The Night in Niger

The adventure has started! It started in Philadelphia in staging, we I met all of the wonderful people who are joining me in this adventure. During staging, we learned more about the Peace Corps, met my fellow volunteers, and filled out a lot of forms. The next day we got the beginning of our vaccines and began malaria medicine (and no I haven't had any crazy dreams yet from the medicine). Then we left for the airport. We waited at the airport for several hours and made it onto the plane. We arrived in Paris the morning on the 11th (very early morning East Coast time). Then we boarded the plane for another 7 hour hop down to Ouagadougou...or so we thought.

We landed in Niger for to refuel and to some people off the plane and then were to fly to Ouaga. After waiting on the tarmac for about an hour, we were informed that something was wrong with the plane and they were going to try to fix it. We waited in the plane for about another hour and then were handed out customs forms, which meant we were to spend the night in Niger- very unexpected. Fortunately, we had met up with another Burkina volunteer who was on her way back to country after a vacation home. So Johanna contacted the Peace Corps office in Niger to inform them of our situation. The airport was like no airport I've ever experienced- very African I'm assuming. But we weren't allowed to take pictures, so you'll just have to imagine it. Air France located a hotel for us to stay in, so we took a local bus into the city and spent the night in Niger.

I'm currently in the hotel, waiting for a shuttle to take us back to the airport this afternoon, where we will hopfully make it to Burkina. The four star hotel we're staying in is very nice- and even has a pool which was nice for a morning swim...I wonder when I'll get to swim in another pool. I also took a VERY nice shower this morning- I also wonder when I'll be able to take another shower with running water...the things we take for granted...

Well I'm off to lunch and hopefully will write again soon!