I'm here

Well.... I'm here. After 24 hours of travel I left the snow and my coat in Virginia and have arrived here in Togo West Africa. The last few days have been spent getting to know 8 roomates, working in the dining hall, and exploring part of Togo. Yesterday a couple of us got a taxi and went to the market. It sounds so easy, but first you have to walk to the port entrance then we walked down the road to watch for an empty taxi. The taxi drivers don't mind picking you up even if there are 10 others in the cab, but clearly that isn't ideal so we walked and waited. Then of course you have to barter for how much it will cost to go where you are wanting to go. By this point you have 5 others cabs that have stopped to try and pick you up too so there is a large group discussion about cost and where you are going. There are more cab cars here, where as in Benin it was mostly zimi's (motorcycles)taxi's. It was a relief to be able to wander around and feel the hot air, the sand burning my feet in my flip flops, and to smell Africa. It is good to be back. Tomorrow might find me working in the dining hall or getting ready to draw blood in the hospital. Surgeries start on Thursday!!!!!! More to come, and thanks for reading this.