Planes, trains and .....

Hello all,

Well, I've made it safe and sound to Nouakchott (Mauritania's capital for those of you who don't know). This post will have to be short, as there are about ten other volunteers waiting to use the internet, but I'll try to tell you something about the blur my life has become.

Last night we flew into the Nouakchott at three in the morning, all dark flat plains, and dust and nothing. Off the plane, (which, far from being a puddle jumper, was HUGE) right onto the tarmac, we fell into the hands of the PC Maur. staff, who collected our passports, sorted out our green-stringed (green strings means Peace Corps), shuffled through the crowd and shoved us into 8 white SUVs (love the symbolism), where we sat along the sides, military style, and drove off to our hotel- men with men, women with women. We plopped down on our mattellas (sleeping mats) and crashed.

Up this morning with the light, breakfast of croissants and a tomato-tasting orange juice, off the the PC bureau, a white, dusty building of stones, and courtyards and sunlight, and rugs. More shots, more shots, paperwork, photos, welcome speeches, and lunch (lamb with yogurt(?), pickles, and onions).

Now here I am in the cooled computer room, but I've got to run. More soon, and I love you.

-Colton

PS Mom and Dad, everything is scary and great. I'm fine.

PSS More next time about Casablanca, and pictures.

Bonjour, Bonjour

Good evening!

This post is to let all of you know a little information on how to contact me, while I am away in Africa, serving in the Peace Corps. (Some of you know this, some of you had NO idea)
Anyway, my address info is as follows for the moment:

Colton Hubbard
Corps de la Paix Americain
B.P 222 Nouakchott, Mauritania, West Africa

A few notes:

PLEASE send many letters.

DON’T send boxes

If you were, in fact, planning on sending me material support, padded envelopes are much better for things more substantial than paper.
But the aforementioned padded envelopes, you must tape these like they are going into a war zone (customs officials frequently tamper with the mail there, and so let us do all we can do to thwart them). It would also be smart to include a note detailing what is actually supposed to be inside.

It might be helpful to number, or at least date your letters, as they can frequently take several weeks to arrive, and not necessarily in chronological order when they do.

I’m writing this from a Kinkos in Philadelphia, (not my original, organized and highly idealized plan) so I’m trying to think of what you all should know. The trouble is, I’m still in the dark about many, many things myself, and will be (at least) until I get in the country this weekend.
For those of you who have my old address please start using my new one, coltonmackenzie@gmail.com, as I am phasing out the old in favor of the faster and more spam-less new. I will be able to check email while in country, at least for a little while, and at least once a month, but I may not be able to respond immediately, due to the absolute crappiness of Mauritanian internet connections (allegedly, allegedly)

Anyway, I’ve got to run and eat and sleep, and do the same thing over again tomorrow. BTW, Philly is nice, Market St. is cute and gorgeous, the plane was a propeller, (I could actually see them) and I’ve survived today based merely on a bit of luck, and the extreme kindness of no less than three strangers. Thank you, thank you, whoever you were. I’ve brought enough shit to break two camels’ backs, the volunteers seem nice so far, but very varied. I’ve met more people today than in the last three years. Much more soon. I love you all.

-Colton