Evac-Consoli-Vaca-IST-ation in Mali

Is it an evacuation? A consolidation? A vacation? In Service Training? The world will never know, and Peace Corps volunteers and staff will call it all of the above. The point is, the situation got to a bad enough point that staff decided it would be better to take us out of Guinea while the situation cooled down (and hopefully not permanently).

So currently, all of us are in Mali, enjoying what has so far turned out to be a nice vacation, with the Peace Corps taking ridiculously good care of us, providing food, shuttle trips to Bamako, pay increases, and even sessions on how to raise chickens (you can be sure that I attended this one).

Currently, I refuse to believe that we won’t go back to Guinea, so I’m looking at this as a vacation. Hopefully, my hopes won’t be proven otherwise. But as a vacation, it’s a great time so far. Bamako, is ridiculously nice, at least by the standards that living in Guinea for 7 months will leave you with. Paved roads, new buildings, working stop lights, electricity all the time, and even a Tex-Mex Restaurant with ridiculously strong margaritas. Oh, God, I even had a chocolate milkshake. Even better, on Friday, we’ll even be taking off for a music festival lasting three days on the Niger River. I’ll let you all know how that goes.

As far as Guinea, the situation seems to have calmed down quite a bit there, with the strikes being called off after an agreement was reached between union leaders, religious leaders, and the government. The President has agreed to allow for a Prime Minister, who will take over most of his duties until new elections are held. It’s really just a matter of seeing who he nominates, and just how independent the new prime minister can actually be. Regardless, it is an exciting time for Guinea and Guineans, despite the fact that I continuously worry that my service might end at any time.

As far as us staying in Guinea, either nobody really knows everything, or everybody is being incredibly tight lipped. I think its just that nobody really knows what will happen in Guinea. While on paper there is an agreement, we have yet to see how the country reacts to the naming of the prime minister and what he is able to accomplish.

I’m really hopeful that we’ll be able to return to Guinea, and am praying that we do not get evacuated again, if only for the fact that the 3 day overland evacuation from Boke to Bamako was the most painful car ride of my life. It was waking up at 4 in the morning and driving through rocky paths or dirt roads (and the occasional paved road, albeit it in ridiculously bad condition) most of the way, over the course of three days for a total of 31 hours on the road. (Those of us coming from Boke had about the longest, and certainly most uncomfortable evacuation of all the volunteers). Riding sideways in the back of a Land Cruiser packed in with 8 other volunteers didn’t do too much for comfort either. But at least we’re now in Bamako, things seem to be looking up in Guinea, and I’m getting paid 140 dollars every eleven days instead 80 dollars every month. Now, cross your fingers and hope that I return to Guinea soon!

Oo’o.