Since our last set of posts from Ouaga, we split off from our convoy and took off on our own, crossing Niger in a couple of days and entering Nigeria this morning.  It’s been fabulous.  
 
It’s been a while since we’ve been on our own, and we’re enjoying it.  We loved traveling with Kirin, Deathwish, Tom & Steve and the others we’ve met along the way.  They provided some added support and companionship during the tougher stretches of our journey, and were just really fun to spend time with.  What is nice about traveling on our own, however, is the increased interaction we have with the people around us. 
 
When there are four or more cars zooming through an area, we become an overwhelming group of outsiders.  The greatest interaction usually occurs with the people who provide us lodging or when one of us manages to stray a small distance away from the group.  Thos interactions have been valuable, but are few and far between. When there is just one car, the three people inside become a manageable set of individuals who bring different stories and might be worth a welcome.
 
Since entering Nigeria this morning, Doug, Jessie and I have been lucky enough to make some amazing friends.  At the border, while Doug and Jessie were taking care of some form-filling, I learned Yoruba from a border guard and off-duty soldier.  As I type this, the people around me are teaching us Housa, another local language.  We met many more curious and helpful people in our one day here. Joseph and Samuel, two men who took pity on us poor, tired and lost foreigners, unselfishly showed us where to find a good meal and the road out of the very busy and unnavigable city of Kano. The incredibly gregarious and interesting people here in Azare are teaching us about their culture as they are simultaneously trying to learn about our own. 
 
I know we still owe you lots about Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and that will come soon, I promise!  In the meantime, lots of love from this incredibly lively and diverse continent.