Flying

One of the few resolutions I had this trip was not to fly, but t seems that sticking to plans/resolutions is not my strongest point. I flew from Niamey to Tunis, which should not have to take longer than 3.5 hours, I managed to be underway for 44 hoursTo my surprise I found out, from the monitor in the plain that we were flying via Bamako. After a short stop we went to Algiers, where we arrived according to schedule at 6 in the morning. Because I had not been able to acquire a visa to spend a night in Algiers, I was to stay at the airport. To be certain that I would not leave they took my passport and my ticket. They put me in a little waitingroom without windows, but with Algerian television on for 24 hours. I was not allowed to leave the room, but to go to the toilet. Fortunately I had traded a book with the doorman in Niamey. Although it was an English classic and a love story I was very happy with it because it had over 500 pages. Once in a while I was desturbed in my reading, with the delivery of food. I got as many plane meals as I wanted and as they were quite different from the meals I had been eating for the last two months, much appreciated. At night my bed was a folded cartboardbox, but I slept well on it.

The next morning I was alowed in the boarding area, though several shops with food were present in this area, I could not buy anything because I did not have any Algerian money. I had finished my book the previous day, so the only thing I could do was wait. This is something I got good at as I had a lot of practice the previous months. Still I did not have my passport and ticket/boarding card and I felt a little nervous about it, so I decided I would come in to action at 12 o'clock. At the moment I went to a police officer to inquire after my papers, an airport man delivered me my passport, boarding pass and 2 coupons for free meals at a cafetaria. In the meantime I had grown rather hungry so I went to cash in on one of the coupons. My flight was scheduled for four o'clock. I do not know the reason but the plane we were supposed to take left without us. Fortunately an other arrived. In the meantime my luggage was lying outside. Normally not much of a problem, but what I had not seen for about 2 months happened, it started to rain, hard. I had not protected my bag with the raincover, and I hoped that my bag was waterresistant of itself. After a delay of a couple of hours I was finally able to board and could I undertake the last 45 minute of my flying trip.

Agadez and back again

After a 12 hour busride I arrived ahead of schedule in Agadez. I called the number that was given to me by Thorsten and hoped an Anne would answer it. To my relieve she did and she directed me to a restaurant in the centre. To get there I took a climbed on the back of a motor, the preferred taxi transport up here. Anne welcomed me to here house, that I would not have found on my own. Anne lived at the first floor and I had the choice from 4 beds to sleep. While Anne was at work I had the whole place for myself and when she was at home a nice person to talk to. Although it is nice to be travelling, I appreciated the rest and the feeling of not having to do much. Most of the time I read books from the library guestquarters in the house. I also tried to arrange my visa for Algeria, but was not succesfull. To be able to cross the border I needed an offically stamped offer from a travel agence in Tamanrasset, the first big town in Algeria, that they would provide me with a guide from the border to Tamanrasset. I never managed to find a agence to deliver me the service, but I must admit I have not done my utmost, as I heard from locals it would cost me several hunderd Euros, because I would also need to rent a car with it. Apparantly a guide does not want to hitch hike on trucks, my initial plan.

In the meantime I was not feeling to great. I was tired all the time, felt feverish sometimes and constantly had a light headache. Anne told me it might be malaria and after a few days I decided to pay the doctor a visit, to check my blood. Those who know me, know I now had to be careful of not fainting. Even a not very bloody story can turn me green, a visit to a doctor and having blood being taken is even more serious for me. (I have to be careful I do not faint now;-). I managed to stand straight for the moments it took to take the blood, but while I waited on the results, the doctor asked me if I wanted to lie down, because I was looking so pale. I gladly did and stayed in this position for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes the doctor could tell me I had malaria and a shortage of iron. The malaria could easily be helped, just eat 24 pills in three days, four at the time and should be cured. The iron problem was a slightly trickier problem. I should eat more liver or spinage. Liver I do not like, but can eat once in a while, spinage I do like, but where do I get it from in the middle of the desert? Propably I will be in more luxuouries places soon, may be there I can get some of the vegetables there.

After a week in Agadez I felt I could not longer burden Anne with my intrusion in her privacy and went back to Niamey. The busride was fortunately very comfortable as I still was not feeling to well, I still was taking the anti malaria pills. I for the whole trip a row of chairs to lie on. During the trip I met a Nigerien who adressed me in Dutch. Whe had read my hartstichting sack in which I always carry my food and drinks. He had lived for three years in Den Haag, but was not accepted as asielzoeker and sent out of the country by Minister Verdonk, as he said. It is a shame he had to leave as he spoke Dutch so well, while there are so many who do not speak it a word, who can stay.

In Niamey I returned to my old sleeping place, where I was given a warm welcome by all the doormen I passed walking to the house. At every place I had to explain where I had been for the last week as they had missed me. It felt like coming home and this makes Niger for me a beautiful country, the people are so friendly. This would never happen to me in Holland. In the case the passage I continued what I had been doing in Agadez. Most of the time I sat down with the doormen, playing "klaverjassen" or just commenting on the girls walking by in the street. I also discovered the little plastic sacs with flavoured yoghurt, banana is my favourite and every other hour I fetched one at the local alimntation. On the night before I left there was a small party (of 4) to celebrate the 33rd birthday of one of the two doormen of my place. The gardenboy, a student, brought a few cartons of wine and we bought some local dough with fishsauce for dips. Next morning, with wooden head, I was invited to the gardenboys house to watch dvds, he was from a rich family, they even had a pool. After that we went to the house of the doorman, his house consisted of four brick walls with an aluminum roof and no dvd player. But Amadou was proud to show me one of his wives, he also has one in Ghana, and his two little doughters. The youngest was not even 2 months old. At around 5 I left for the airport by taxi. I was advised not to go directly but first go to grand marche and from there take a taxi to the airport as that would be much cheaper.