News from Ouahigouya

Things are going well. It has been almost 2 weeks now since we arrived. We are slowly adjusting to the heat and food. I stress, SLOWLY. Sonia and I are each staying in different cities for the next two month, but we get to see each other each week. I am staying with a fairly well to do businessman in the city while she is roughing it out in the local village 10KM from here. I visited here this past weekend and can confirm that she is in good hands.

Not much else to report at the moment. I can't stress that despite the extreme poverty, the Burkinabe people are very nice and welcoming. The heat here is pretty brutal at around 100 - 105 everyday, and it stays pretty warm throughout the night.

More updates to come and evertually pictures.

Here is our running wish list is internested in sending a care package, as a lot of things are really hard to come by here: (with a few updates)

Purell
Instant packets of anything (especially the instance Crystal Light, Gatorade and Teas)
Magazines
Postcards
Dried fruit packs from Trader Joes
Small jams from restaurants
Small ketchup, mustard or Taco Bell sauce packets
Instant oatmeal packets
Ground coffee
Flavored mini non refridgerated coffee creamers
Seasoning packets (taco, sauces, etc.)
Spices
Little fly paper rolls
Pictures of you, us, people, etc.
Good thoughts

Ryan Gallagher, PCT
c/o Corps de la Paix Americain
01 B.P. 6031 Ouagadougou 01
Burkina Faso
(West Africa)

on a arrivée

just a quite note to let you know that we have made it to Burkina Faso! After almost 2 days of travel, we got in yesterday at 3:30pm... we are staying at a cool compound in Ouagadougou. Much more to come, just the connection is slow and their keyboard has the letters in a different place so it is hard to write a lot right now.

All I have to say is that we are very happy to finally be here. It's like to place you could ever imagine. We'll send pictures soon, so stay tuned.

Signing off from Africa...

The Adventure Begins!

We are packed and ready to go. First stop, Philadelphia? Hey wait, that's not in Africa. Is it?

We're headed to Philly first to get immunized to the gills and the orientation scoop. Then we're taking the train to New York to catch our flight(s) to Burkina Faso (via Paris and Niger). With any luck we should touch town in HOT Ouagadougou on October 5th. We won't likely have Internet access right away, but will sneak away to the Internet cafe as soon as we can to let you now we've made it.

Who knows what the next 2 1/2 years will have in store? Africa, here we come!