{ La vie au Mali }

Here are a few of my favorite photos from my first few days in Mali...what an adventure. I love it here and I am already creating a little day-to-day routine. 

Enjoy!

Flying out of SLC, watching the sunset over the Great Salt Lake - incredible.

Flying out of Paris, I could see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe :)

Flying over the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. 

Flying over the Sahara desert...waves and waves of endless sand. This is probably the closest I will ever get. 

Landing in Bamako...it looks much different than flying into any American or European city I've been to.

The small Bamako-Senou airport

I stole this photo from a friend.

Two of my favorite guys here in Mali - Sibiri and Dra. I get to work with these two on a daily basis. Sibiri speaks French and is very patient with me. Dra speaks French, English, and Bambara...he's nice to have around and so sweet.

This is Kyle and I, campaign interns, with Sibiri. First day on the job!

Another one of our co-workers.

We spent one day driving an hour out to the village of Ouelessebougou, where Future President Yeah Samake is currently the mayor. It was fun to meet Yeah's family and to see more of village life. 

The drive out to the village

The mayor's office in Ouelessebougou. 

This is Mayor Samake's 2nd Attendant...it was fun to meet these guys.

The current Mali President - ATT. 

Secretaries at the Mayor's office.

The PACP (Parti pour l'Action Civique et Patriotique) Headquarters...and this is the building I live in.

My first CFA's (Central African Franc). I love international currency. 

Buying fruit from a street vendor.  

Look how cute these girls are. Marissa, Yeah's wife, gave the girl some CFA and walked away...she was shocked. It was nearly a day's wages.

The Samake's kitchen...outside this little room is where their cook, Mari, makes the food on a bed of coals. Much different from a typical American kitchen, eh?

Some sweet old women on the street - they wanted me to take their photo!

This morning, we visited our local market. I was expecting it to be very similar to a local market in India but...'tis not so. It was very different. 

The fish market "poissonerie" - we watched them handling the fish in open air.

The Samkes adorable daughter, Carmen. Love this little girl. She's so cute!

The chicken sector of the market...lots and lots of chickens. We watched a man tie the legs of a chicken and chop off the head. Right next to me. Interesting.

Cutting up the chicken, cooking it, etc. Can you see very well?

The market...the roof is a very thin layer of straw, sometimes with tires to hold it down. 

The Butcher...I was fascinated. Carcasses hanging in the open air...no big deal.