Phil Paoletta is a retired professor of camel drawing, hotelier, tour leader, amateur birder, and wannabe guidebook author. Formerly a middle school teacher in Washington, DC, he is now a semi-nomad based in West Africa. He runs scooter trips in the region and collaborates with former tourist guides in Timbuktu to send postcards. He is one part of The Sleeping Camel hotel and restaurant in Bamako, Mali. He enjoys dabbling in West African languages and is interested in postcards, stamps, and mail.