Giraffes

We learned a new French word.  Giraffes.

Last Saturday, one of the staff here took us, along with two young women from Campus Crusade who were staying at the center, to see the giraffes.  Niger has the last free roaming giraffe herd in West Africa.  It is located about an hours drive east of Niamey

When we arrived we hired a guide who sat on top of the car along with the two young girls.  He had a long stick that he held over the driver’s window and directed us with that.  The area is huge has no roads to speak of, is very flat and hard, out in the open, and has few tall trees – a place where you would think it would be very easy to spot giraffes.  However it took almost an hour before we spotted some. 

We were delighted and privileged to find a group of about 20 – with some young ones too.  The staff person who has been several times before has never seen such young ones or so large a group. 

Out of the truck we all piled and all that could be heard for the next hour was the clicking of cameras.  We had all seen giraffes before but seeing them in this way was just a treat.  They were bigger than we expected and looked really awkward.

On our way home we stopped at the Hotel Sahel to have fries (French fries) and brochettes off the grill.  The Hotel is located overlooking the Niger River.  The river is red brown in color – not very refreshing looking.  Even though Niamey was its usual hot self, we did eat outside in the shade and it was quite pleasant – well pleasant might be a stretch. 

Sally purchased a batik that depicts 3 scenes common to Niamey – and the colors look great in our “home”. 

Hope you enjoy the pictures:    

If you can't find giraffes, you take pictures of goats.

These two below are not giraffes, nor are they goats.  They are two shoppers with a purchase.  A much more dangerous animal group.