Some answers to my sister's questions

Those lizards are probably some type of monitor lizard. They look like a mating pair so I think my neighbor just axed his chances of finding another lizard like these in the near future. Every year, starting in March, the men in my village start to go out into the bush to find animals to eat because my post is close to a national park and because the animals are starting to get really thirsty (it last rained up here in October...10/15/2008). This year they have not had all that much luck. A couple antelopes and a porcupine or two is all they have killed so far. I have not eaten any lizard yet but my buddy in RCH (Elliot) has. I think many of us have eaten dog, despite our best efforts, and I know many have eaten rats, antelope, pigeons, snakes, and even cats. I saw some kids leaving the woods carrying a dead hedgehog when I first arrived at my post. Basic rule: if it moves out there, it is fair game to eat. That is why the national parks are soo important. If the European Union stopped funding the park service here and they shut it down all those antelopes and buffalo and elephants and hippos and baboons and monkeys and warthogs would be done. There is not a lot of resource management over here. As far as the missionary family goes, they started to collect animals that people caught to save them. But know people are just catching things so that they will get paid for them. Apparently people come over all the time with porcupines and hedgehogs.

Some animal visitors and other pix...

Here are some pictures of animals recently found in/near my house. I found the little geko and bat escaping my roof and the two large monitor lizards were caught by my neighbors when they were in the bush. The group of bats caught in a fishing net were pictured outside a mosque a little north of my village and the little antelope is a pet of an american missionary familiy in my village....you can also see these little guys in the park. The final picture is one of me on the bike ride back in Jan. The pics of the trapped bats and the little antelope and me are all from Chris Herby's nice camera. It has been VERY hot in my house. I have taken to sleeping on the floor of my shower area. It was over 110 inside my house on Friday. I know this because the oral thermometer that I use maxes out at 110. I turned it on and it started counting up past 109 then it stopped and read 'H'. I guess H means hot, so my house was H degrees. I am also including a shot of a cotton mound that can be found throughout the north during cotton season.

Current work...

I am trying to organize some CPR and basic first aid training session for teachers at middle/high schools. Over here there are no nurses or anything of that nature at the schools so if there is a medical problem (like someone choking or a cut or something) they have to send a kid to the local health center and wait. I know a lot of health volunteers would enjoy being certified in this stuff and sharing it with the teachers in their communities. Luckily there is a group called Mercy Ship in Cotonou right now. They are a group of american volunteers who sail around the world in a big ship performing free medical procedures. I talked with a few crew members and they seemed very enthusiastic abut being able to help us out.

Alibori agriculture...

The majority of people in my area cultivate cotton. It is pretty simple and is subsidized by the government. Soja and small amounts of corn are also planted near the river. Further north, near the border with Niger, there are large rice growing lowland which are also currently being used for corn and veggies (onion, tomates, and hot peppersw are the most common). There is a small stream that runs north of my village and a dam has created a medium sized pond. Next to the steam and pond a couple people have started gardening. They grow banana trees, a small number of citrus or guava or papaya, onions, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans, peanuts, carrots, potatoes, manioc, or carrots. Most of the gardeners only have a few of the above listed items and none of their plots are very big. West of Malanville is an area clost to the Niger river where a lot of this type of gardening takes place. As long as you give the plants a steady supply of water, they really produce well in all this sun. Millet is another popular crop up here but I have not seen it yet. Mango trees can also be found throughout Benin. I am adding some photos of the World Map and of a couple Warthogs from my friends post near park W.

It can also rain...

During our training in Parakou it RAINED! A large wind kicked up yesturday afternoon and a band of dark clouds passed over the workstation. It was soo cool. It had been months since seeing the last rain...it still won't rain up in my region for another month or two. The break from the 110 + degree heat has been a plus. Heading back up today ( living in Africa you get used to long taxi rides: 2-14 hours) and will be helping another volunteer make park W more tourist friendly.

Paint World Map: Check

Finished the world map painting, or almost. The countries still need to be outlined in black paint and their names need to be painted on...also the black sea was lost to an over anxious student-painter, so that will have to be fixed. I will try to get pictures up soon of our work. Tried to start a co-op for the gardeners in my village last week but it fell through. It is hot season over here...102 degrees at 10 PM, indoors. You basicly sweat all day and night and drink alot of water. Mango season will start in all its fury once the first rains come. I hope they come soon. There is a dammed stream on the north end of my village and when I arrived the resulting pond was pretty big...now it is maybe 30 feet at it's widest and you can walk across. We are all getting ready to welcome in the new stage...they will be getting here in late July.

Paint the world...

I did lose my phone but I will get another one when I head down to Parakou early next week. I will have a new number so I will write it down here. I am about to head to a nearby village to help a TEFL volunteer with the painting of a world map on one of the walls of her school. The english teachers use these maps to help teach the kids lessons in geo., and large maps like these make it easier for kids to understand the vastness of the world better than a small one on the papges of their textbook. Many kids have asked me how much it would cost to take a taxi to America! I also want to wish a belated happy birthday to mom, with the service and everything happening last week I'm afraid it slipped thru.