Hey, Tubob...

I really think that the next person who yells that at me is going to get pegged in the back of the head with the largest rock I can find!!

Trip from Hell or How I will never have to worry about karma again
The plan: Leave Diabugu on the morning gele Thursday with Amanda, go to Basse, meet up with Beth H. and Minty (she named her dog Minty. Kids come up and say "Tubob, give me minty" and she pulls out the dog. The Gambians get scared and run screaming. It is THE BEST!!). Find a gele to Bansang, then one to Jonjonbury, then one to Wassu. Go to Beth J.'s house. Spend the nite. Leave for Kombo Friday morning. Get to Kombo, pizza (or any food that is not rice), showers, beach.
The Reality: Thursday morning, get gele from Diabugu. It was not the usual gele. It was scary. We thought it would break down. Amanda got stepped on by the aprentice when he was climbing up to the roof. Get to Basse, cross the river, walk to the car park. Meet Beth and Minty. Start asking for geles. One driver says that he is going to Wassu and will take us to Wassu. He says he is leaving "now". Half hour later we leave the car park, circle a little, go back. An hour later... We finaly get out of Basse TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER. During these two and a half hours we ask the driver, the apprentice and EVERYONE involved in the car when we are leaving, because we need to go to Wassu, and are the SURE they will be going all the way to Wassu? Always a Yes, always a "I'll take you to Wassu". We finaly get out of Basse, go through Bansang. Get to Jonjonbury...and are told to get out. They are not going to Wassu. And EVERYONE who we had asked SEVERAL TIMES if they were going there said "I never said that. You should have checked with me. I can't be responcible for what someone else said". Whatever. We cross the river, get a cab across the island. He drops us off NOT AT THE FERRY. A boat guy comes and says he will take us across for D30!! We say no, it is D2 to get across!! He says "yes, but now there are no passangers. You want to go now, it is D30. You want to wait?" We say yes, we will wait for passangers. Luckily, Beth saw the ferry, so we ran to it and crossed. Found a gele who was going to Wassu. The driver had no idea the village we wanted (it is a little before Wassu). That made us a little nervous, but we were tierd and it was there. Then another gele passes. And Adam is in it! Direct ride to Kombo. We call Beth J and change our mind about going to her house. We will take this new gele to Kombo, picking her up on the way. We tell the boy we changed our minds and go. HE GOES TO THE COPS!!! We basicaly have to pay bribes around to get out of there to go to Kombo. OMG!!! Get to Barra, and the Immigration guys are totaly jerks to us. Want our passports. We don't have them, we are Peace Corps. NO! They WANT out passports! Beth calls Alpha (the guy supposidly in charge of our "saftey and security", unless of course we are drinking or women, then it is our fault). Whatever, we get that taken care of, eventualy get on the ferry, cross. Come out, and this guy says D200 for a towntrip!! NO! It is D150! Finaly get one guy, and a second follows us to the car, trying to get money from us, "whatever is in your heart" he says. Listen guy, we have been traveling ALL DAY, and you are the last in a long line of people who have tried to rip us off. What is in my heart is a smack upside your head. (I don't travel well, if you haven't noticed). Finaly get to the Stodge around 8pm, having left Diabugu at 6am. Shower, pizza, internet, bed. So far, no beach. To tierd.

Chaco e-mailed. I will try and find a camera that is compatable with these computers and send them a pic. If the sole comming off is because of the glue (they just switched) then they will send me a new pair. Chaco is good people!! EVERYONE SHOULD BUY A PAIR!! They are comfy. They are strong. The company is really great! Everyone I have ever had any contact with has been helpful and amazing. Go to Chaco's homepage and check them out! They loook a little expensive at first, but they are TOTALY worth EVERY PENNY!!!

Myth (my hero) sent me a couple CD's from a band called Emerald Rose. She saw them at the Maryland Fairy Festival, where she was on the Entertainment Committee (I think. Don't have her letter in frount of me). She went to their table to get a CD for me, and when she told them that she was going to send it to a PCV in The Gambia, they gave her a second CD for free! They are really good CD's. I think they are in second for my favorite band (Inkubus/Sukkubus is still my favorite).

I was going to rank people's letters, but writing me should be out of love, and not some sense of competition. But I would like to let the world know that Myth is the best correspondent that anyone could hope to ever have! She writes great, long, informative letters. If that weren't enough (and it would be), she also sends me stuff. Sarah finds the greatest cards ever, and get's random people to send me cards as well. Just a shout out to them.

I got word that my Dad and Shea are going to come in November, and then we are going to Ireland!! They wanted to stay and do sight-seeing here, but there is nothing to really site see. So I get to go to Europe, and eat food, and it will be wonderful!!!