A Slideshow Update

Hey everyone, don’t worry I didn’t slip into an abyss at the bottom of one the waterfalls somewhere in Senegal to never be found again, I was just doing a billion things, including my vacation to Italy, some assorted trips around Senegal, a few weeks back at site, a quick trip home to the US (during which I got into Medical School!), and now finally I’m back in Kedougou. But before I go on typing forever and lose your attention, I’m going to try a new format: Just a bunch of photos with detailed but short captions to guide you through my last 3 months that I’ve been gone from the blog. ENJOY!

Teaching First Aid in French at the Dindefelo Summer Camp during September to one of the small groups. 

The Almafi Coast during my and my Family's trip to Italy! Went from Rome to Pompeii, Almafi Coast, Sorrento, Capri, Agropoli, Paestrum, Matera, back up through Rome to Siena, Florence, Pisa and then ended with several days in Rome....amazing trip!

Me & Jennie on camels in the Lampoul Desert after I got back from my Italy trip in October. My camel had mange it was disgusting, Jennies looked like it was chewing poop...

Our tents at the bottom of the huge dunes, it was a fun night, definitely worth it to try once.

Kayaking trip in Palmarin through the mangroves, an area on the coast of Senegal south of Dakar in the Sine-Saloum Delta. Me, Paul, Dave, and Phillipe our guide.

During the kayak trip we stopped to climb inside of a baobab tree where we had cups of coffee that Phillipe bought along for us, he said people used to hide inside of that baobab during wars behind ethnic groups a long time ago. Here's Paul climbing inside...it was kind of tricky.

After Palmarin we stopped at Liquors de Warang, this amazing local place run by a Belgian that makes  these delicious liquors from local fruits, this was their pond and garden next to the tasting area, delicious and equally beautiful!

My Halloween costume at the party in Tambacounda, or Hallocounda or Tambaween as they call it. I dressed up as the only cheese that we have access to, 'La Vache qui Rit' or Laughing Cow Cheese. I once again was pretty much the best costume there.

Tabaski 2011 in November, a typical Senegalese Tabaski consists of serious looking Senegalese men...

and lots of dead sheep... (sorry readers...at least you didn't have to watch it die like me)

but to make up for that last one...KITTENS!!!!!!! My cat Mawni  had 3 little black kittens! I didn't even know she was pregnant, huge surprise when I got back from Italy.

Took a last trip back to Ingeli because it's going to dry up soon...so sad that it was my last time there but it was as beautiful as ever (except that time I went there with Meera and there was no water...look in my archives). Photo of me at the top! 

And the main falls from downstream, so beautiful...I'm gonna miss it so much!

Oh and then there were babies! Lot's of babies, here's my sister Fatou Binta with her newborn baby boy.

Babies! Here's me and Aissitou (one of my favorite people in village because we're constantly laughing together) and her newborn baby boy Boubacar Sidy.

Thanksgiving in the North! We traveled all the way up from Kedougou, my friend LaRocha and I were in a car for  well over 35 hours, but we made it from Kedougou to Ndioum in less than 48! (that's extremely impressive by the way) and then Jessica and I carried on our tradition and deep fried the turkey, along with 2 guinea fowl and 3 chickens. We ate and drank so much, so good, and then I celebrated my birthday the day after with a market trip (no photos of that...sorry)

And then after the North I traveled down to Dakar where I flew home for just two short weeks...I got to see a bunch of my friends and family, it was amazing. I also had my medical school interview (the main reason of the trip) and I got in! Here's a photo from our holiday get-together, Kyle, Johnny, Christina, Me, Hinal, Erin, Danielle, Alex, Olivia and Kareem (Marc the photog ~ not pictured for obvious reasons) Thanks guys for making my short trip to AMERIK amazing! Now back to work...