je suis en Afrique

I am here in Cotonou, Benin now. I arrived about 4 hrs ago. I spent one night in a hostel in Paris (St. Christopher's...definitely recommend it, thanks Dave for that one, I loved the location along the canal). French men are a little, um, to be watched, as I had been warned, regardless of age. Some of them just stop and start following you, asking if you are alone, and what are you going to do tonight etc. etc....but so far my brief impression of Paris is great, with its boulangeries (bakeries) and outdoor cafes and restaurants on every corner! And I was able to zip down to see the Arc de Triomphe and the Champ de lysses before I had to catch my plane. My french speaking skills are atrocious but it's kind of fun trying them out. Ok, the first french words I spoke were sticking my head out of the bathroom stall at the airport to ask the bathroom attendant 'est-ce que j'ai besoin de l'argent?' (do I need money), to use the toilet...well in some places you do! and I didn't have any money at the time, so it was an important question...!

But now for Benin. We arrived in the evening, and walking off the plane was like walking into a comfortable sauna! 10 crew members arrived tonight and 5 of us were Canadian! We were all picked up in three Mercyship vehicles and had a quick trip through Cotonou to the Port. Lots of motorbikes zipping around everywhere with no one wearing helmets! Didn't see much else since it was dark. I am in a six bed dorm, with 4 others at the moment, all nurses, from Canada, New Zealand, Holland and Sweden. And really, right now it feels like I am sitting on a BC ferry with the engines humming and the ship rocking just a little bit from side to side. Well that is all for now. It's really neat sitting here and looking out the window and seeing the water and the other ships in the Port! Really I can't believe I am here. We shall see what the next 2 months bring.