October 25, 1980

NIAMEY, NIGER
Started the day out by going to the post office to ask about sending my alghaïta (oboe) home. You've got to bring all your packaging materials there and wrap it up in front of them. Where to buy paper? At the bookstore. Since I've run out of the anti-malaria pills I bought in Algeria, I decided it was time to visit the Peace Corps doctor for a consultation. Neither of us could figure out exactly what it was I'd been taking, but I don't think it was the right stuff. He gave me a prescription for chloroquine and OK'd the pills I've been putting in my water.

Finished my shopping in time to make the pool at noon. The French guys have left for a weekend trip to a local village, leaving me, Jens, Marcel and Kipper, the German with the truck.

By now I've gotten comfortable with the idea of going west instead of east. I've checked out visa availability and transportation and found that I can take a taxi-brousse to Ougadougou, Upper Volta; a train down to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where Jean-Luc lives; a bus up to Bamako, Mali; a train over to Dakar, Senegal; and a boat back up to Casablanca. It might get me home on just the $1,000 I'm waiting for and leave me with some spending money when I get home. Also, Senegal is reputably a good place to visit.

Out of boredom, I stayed at the rec center to watch the Friday night film. "Kingdom of the Spiders." Afterwards got talking to some Peace Corps workers—one of them, Jonathan, tentatively invited me to stay with him in a day or two. He's even got a houseboy who will do my laundry! He mentioned a PC volunteer in a village about 200km away that I might visit if I start feeling too civilized—seriously considering this.

Slept in Kipper's truck.