named Melanie, and she was in Mali teaching. I suspect Papa was trying to drum up a little business, which was fine with me. We gave them a lift back to where they were staying, at the Auberge de l'Amitie, before going back to Idrissa's for a quick wash, then on to the Cafe des Arts for supper and some live music. Idrissa came with us, but met up with some friends at the cafe and stayed on after we left.
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