Canoe trip

Niamey is located on the Niger river, which provides quite a scenic backdrop for day trips and sunsets. On Christmas day, after the camel ride we took a canoe trip down the river. Here are some pictures of our trip down the Niger.

Christmas Camel Ride

On Christmas day, we went for a camel ride along the river. The ride was just over an hour. It was not so much of a wild ride, as it was a guided walk, but it was still awesome.

To start, the camel is seated and the rider mounts, as Chris is doing here:

Then, the camel stands up, and you better make sure you are holding on to the saddle! The camel is then guided down the path by its owner, while the person riding chills out, looks at the scenery, checks out the camel, and generally relaxes. Here are some pictures Hilary took on the ride.

Camels are such a funny animal!

Trees!

Since the trees of Niger can’t come visit you, we thought we would give you the chance to visit them. There are tons of mango trees here in Niamey, and they usually start producing fruit in late April. Here is what a mango tree looks like if you are laying on the ground.

There are other fruit producers that we have no idea what they are. Like this one for example, with a fruit locally known as “monkey bread”.

Here are a few other shots of trees we thought you might like.

Haircuts

Most people have hair. And most people also cut their hair. Niamey is no different. Barber and beauty shops have some of the most interesting advertising signs. Here is a nice, hand painted sign showing what the beautician can do:

In case you were wondering where to get the best haircut, take a look at this sign:

Globalization

The world is indeed a small place, and you can easily find aspects of life in the United States here in Niger. Look at these examples!

Pays-Bas

FoFo! Sannu!

The cooler season is finally here in Niamey! The nights and mornings cool down to probably around the mid-60s, and it is such a nice relief. The air is much drier and full of dust, but the cool air is so wonderful.

Research continues to move along! A new phase of research has begun. This phase includes neighborhood surveys. Basically, Hilary has chosen a number of neighborhoods around the city to survey to learn about water access. In each neighborhood she does 25 household surveys and asks questions about socio-economic details, and then how they get water. Some people have private taps within their households, while many rely on water vendors, wells, and public pumps. Here are some pictures of her survey in a neighborhood called Pays-Bas. It is an informal settlement near the airport, with little water access and other urban services. Here are some pics!

Tabasci Sauce

Tabasci, the Muslim holiday described in a previous post, was, for the non faint-of-heart, a sensory feast.  Along almost every block were freshly slaughtered, roasting rams.  We hired a taxi and toured the city, encouraged by our driver and a good friend to take pictures.

In the days that followed neighbors brought us mutton, which Hilary transformed into Sloppy Joes!

Thanksgiving in Niamey

We celebrated Thanksgiving in splendid American fashion at the home of an embassy official.  There were six turkeys, stuffing, and the pies that make your mouth sing; Chris ate three pieces!  The house and grounds were beautiful—we had a friend take our picture.

 

Islamic Festivities

Later this week, most people in Niamey (including us!) will be celebrating Tabaski. This is the time when Muslims recognize the sacrifice that Abraham was called to make, but that God stepped in and rather than having Abraham sacrifice his son told Abraham that a ram would be enough. So Muslims all over the world mark this occasion by slaughtering livestock amongst many other ways of celebrating. In Niger, the preferred animal is a ram. Correspondingly, we have had a few rams in our front yard the past few days. They are not ours, but we are keeping them for a neighbor.


Speaking of things Islamic, Chris had the chance to tour the Grand Mosquee here in Niamey. Here are some pics of it.

A little slice of the United States

Yes, we are in Niger, but really the United States does not seem all that far away. For example, when Hilary introduces herself to people, many people remark, "like Clinton?". And people love Obama. Here are a few sights of the US in Niger.

Incredible!

Several days ago Chris and Hilary saw, at a busy intersection, from a safe distance, a motor scooter catch on fire. A small crowd watched in disbelief as men frantically attempted to smother the fire by throwing dirt on it (there was no water nearby). It appeared as though the effort might extinguish the flames, but burning gasoline is a formidable adversary. Without exploding, the fire overwhelmed the sweat and dirt; a crowd of a hundred or more circled the sight.

Yesterday at the American School, where Chris has been volunteering and subbing, Chris and Hilary saw a tortoise! It was crossing a baseball field, seemingly ‘headed for home.’ Once it got to the infield grass, it settled in for a snack. It was not very worried about our being there.

