The Wonderful World of Irrigation

I just got back from an invigorating work trip all about health care, agricultural productivity and IRRIGATION!!! While that may sound sarcastic, it isn't in the slightest.

I visited Segou for the first time, ate good food, toured a massive irrigation and rice farming project, ran out of juice in my camera battery, ate really good food, visited a wonderful woman who mills rice and bought a 55-lb. bag from her (contributing slightly by shooing away two donkeys who decided to snack on the rice she had laying out to dry), visited the gorgeous mud mosque at Niono, which was built by the same architects who did the larger and more famous mosque at Djenne, ate more good food, attended the official opening of a U.S.-funded rural health center with a U.S.-funded health fair, ate more good food and then scurried home to Bamako to eat more good food and fete friends who are headed to new adventures.

It was a wonderful trip and just the breath of fresh air that I needed. Because my camera battery died, I don't have the pictures to really illustrate the journey. Frankly, I don't think I have the words to illustrate the journey -- certainly not the emotional upswing I feel every time I'm on an African open road with red dirt underfoot and hot sun overhead, nor the easy joking with folks despite our lack of a common language. So, instead, some pictures and random thoughts (if I get pictures from other folks on the trip, I'll try for a redo on this post.):

First -- above, the Markala Dam, which is the source of the irrigation water for the entire Office du Niger basin. It's this huge alluvial plain turned into countryside by a massive system of canals in various states of repair. The main canal system we followed to get to the U.S. rice project is more than 90 miles long (and those of us on the trip hatched a plan to kayak it during the next harvest season).

The sad part of the dam is its history. The French used forced labor to build it back during the late 30s and early 40s, and the death rates due to malaria and accidents were so high that many Malians volunteered to fight in WWII, rather that risk their lives working construction. Crazy.

Today, it's gorgeous and lovely, with a broad lake filling out the back, white water rushing out the base and peaceful pools on either side -- perfect for washing your clothes, motorcycle or person. On the way back to Segou for the night, we got stuck behind a bunch of herders moving their cows over the bridge. Some of the cows were more attractive than others -- I certainly prefer my cows big-boned.

A map of the river/irrigation system. It's crazy just how much acreage that could never be farmed using rainwater has been converted into food-producing farmland with some river water and engineering. If I was from the American Southwest, I probably wouldn't be impressed at all; but I'm not, so I was.

Company car next to the Niger. Honestly, it looks so much like L'il Goat, if you blinked, you'd think it was her! Except this is more like her rough-and-tumble older brother, Earl the Clydesdale.

A view off one of the side canals -- you can just see a rarely used boat lock on the left.

Last year this was scrub land. Right now, it's dust and tractors as far as the eye can see. In two months, it'll be green with rice paddies.

Driver Nuhum Traore takes a peek at the Alatona irrigation canal.

The farmers' association will be able to manage the amount of water flowing into each field via the use of these handy-dandy gates.

Housewarming and Other Items of Note

I have been very bad with the blogging recently, and did things and took pictures that have not yet been shared. So let me end that (kind of) now.

In late April, I had a housewarming party! While I've painted and organized, the house is still somewhat, umm..., empty and odd-looking, but I decided that if I waited until everything is perfect, I wouldn't have people over until my going-away party. That just wouldn't do. So I propped my paintings up against the wall where they will one day hang and sent out the e-mail invites.

Unfortunately, the day of the party, I got a little bit behind in my preparations (I can feel your shock and surprise from over here.). I'd hired a friends' housekeeper because because she makes awesome spring rolls, and she and I got to work on a Friday after work to prepare all the food. Because I ran late, I spent most of the party in the kitchen, cooking, or running back and forth to greet people and bring them drinks. I will have another party in June so I can be a part of it too.

But the highlight of the night -- WE GOT A SHEEP!!! My friend Harouna (that's him on the left) got up early that morning to go pick out a good one, get it butchered, take it to the sheep-cooking guy and returned after work to pick up the roasted mutton and bring it to the party. Then he and his friend Mohamed cut it up and everyone *pounced.* Some more than others. Sheep is a big deal here. That's Malian coworker friend Idrissa Coulibaly with a piece of mutton and a glass of tamarind-gigembre in the photo at the top.

