The next day, we tried Chetateye (as it was labeled on the map) or Tateye (as it was spelled on our list). We did the usual thing of stopping and asking folks as we got close, and sure enough, everyone knew where it was, as it was practically on the main road. We finally approached the man in the bottom right of this picture, and asked where we could find Tateye. Turns out,
he's Tateye! (which makes the alternate name of chetateye, or chez tateye make sense) The village goes by a different name. He is the patriarch, so it makes sense that this group of people goes by his name. He had scores and scores camels, sheep, and cattle, which all made me think of Abraham. Do you think he might have looked like Tateye?
In this picture, I'm drinking fresh cow milk out of a calabash. Yes, I am a public health official. :)
Finally, pictoral proof that I was on a camel. Wore pants this time! :) Still made a horrible noise.
Guinea fowl are semi-domesticated in Niger, and sometimes must breed with chickens. You run into an occasional bird with the head of a guinea fowl and the plumage of a chicken. They're very funny looking. The meat is delicious and better than chicken. The little village chickens are sometimes called "poulet bicyclette" - pretty self explanatory even in English - well describes how scrawny they are!
All the lambs were napping in one of Tateye's tents - these are just 4 of 20 or so in the tent.
Lambs are the world's sweetest, most docile creatures, and quite cuddly. Lamb hardly sounds like a name for God after holding one. It starts sounding so blase to western ears, and you don't realize after hearing it so often how shocking it was in its original context. Also had a lot of time for meditations on sheep....one, they are pretty dumb animals, always crossing the road at the wrong time, they usually do run around mixed in with the goats (although I would separate them by the fact that sheep are the ones with the floppy ears and tail), and they're also pretty docile and trusting, after watching them be tossed up on top of a minivan and strapped down.
Feeding a baby camel - they can make the same horrible sounds as the adults, but all babies have this cuteness...
In this picture, I'm drinking fresh cow milk out of a calabash. Yes, I am a public health official. :)
Guinea fowl are semi-domesticated in Niger, and sometimes must breed with chickens. You run into an occasional bird with the head of a guinea fowl and the plumage of a chicken. They're very funny looking. The meat is delicious and better than chicken. The little village chickens are sometimes called "poulet bicyclette" - pretty self explanatory even in English - well describes how scrawny they are!
All the lambs were napping in one of Tateye's tents - these are just 4 of 20 or so in the tent.
Lambs are the world's sweetest, most docile creatures, and quite cuddly. Lamb hardly sounds like a name for God after holding one. It starts sounding so blase to western ears, and you don't realize after hearing it so often how shocking it was in its original context. Also had a lot of time for meditations on sheep....one, they are pretty dumb animals, always crossing the road at the wrong time, they usually do run around mixed in with the goats (although I would separate them by the fact that sheep are the ones with the floppy ears and tail), and they're also pretty docile and trusting, after watching them be tossed up on top of a minivan and strapped down.
Feeding a baby camel - they can make the same horrible sounds as the adults, but all babies have this cuteness...
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