Three more weeks to go.



Checklist: guidebooks leafed through, vaccinations done, anti-malaria drugs started, packing list written. Only finishing touches for the mental preparation and good-byes to Finland, family & friends left. Somehow it would be nicer to leave in October than in the middle of a beautiful Finnish summer (see the photos), but I can't really complain: winter with temperatures ranging from +25 to +35 Celsius degrees doesn't sound that bad, in the end.

Besides traveller's guides, I've been doing some other Africa-related reading lately, too: Alex de Waal's "Who fights? Who cares? War and Humanitarian Action in Africa", Ryszard Kapuscinski's "The Shadow of the Sun" (strongly recommended - Eebenpuu in Finnish) and Annie Caulfield's "Show Me the Magic - Travels Round Benin by Taxi" (very strongly recommended!). Tonight I might watch Hotel Rwanda - will I have an Africa overdose already before leaving? Oh, and not to mention African dance courses I've been attending: one mbalax class with Astou Faye from Senegal and three classes with an excellent Burkinabé, Adama Ouattara last week. I'm taking my studies seriously, you see!

Comments

Elise said…
Only three weeks to go. Oh my. It's soon!
12 August, 2006 13:45
Minkki said…
Riikka! Et ois laittanu mua viel noihin linkkeihin...Kaikki on vielä kesken...

Menikö eilen myöhäseen? Mä menin sit lopulta kotiin. Nyt käynnissä kuvarumba: siirrän mun kuvatiedostot Sannan koneelle, ku Marsu vie koneen mukanaan maanantain.
12 August, 2006 14:44
Riikka said…
Niin, kaipa se olisi kohteliasta kysyä ihmisiltä ennen linkin laittamista, mutta ajattelin laittaa sen nyt samalla, kun muistin vielä osoitteen :) Voin tietty laittaa sen piiloon, kunnes valmistuu!
13 August, 2006 00:36
Minkki said…
joo, se vois olla hyvä idea...Oon täysin pihalla noist jutuist;) Hetki heilahtaa ennen ku se on valmis.
13 August, 2006 14:03
Anonymous said…
Heh heh, hauska nimi tällä plokilla. Odotan jännityksellä jatkoa!
15 August, 2006 16:43
Elise said…
And btw, is it a winter with those degrees... I think I could not live without 4 seasons.
16 August, 2006 14:26
Anonymous said…
Hei, loistava idea tää Benin-blogi! Ootan jo innolla sun reissusi seuraamista. Mullakin muuten hiljattain aloitettu blogi (http://katna.vuodatus.net/) mutta ei kyllä mitenkään Afrikka-aiheinen. Vielä ainakaan... varmaan kanssa ensi keväänä sellaiseksi muuttuu, jos/kun sille mantereelle kanssa pääsemme Tintin kanssa :)
22 August, 2006 23:43
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