My first Gambian mango! - (written February 13)

Mangos are one of my very favorite foods, so I have been watching in mouth-watering anticipation over the past couple of weeks as tiny mangos started appearing on the mango trees that practically cover this country (lucky for us, apparently our village's mangoes are generally among the first to ripen in the region). The largest ones are the size of small apples now, but they are still quite green, so we had not considered trying to eat them yet. However, when our host sister asked us if we wanted to eat mangoes on the way home from watering her family's plots in the community garden tonight, I certainly was not going to argue! She gave us each one and we ate them then and there, skin and all. It tasted like a very sour cross between a green apple and a mango and gave me a mild stomachache, but was still exciting and a nice treat. Just a few more weeks until we will be eating the real thing...