Fiesta time

Our Cinco de Mayo party yesterday was a success. I cut up half of the sheep rump and cooked it up with peppers and onions to make fajita meat, and on top of that, we got some ground beef and made taco meat as well. Susan, Ashley and Phil made fresh tortillas, Dave prepared some Cajun style rice and beans, and I refried some additional beans to complete our Mexican smorgasbord. Oumar and Ely came over and got to taste Mexican food for the first time. They were quite pleased. We all ate our fill, drank some beers, and sat in the cement and stone “hot tub” at the Peace Corps house that they filled up with jugs of water. Altogether, it was a fun day of hanging out and eating good non-Malian food.

This morning I had a grilled mutton chop for breakfast; this is the sheep that keeps on giving. I’ve been starting to pack all morning. It’s starting to hit me that I’m really going home. I’m 90% glad about that, but every now and then I feel a twinge of sadness, mainly about leaving Ramata and Oumar, my closest friends here.

Steve and Ely left for Sangha before I got up this morning, and Minkailou accompanied them, so the house is rather empty. It feels like the end is approaching.