It rained for the first time in 6 months on the night of April 21st. The
storm was windy and the rain was thick. I am normally cheered by
thunderstorms but this one made me happier than any other storm that I can
remember. I think it was the complete absense of rain, pressure drops, that
husky sweeping sound, of that evaporation smell, that I was missing.
Everything smelled, looked, and felt like dust for 6 months. It was silent
except for the motos and trucks. The rain liberated the smell of the earth,
the wind returned to the trees, and the air is constantly changing from
humid to dry to electric rain again.

This climatic change has offset one of the more dissapointing realities of
living in Tchad: letters are not getting through. For three months now no
letters have made it through the system of bribes and tarrifs that make up
our postal system to arrive in Moundou. Fortunately the occasional package
still makes it. I think the US AIR written in giant letters is enough to make people think they’re important. So sorry if I haven’t written back!

Moundou is great when wet. Add water and watch the grass grow from sandy nothingness into a toad ridden metropolis. The cicadas are nice too.