The End of a Long Long Jounrey

Dear Friends....

If you recall the very first post on this Blog then you must know it is dedicated to Bess and Jared's Peace Corps experience in Mali, West Africa. It has been a tremendous two years and this blog has only succeeded in conveying a fraction of all our journey embodied... I am happy to say that Bess and I are once again living in the United States. We both miss our friends and family in Mali and intend to return as well as continuing ways to serve our neighbors abroad.

If you are just finding this Blog now... don't worry... it's not too late for you to enjoy what this blog has to offer... travel back through this Blog and enjoy it's amazing photography! Or, start at the beginning and travel chronologically through the blog to see and read about what two Peace Corps volunteers did during their two years abroad.

I also to encourage you to visit my new website full of Photography portfolios.

www.jaredphotography.com

Let The Good Times Roll

Let The Good Times Roll

Hambori Sunrise

Hand of Fatma

Gossi Couple

Soulimon, Natalie's Brother

Bess Climbing Crux of "Traditional Marriage 5.10"

Bess on Sumit of Pamarie

Gossi Sun Rise

Jared Asleep

Jared in the Light

Jared in Meditation

Gossi Cows

Gossi Dude

Gossi Wedding

Toureg PDA (Very Rare!!!)

Hambori Moon Rise

Mohammed, teacher of Farmers Field School

Mohammed with Lettuce Nursery

Mohammed, Hamu Cisse (Chief of FFS), and Albana (FFS Worker)

At the FFS Site

Gardner Resting after a Days Work in the

Farmers Field School

(more pictures from the FFS coming!!!)

Bess and Jared at Peace Corps Gao Bureau on Christmas Eve

Woman at the Computer Place where local Gao Associations have learned to make Marketing Brochures for their Tourism Businesses

The Gossi Crew

Bess with our Gossi Family, Fatimatta & children - some of them

Family's Home

Bess, Zanabu, Natalie & Hadijatu

Gossi Trash

Boobacrine, Sidi, Bess cleaning up the Trash - dude watching in amazement!

Still Cleaning up the Trash

Still Cleaning

Still

Not Quite Sure What to Call This Guy?

Jared working up Pamarie

Working It!

Kevin on Pitch 2 of Traditional Marriage, with Brian from Colorado

Kevin on ORI (5.11) going up Suir Tondo, at the crux

Jared crossing Tyrollyen from Kaga Tondo to Pamarie

Atama, Kevin and Jared on Sumit of Suri Tondo

Brian repelling down Kaga Tondo

Kevin and Jared

Happy to Be Alive!

Gossi Girl collecting every last bit of Charcoal so none gets wasted

Touching the Moon

On the Up-swing

On the Up-swing

The Man at the end of the line is Mike Simsik, Country Director of Peace Corps Mali, he stopped in Gossi on his way up to Gao for Business. Bess and I entertained him with a special lunch and when we went to Mayors office to greet the chiefs, the Trash Collection crew decided to honor Peace Corps by dressing up in uniform and Thanking him. No one had asked them to do this, they surprised us all and really made us feel like they appreciated our presence in Gossi.

This is the Result of Bess' Trash Collection Project. These workers drive around Gossi twice a week and collect trash to be dumped outside the town. Thanks everyone who helped Bess fund this project, you gave Gossi the tools and they enjoy doing the work!!!

The Chiefs of Gossi

Local Friend with Chewy

Gossi at the end of Ramadan

Traditional Tuareg Hair to celebrate the end of Ramadan

This is Jared after receiving the funding $$$ that June brought over from the United States... eventually there will be a Blog Post portraying the results of this project - A Farmer's Field School / Community Garden in Gossi.

Gossi Boat

Bess

Mother June Rock Climbing in Hambori

Kevin Setting up the Slackline at Sunrise

Jared Rocking the Booboo

Low Flying Yellow-billed Kite

Yellow-billed Kite

Bess and Mother June at Hand of Fatma

Local Hambori Boy with Newborn Goat