Mali

I leave today for a week in Mali, where I'll rubbing elbows with the African elite (as well as a numer of really incredible women who are far from being elite but work for peace in their own communities). I probably won't be writing while I'm there, although we're staying at a swanky hotel so you never know, maybe they'll have internet. But I'll be sure to keep good notes and tell you all about the conference I'm attending when I return.

Last night, I was able to watch the Côte d'Ivoire vs. Argentina match with a bunch of Ivoirians and I can't tell you how many times I heard the phrase, "c'est pas possible!" referring to all of the missed goals. The consensus where I was was that the coach failed to put in their best players and that's why they lost...in case any of you care :) They all promised me they'd root for the US tomorrow since I cheered for their team yesterday.

I also took my first trip to Gorée yesterday, which is an island off the coast of Dakar where there used to be a very active slave trade. It's now a pretty popular tourist destination and was quite beautiful. It reminded me a little of Alcatraz, in the SF Bay, and offered a nice view of Dakar as well. I'm planning to go back because this was just a spontaneous trip because we had a couple of hours to kill before the game. So I'll write more about it later.

Okay, I'm off to Mali. A Bientôt.