Everyday Life

We thought we might periodically include some day-to-day descriptions and images of our lives here. Beneath is a picture of the path we walk from our house toward the main road where we catch taxis.

Several times a week Chris wears what we call the “Ghostbuster Suit” (above) to the American Cultural Center, where he fills the empty bottles with distilled water. It is apt to mention this, considering that Hilary’s work deals with people’s access to water.

Below is a picture of our guard’s wife. She is holding a document for Hilary to take a picture. Without readily available scanners, digital pictures are a good alternative.

Across the highway near our house, a five minute walk away, we buy locally grown, inexpensive organic vegetables. Some things, indeed, are easier and better here.

Research day

On Saturday, we went with a professor and graduate student that Hilary works with on a tour of different neighborhoods in the city. We went to neighborhoods that we knew had problems with water access, and talked with people about their issues. It was a fanstastic introduction for Hilary to the kinds of questions to ask and how to approach people and the issue of water access. Hilary will begin this phase of her research in the coming weeks. Here are a some pictures!



Here is an interesting picture of metal recycling in the city. The heap of metal below will be sorted and melted down into cooking pots.

Festival International de la Mode Africaine !

Every year (in principle) Niger is host to Festival International de la mode Africaine, FIMA, and we were lucky enough to get free passes to most of the events (thanks to our roommate!). The main event was Saturday night, which included a fashion show and music. Twenty-five designers, from all over the continent, each showcased a collection. The collections ranged from ready-to-wear clothes to haut couture. Here are a few pics!



Many important figures in Nigerien political life were there, including various ministers, the Prime Minister, and even the First Lady! Security was also very tight—police, military, and secret service officers were found dispersed throughout the crowd. The show started around 10pm and ended around 2:30 am. It was quite an experience.

What Goes On In Niamey?

Last Thursday Hilary and Amanda attended a contemporary dance performance at the French Cultural Center. Here are pictures!

With Amanda (our Art Historian roommate) we have followed the fashion scene here. Last Saturday we all attended a fashion show at a bar/restaurant/hotel. The property was beautiful, having the largest and most luscious trees we have yet seen here, along with a pool and an enclosed patio for dining. The fashion show highlighted the designs of a Nigerien woman, Kadidiatou Mariko (her clothes have the brand name K’Mariko, viewable at kmariko.com). Check out a picture below.

One of the biggest fashion events on the African continent happens in Niger every other year. FIMA (fima-africa.com) begins this week. We will attend this week and post pictures! Amanda discusses her thoughts on Nigerien art and fashion and her experiences here on her blog, Aikindadi.blogspot.com.

In non-fashion related news, we have made a tofu contact. Yes, friends, we can eat tofu again. Similar random luxuries enter our lives as we grow to know Niamey’s people and possibilities. We have enjoyed watching borrowed DVD’s and reading borrowed books.

Hilary has recently hired three research assistants (from the Geography Club at the university) to do work in the National Archives. She continues meeting with administrators in the public and private sectors, learning the substance of water politics in Niamey.

Chris’ docket of tutoring has grown quickly. Each week he teaches English to between 3-5 french boys, a medical doctor who hopes to study Public Health in the States, a Nigerien high school student with his English and Social Studies courses, and a French speaker wanting to trade his French for Chris’ English. Slowly his French improves with practice and French classes four times a week.

We finally left the city limits of Niamey!

We met with friends and drove to a house on the river on Saturday morning. Before relaxing under some mango trees on the banks of the river, we decided to go on a hike to the top of some nearby plateaus. We walked through fields of millet and passed by a herd of cows (shepherded by three boys), then ascended the dry, rust-colored plateau. The view was amazing from the top—see for yourself!
Here is a picture of Chris and Hilary, and our roommate and fellow Fulbrighter Amanda.


After having reached the top, we decided to go a little further to see some caves and a ravine. People harvest bat guano from the caves to fertilize their fields, and it was very interesting to see the process in action (there were two boys in the cave harvesting). A bit farther from the cave was a ravine, which in such a dry place is actually quite a remarkable thing to see. And we were glad for the bit of shade and cool water to splash over our skin. Here is a picture of us and our friend Hachirou cooling off!


After what seemed like a very long walk in the hot sun we finally reached the house along the river where we had cold sodas and juice waiting. It was wonderful! We proceeded to grill some chicken and sausages, and spent the rest of the afternoon eating and luxuriating. We were so tired, and a little sunburned! That evening back at home we gathered around the laptop