Finally, some pics!

There are very few trees now. Just these thorn trees with NASTY spikes, up to 2.5 inches very sharp and very strong. I keep a sharp look-out for these, so they don't go through my tire. The branches make for a great "fence", though, keeping all the goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels out of the millet fields!






New mosques are being built around this country every day. There is apparently lots of funding from states like Lybia, Saudia Arabia and others. They usually look really cool.


























Things are definitely dryer in these parts. Check out these rivers!




Writing the Arabic prayers on a tablet of wood, using an ink-dip stylus.


























Love the name of this village. I'm not sure whether they really think their village is a hole, or if Dennis Leary is the mayor!
























When I saw these birds up on the wall, the only thing I could think of was: "So what you want to do, Aye, Aye? I don't know... What you want to do? Oh Don't start that AGAIN!" -The Vultures (The Jungle Book by Disney)



These are some Fulani homes near Niamey. The Fulani are great herders (even the 4-year-olds!) and spread all across West Africa, but this is one of the areas that is considered a "homeland" for them.







The Tuareg are also nomadic herders, but they tend to have cattle and camels more than sheep and goats. In certain areas, like I have been riding through, the two co-exist quite peacefully.



























The Hausa's build there homes a little differently, but they look good, and I'm sure the mud keeps them relatively cool inside. The square/rectangle buildings are the ones they live in and the round ones are where they store their millet (grain).