Travel plans!!!

Got some new travel documents today...no, I have not changed my nationality.

But this allows me entry/exit to mainland China, where I will be visiting a factory in Dongguan for potentially my next job. Be back in a week, and we shall see if I return there or not.

Wow, back into the fold...

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Medicina Bona, Locis Malis

Technical issue resolves...photos!

Cashew Apple...the red bit is edible, quite juicy, and can be very sweet...

This is what a cashew looks like BEFORE it gets roasted...

The bounty...PAPAYA's!!!! the rounds ones are about the size of a cantaloupe, and are "wild".  The oblong ones usually seen in the supermarkets are "domesticated".

Ex Africas semper aliquid novi

Approximate meatspace coordinate: Lat 7.68N Long 4.71W

Did y'all know where cashews come from, because I sure did not. Around here the locals call them "anacarde", and they grow on trees. The nut hangs from a red/yellow fruit called "cashew apple", which is very juicy, but sweet and tart. It's quite fragile so that's probably why it's not viable commercially. A kilo (2.2lbs) of cashews in its shell nets a local about $0.40 USD, so the extravagant price we pay reflects the relative complexity of extracting the cashew from its shell.

Turns out the cashew shell has acidic chemicals, so roasting involves the need for adequate ventilation, lest the aforementioned roaster enjoys pulmonary issues. Cote d'Ivoire is the third largest producer of cashews in the world, and the city approximately 28km possess the world's largest cashew processing plant.

Me...I just enjoy picking the fruit off the trees and eating it au naturals.

No photos for now...technical difficulties.

C'est l'Afrique!

"My Little Pony"...really???

So after switching seats from next to a crying, smiling, laughing, hitting, but never sleeping child on my flight from Paris to Abidjan, I sat next to an Africa gentleman. About mid-40's, well dressed...who spent more than half the flight watching "My Little Pony" on the seat-back screen.

Really?  "My Little Pony"? Seriously?  I...uh...um...urghh...I've got nothing.

Off to Africa...

Back to Cote d'Ivoire...a bit a distance from Mali, no worries y'all.

Hope to put up some more photos and updates once in-country!

Crikey! An update!

That's right ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, cats and dogs...some recent photos to share with all y'all:

As I'm using the "email update" function to post, the photos may not come out with their correct caption...BUT some you smartypants can figure it out.  

1) 4-star hotel?

2) mystery meat...name the animal?!? (quite tasty, I might add)

3) random...uh...scary looking thing on the sidewalk (it's about the size of a housekey)

4) mud huts on fire...actually, just clearing some land.  Might friendly of the neighbors to share their smoke with us...cough, cough...

Contest!

First person to comment with the the present-day name of "Haute-Volta" gets...well, golf claps!

yes...I am planning on continuing my blogging

Finally getting consistent internet access here in Africa helps too!

Will be uploading photos and random thoughts...more or less randomly. :P

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Medicina Bona, Locis Malis