snake day!

So the snake guy came to training today, to show us his pretty pets. Here's a horned sahara viper. Yes it's very poisonous, yes it lives in Mali, and no, there is no antivenom for it in Mali. Should you get bit, you'll have to fly to Morocco or Tunisia to find antivenom. Yay! Luckily they're mostly up north in the sand, so I won't have to worry about them much down south where I am. What we do have down south, however, is both Black Mambas (made famous by Kill Bill II of course) and Green Mambas (only slightly less poisonous, but like to hang out in trees. They can kill a bird mid-flight). We have antivenom, but then they can kill you in as little as 10 minutes. Oh, and the antivenom is in the capital, Bamako, and the snakes are out in the bush, where I'll be. TIA, man!

The fellow around my neck is of some kind of python or other, I believe that's the ball-python. It's wicked cute, and goes with my shirt. I very well may get one for my hut (the snake man said he could get me one for between $30 and $40), as I'd much prefer that to a cat for keeping mice away. I wonder if my new host-family will be okay with that...

Swearing in tomorrow!

Oh and for those who have been complaining that I never update my blog, again I say TIA. The internet here moves at a snail's pace on a good day, is subject to frequent power outages, and not widely available. Frankly during training I've made my priority socializing, since I'm going to be out in the brush by myself for the next two years - and when I get out to site next week I'll be 2 hours and an expensive cab ride (which for some reason leaves at 5:30am) away from the nearest place with internet. To be sure, I will keep the blog going, but don't be surprised if I go a few weeks without updating.

Tonight we play capture the flag (in the dark) and then have a dance party!