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