December 14, 2009

Our little Thanksgiving excursion into Mali.


The trekkers overlooking the valley.

We're gearing up for our 3rd Christmas here in Africa. No gifts will be exchanged but lots of food and beverages will be consumed by all (a holidays tradition we should definitely institute back in North America... it takes the stress out of the holidays).

For US Thanksgiving this year we headed out of Burkina Faso and into neighboring Mali to hike the giant cliffs of the Dogon Country for a few days. We traveled with two other Peace Corps volunteers from Burkina and two visiting PCVs from Senegal. (We're a little slow getting these pictures posted. Sorry. ) It was breathtaking experience. Surely these photos will not do it proper justice, but nonetheles, some eye candy worth sharing...


The sun rises on our rooftop campement in Telé.


An abandonned 7th century village 200m high right in the face of the cliff.


Sonia in front of a traditional storage house.


A traditional Malian mosque made out of mud brick.


The trail at the base of the big cliff.


Going up? Here are the stairs .


Sonia in deep thought looking out into the horizon.


A village way up on top of the cliff.




Beuna vista!


Ryan posing with an overly shy local native woman.


Lots of sand... but no beach?


Thanksgiving dinner in Koro, Mali.

2010 is just around the corner and not long thereafter our triumphant return back to the developed world! No details on that just yet, but stay tuned as we begin to put the pieces together.


Ryan and his little friend Delphine.