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Augest 2, 2004
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August 2, 2004 To friends and those I’ve met on various travels, (Yes, I know I’ve been absolutely horrid at emailing or
otherwise keeping in touch. So much
so that you may not remember me, but search your memories for some crazy haired
fellow you met in some random place that you sorta liked and wasn’t too
annoying and if you didn’t like that guy that wasn’t me, I was the other
crazy haired fellow that you met in some other random place that you at least
tolerated. And if you still don’t remember me just sit back and enjoy the
show.) Well I have finally embarked on an adventure worthy of
telling you about. I’m now in the
country of Mauritania (check your world maps its below Morocco), with Peace
Corps. I’ll be here for the next
2 years, in’shalla. I been here just over a month and the experience can
currently be described as f$#k!ng intense.
New sights, smells and sounds are continually bombarding my senses (with
few that can be described as pleasant). My mind is working in overdrive slowly
adapting to having the vocabulary of a 2 year old (and 2 year old’s can form
sentences better than I can). And
while I’ve been adapting to the climate of the desert (hot, dust, hot, sand,
hot wind, hot, sun, hot, etc….) my body has be racked by all sorts of, hmmmm,
we’ll call them “intestinal adjustments”.
To tell you the truth, I’m loving it I can’t think of anything else I
rather be doing right now. It’s
sorta like a jumpstart for the soul. What’s happened so far: Philly for pre training training - 3 days packed full of meeting new people, getting an abnormally large number of shots and enjoying a last beer or two The worst trans-Atlantic fight I’ve ever been on. Anticipation, adrenaline and a very uncomfortable seat make sleeping really tough. Arriving in Nouakchott to a bunch of sand and dust (the Sahara is all its cracked up to be and more). 6 hour drive crammed into a Toyota Land Cruiser to Keadi in 90 degree heat with 10 other trainees and a driver. A few days of training: figuring out how to go to the bathroom, adapting to the heat, learning to eat with your hand, becoming one with the sand and then its off to host family for some cultural integration and language classes. So far the host family experience is me attempting to communicate, failing, smiling a lot and then trying it again this time using hand gestures. So far it seems to be working out, I get fed regularly, the occasional glass of tea and a place to sleep. That’s good summary of what’s happened I’ll put together some better stories as I get time, like spending a couple days in the infirmary or on the proper ways to treat children and trash here. I’m attempting to get several photos and small web site on line but it’s quite difficult to do that from a third world country. I’ll keep you posted. Please send this on to any who may be interested and whose emails I’ve lost over the years. Kyle, of the Sahara |