My free time in Bamako

I came into the city to get things done. I completed my mid-service medical exam (took less than 10min) and went to a local dentist for a cleaning and check-up. I also finally received my atm card! Hooray! After being the only Mali volunteer without one for a whole year, every atm withdrawal has been an amazing experience. Usually, I have to get to the bank 30 min before it opens to get a ticket to wait to withdraw a large sum of cash so I don't have to wait again or sometimes if I'm not there when it opens I may have to wait up to 3-4 hours to get money. Argh! Not helpful considering I have no bank in my town so I had to travel to a town two hours away, but no more because I have an atm card!
While in Bamako I visited the National library, but it was closed so I'll have to go again another time.
On Friday, I visited a Malian family in Bamako and watched The Forbidden Kingdom dubbed in French. After I met up with my friend to caravan to our homestay village to visit my first Mali family and village. I was nervous/excited to see them.



We were a little delayed and distracted in the city by ice cream and super market stores so we left town a little late and did not arrive in our homestay village until well after dark. We stopped by his host family first for greetings and dinner. I was not able to contact my host family in advance, because all of the cell numbers I used were inactive. So I just hoped for the best, that I would have a place to sleep with a mosquito net. The homecoming was great my host-father was delighted to see us and they prepared me a very comfortable bed with net in one of his family's bedrooms. As Matt and I were chatting with the family a man came to see my host father (medicine man) to have his fortune read. Matt was very much intrigued and asked to have his read as well. My father explained he can only say what he sees that is good, when they read your fortune and if they see something bad or negative they will not tell you. So Matt felt a little cheated when all he could tell him was that he will have a peaceful time in Mali and the session was over. So he asked more specific questions and received these answers. His first child will be a son and he will have three kids, only time will tell.
The next morning I woke to a rain storm that lasted until 8am. I was told to bathe and then given a cup of warm milk and bread for breakfast. I wanted to do something for my family to show my thanks for the two months I spent as a trainee living in their family. That morning I told my host mom I am making lunch, what do you want to eat rice and peanut sauce or zame? It was unanimous everyone wanted zame.

 I also went to the Mali v. Cape Verde soccer game with a great group of people.

Mali won 3-0! Now Dan wants to travel to the final in Gabon. After the game we had pizza dinner.

The next day a couple friends and I went on an exploratory stroll through Bamako and sought out the location of a nine-hole golf course we heard was near the casino. We found it! Located behind the large Libya Hotel, we were excited to play, but all agreed on what we were willing to pay before we saw the actual price for a game. We felt 5000 FCFA (about $10) was a fair price. Turns out if you are a member you get a better price, though not by much, and if you are a guest playing it is 15000 FCFA not including the extra 5000 FCFA for club rental fee. Lame-sauce, so we just walked around and sat by the pool planning our return trip to Bamako to play golf.

The last few days in Bamako I went to the National Parc du Mali. We had a picnic and strolled the park trying all the excercise stations and people watching.

Geoff is a climber so when we come back in November, he is going to scale some rocks.