Speaking of Coulibalies, I've taken the name Coulibaly as my Malian last name. People tend to assume I'm a Peace Corps volunteer, especially if I'm not dressed up, because of my age and tentative attempts at Bambara. Since all the Peace Corps volunteers take Malian names, it seemed like a natural thing after people kept asking me my name..."your Malian name."

But what's funny is that because of cousinage, a hundreds-years-old system of teasing that has helped Mali avoid conflict between different groups over centuries, and even today, *everyone* teases me as a Coulibaly and I'm supposed to tease everyone else too. Coulibalies are probably the most-mocked family name in Mali. A social system based on teasing, joking and making fun? Tell me Mali isn't the perfect first post for me!

As a Coulibaly, I know I'm supposed to eat beans, not ride in pirogues (sorry, I'm a pirogue rider) and not eat one particular kind of fish, which sounds like polio. I will keep you posted as I learn more about what I'm allowed to do.

The week before the housewarming, friends Heidi, Harouna and I took a trip to the nearby Selingue Dam as a first day roadtrip for L'il Goat.

I am a terrible, terrible driver. That's not false modesty. I should probably not be allowed on the road. I'm 30-years-old and this is my first car, my first time driving regularly! I'm allowed to be a little bit bad. Fortunately or unfortunately, I fit right in here in Mali.

After a three-hour drive punctuated by me deciding to pass or not pass people (always the wrong decision, and by "people," I mean cars, trucks, motorcycles, semis, motorscooters, bikes, donkey carts, pedestrians, cows and goats), we had a lovely lunch looking out at the lake formed by the dam.

After lunch, Heidi and Harouna went swimming while I stretched out on this bench under a tree and promptly went to sleep. For a couple hours. Oops.

Well, it was very relaxing. It was so hot that it was kind of like sleep-sweating. But so nice.

Afterwards, we had some dessert -- aren't Harouna and Heidi adorable? They're married, but don't mind (or pretend not to mind) having me along as a third wheel. Seriously, they've helped me find so much and introduced me to so many awesome people -- I owe them tons. They've helped me love Mali even more.

After that we headed on home. But not without stopping to buy some mangoes: 35 for $1. Yeah, you read that right. And they were INCREDIBLE.

Life is very good, and I feel very fortunate. Next week I head up to see a rice-growing area for the first time, so I'll make sure to share any rice-related adventures. You must be on the edge of your seat with anticipation. I will try not to disappoint. Hugs.

Bowling in Bamako

I'd heard much talk about our local bowling alley/night club/Lebanese restaurant, but last night I finally made it there! Some new and old friends started the night with some mezze in the fancy sit-down restaurant upstairs. Then we headed downstairs for the bowling.

In addition to the fancy dance floor on the bottom -- with built-on-a-column DJ booth -- there were 10 bowling lanes, a bunch of pool tables, a fancy air hockey table and a few arcade-style sports games. On the right, here's a picture of my espresso with awesome sauce rock-n-bowl stirrer. Like an idiot, I forgot to take it home with me for future glow in the dark usage.

But one of my favorite parts of the night came at the very end. New friend Molly and I tackled the team player option of the basketball arcade game. It had four levels. You had to get a 50 to move past the first level. We did that no problem.


On the second level, and from then on out, the basket moves back and forth. You have to get at least 100 points on each of the second and third levels to advance. By our fifth try, we made it all the way to the end, the 4th level.

And while we didn't set a new record, we came pretty close! 326 isn't far from 369!!! It is possible that our shouting and cheering -- and relatively high scoring -- attracted attention from the waiters, pool players and other assorted party goers. Let's not say that a crowd formed. Let's say there was a body of interest.

So I daresay I'll be back. Awesome food + bowling + silly games + awesome dance floor = good times. And maybe next time we'll get a little closer to setting a new basketball record.