Algeria-GO!

 I touched down once more on African soil towards sunset last night and this time Algeria opened its doors to me without problem;  Carin waited at the airport and drove me through Algers on a balmy Mediterranean summer evening towards the ambassador's residence: a lovely modern  Algiers house, where we were joined for a pleasant dinner with Christina,  the impossibly glamourous and filmstar- looking Norwegian chargé d'affairs , talking much politics and Mali situation  but also plenty of fun girly talk.

Meanwhile something quite extraordinary took place at Hotel Djenne Djenno last night: there were 12 Greek tourists staying at the hotel  and having dinner under the stars! That  is virtually unheard  of course: I would love to think that it is a good sign that tourism is about to return, but alas it must be regarded as a freak occurence...I was in frequent contact with Baba in the hotel and this morning they left without any problems, alhamdilulla!

Tonight is the show-down between Algeria and Germany in the Worldcup quarter finals: it would have been fun to stay but I will be winging my way to Bamako towards an uncertain few months: decisions must be made about our future in Djenne and at the hotel in particular.  Should I stay or should I go?