Learning from Niger - "Somehow it will work!"

Well, if I haven't said it before, time certainly flies because all of a sudden, it was time for Sofia to go back home again to an anticipating family!

Even she thought time went by far too quickly, so I'm not making that up (about how time flies)!

She picked the worst possible day to leave - at least if you had a look at the weather. You see, there was a time in December that we had so much blue sky and sunshine that it was hard to imagine it could ever get cold in this country... But believe me, it can! And it gets dusty too!

Having said goodbye to the monkeys, including the old baboon Rez, the baby Julius and his mischievous sister Amalia.

Though she was not a dog person when she arrived, it seemed weird to go back to life without these four-legged companions... Baloo of course would be missed the most! (but then again, he is always such a favorite with visitors...)

There was something about there being trouble with the car, but let's think Nigerien - "it'll work itself out, somehow!"

Renate, Josef and Maurice going through the waypoints that had been taken on a previous journey to Kano (which warns for bad roads and different obstacles).

"I have no idea how I'll get through the airport, but somehow, it'll work!"

The car had to be pushed to a start, but after that, things went smoothly... (Just like the Nigerien saying anticipates, it all worked out!)

Off they went-

...leaving me alone in an empty house! Perhaps the four guard dogs, the three baboons, the five parrots and the two and a half horses will keep me company, now that the other three have left...

Ishtar

First ones to go

Anette and my dad drove to Kano this morning. They're both flying to Sweden. My mom and sister were supposed to have come for Christmas, but my mom got a serious infection and so my dad is joining her instead. It's sad because we were really looking forward to seeing them again, but it feels good that he'll be by her side soon. She's been in a lot of pain lately and we all wish we could ease it in some way...

It's been great having Anette and my dad around (who would have thought that seven weeks could pass so quickly?) - now we'll have to see how well Sofia and I can do by ourselves... :-)

Ishtar