No matter where I have traveled or how long I've been gone...the first view of the cluster of villages on my mountain top takes my breath away every time. As the tranzit rides bast the thousandth rock wall or the millionth donkey or sheep, eventually we turn the corner of a rock wall and there it is...my home. It's the most beautiful view of the mountaintop. From that turn on, it's down hill-so it's the best point to see almost 7 of the 40 villages (the most you can see at once) of the mountain. You also get the view of the southern High Atlas Mountains, which are sprinkled with snow. It's quite the site to see.
Although the tranzit ride is not too long (no more than 2.5 hours on a bad day and as fast as an hour and 15 minutes on a good day), whenever I arrive back at site, I'm so happy to get home and take a nice warm shower. I do have a shower room and a hot water heater in my house, but the water (which comes from the snow topped mountains, into the chateau, and through my rubini/spicket) is so cold during the winter that the water heater barely gets it to luke warm. Still, every time I get home...I boil as much water as will fit in my largest kettle (about a gallon) and wait for it to boil...as I play with my cats (Apollo and Nina) and snack on some baguettes and apricot jam that I bought from in town. It's a traditional home-coming snack and a real luxury because you certainly can't find baguettes in site (although the home made bread of my neighbors puts up a good fight for best bread in the province). After the water boils (about 20/25 minutes) I mix it with cold water in a bucket and take a "bucket bath" (exactly what it sounds like....just pour the water over you and enjoy the warmth). After this...there's no getting me to leave my house. Any hope for productivity (whether its taking my food scraps to my neighbors so they can give it to their sheep or visiting my host family's house, in a neighboring duwar, to let them know I'm back and play some frisbee) it all has to take place before I get into veg mood.
Today is Sunday and I had quite the productive weekend. I was able to get some "internet" things done in town and had a meeting with some fellow PCVs about the upcoming HIV/STD education project we are collaborating on...so no guilt here. Tonight I will watch some Grey's Anatomy (on my computer), curl up with my kitties, make a work phone call or two, skype (if possible), and enjoy my internet (because I never know how long it will last for. This is a perfect Sunday.
Here's to a good week ahead.
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