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Published: November 12th 2005
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We took a
sept-place most of the way to the Sine Saloum delta. Me, Luke, and a Senegalese man were shoved into the back row, where the windows don’t open. The men in front of us didn’t open theirs, so there was no airflow. About an hour into the trip we started noticing a really strong exhaust smell, and it felt like hot air was blowing onto us. We asked the middle-row men to open their windows, and we were able to breathe a little better. For the next hour or so, we leaned forward and tried to sit as close to the windows as possible. About half-way to our stopping point, the driver pulled off the road into the Senegalese version of a car repair shop. These shops are all outdoors and consist of piles of cars and car parts surrounded by men of all ages. While our car got worked on, we wandered around and bought snacks (roasted peanuts, cheese, and bread). Eventually all six mechanics (mostly 12 year old boys) crawled out from under the car, and we were on our way. We drove the rest of the way to our destination with marginally better air.
At
the turning off point, we switched to a minibus. After another hour or so, the bus dropped us off in a village near Ndangane, and we took a taxi the rest of the way into the city. The first hotel we went to was closed down, so we ended up at Hotel Barracuda. As soon as we got there, while we were still trying to drag all our stuff out of the car, some guy came up to us to tell us about his pirogue trips. I was exhausted, dirty, and cranky. We ignored him, but he kept bugging us about his trips. Finally I told him just to give us his phone number and that we’d call him if we were interested. He left and we showered, then we headed out to find some dinner. While we were wandering around trying to find a restaurant, somebody behind us started calling out “Excusez-moi, Excusez-moi!” I just figured it was somebody else trying to bother us, so I ignored it. It was actually a French woman trying to find other people to come on the pirogue trip she had organized for the next day. She had already rented the boat and
found a guide, and she was hoping to find some people to share the cost with. We managed to agree on a great price for a full day pirogue tour, and then we joined them for dinner. We all got omelets, because they were the cheapest thing on the menu, then I annoyed Luke by sending mine back because it had about as much onion as egg.
The next morning, we met the French lady, Dominique, and the guide outside the hotel at 9. We grabbed some water and fruit and headed down to the river where all the boats were waiting. We climbed into ours and drove out onto the river. And then we drove and drove. It was pretty, but we were defiantly starting to get tired of riding by the time we stopped. We got out at a fishing village called Djiffer. First, our guide showed us the fish drying area. A whole section of the island was full of rough tables covered with fishing nets. First, they dump the fish in nasty-looking water to clean it off. Then they put them in buckets of salt before spreading them out on the tables to dry in
the sun. There was everything from catfish to stingrays to sharks. It was neat to see all the different kinds of fish, but I can’t even begin to describe how bad it smelled.
The island is situated between the river and the ocean, so we crossed over to the ocean side. We spent an hour or so swimming around in the prettiest beach I’ve seen in Senegal. It was delightfully free of garbage and crowds of people. The waves were strong and broke in shallow water, so Luke and I both took a couple nosedives into the sand. When our guide decided it was time to leave, we crossed back over the island to where the pirogues arrive with their fresh catch. It was insanely crowded and frenzied, and I couldn’t really figure out the system.
On the way back to our boat, the guide stopped to talk to one of his friends. While we were standing around, a woman came up to me with her tiny baby and asked if I wanted to hold her. I was still trying to figure out what she was saying when she thrust the 24-day-old into my arms. She asked if
we wanted a photograph and then asked us for 1000 CFA ($2) for milk. It turns out that this island is a popular stop for large tourist groups, so lots of the inhabitants have routines for trying to get money. I wasn’t quite busy enough drooling over the tiny baby to not be disturbed by the fact that the woman was prostituting her newborn for money.
We got back in the pirogue and took a short ride to another coast. This beach was lined with grass and trees rather than buildings, so Luke and I decided to explore a little. (I needed to wait on my sunscreen to soak in anyhow...) We followed the curve of the beach and found a big baobab that had fallen down. That was the first baobab I was close enough to touch. It felt weird, almost more like stone than bark.
After a short swim, we got back in the boat for a tour of a mangrove forest. Mangroves are cool because they are one of just a few plants that can live right there where fresh and salt water mix (where the river meets the ocean). At high tide you just
see the leafy part, and at low tide the roots are exposed. Oysters live on the roots, and locals drive along and collect them to sell. We just drove along and looked at stuff. We saw a lot of neat birds, but I’ve already forgotten all the names (if Luke were writing this you’d get a detailed list..).
Our last stop was another island. This one just had a tiny beach and a hotel complex. I’m not really sure why we stopped here, but I was glad to use the nice bathroom. After another 30 minute boat ride, we made it back to Ndangane. We went back to the Hotel Barracuda to get our bags from behind the bar where we left them. I soaked their bathroom in an attempt to get the sand off me, and then we went back outside to wait on our ride to Dakar.
We got a great deal on that one. Our guide knew a guy headed to Dakar exactly when we needed to go. He had to drop an old French couple off at the airport. We paid less than we would have for a sept-place and got to ride in
Fish
Here's a picture of the fishermen coming in with their catch. Everyone is hurrying to buy the best fish from them. a comfortable, roomy van. We made it back to my house around 8:30, dirty and sunburned but happy.
I told my family some about our trip, and then they fed us a variation of cebu-jen (fish and rice). In a bizarre twist, I liked it and ate a ton, while Luke didn’t like it and just had a little. Who would ever have guessed? I’m expecting hell to freeze over anytime now. Luke said he couldn’t handle the fishiness after having spent so long on the smelly fish island earlier that day.
While he took a shower, I asked Maman if Luke could sleep on the roof. She said ok and sent Ayou to find a piece of foam and some sheets. I borrowed Lauren’s mosquito net (she’s still traveling) and tied it to the clothesline. It actually made quite a comfortable bed; I may ask to sleep up there sometime. It’s a lot cooler than my room, although it does smell pretty strongly of goat pee.
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Tarrie Geiger
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Thanks, Holly, for the journal. It is so interesting, and I can understand your mom being glad she doesn't know about it until it's over. You have a lot of ability for excitement and do such interesting, tho maybe, scary things. Hope you have safety and lots more fun trips and experiences. Prayers, Mamaw Geiger