Blogs from Thiès Region, Senegal, Africa

http://www.heygo.com Fadiouth - The Island Of The Shells At the far end of Petite Côte, a stretch of coast in Senegal, lies a sleepy fishing village called Joal-Fadiouth. Joal lies on the mainland, while Fadiouth, linked by a narrow 400-meter wooden foot bridge, lies on an island built entirely of seashells. For more than a century its inhabitants have been harvesting molluscs, scooping the meat out and using the empty shells to make their little island. The seashells have accumulated over many years and held together by the roots of mangroves, reeds and giant baobabs. Heaps of empty shells lie everywhere, on streets and building facades. We saw large swamps with mangroves whose self-propagating roots serve as growth support for young oysters. Fadiouth is known mainly for its cemetery, which is also made out of shells. ... read more

22 février Debout dans la foule de la Gate 311, située dans un recoin de l'aéroport, j'attend mon tour pour entrer dans le shuttle bus qui me déposera à l'entrée de mon avion, tout là-bas, à la dernière des pistes de décollage de l'Atatürk (Turquie). Après son atterrissage au Sénégal, l'avion où je prendrai place repartira aussitôt pour Nouakchott, capitale de la méconnue Mauritanie. Voilà qui explique la présence de tout ces berbères zénaga qui m'encerclent donc, suant en grappe une désagréable odeur de friture au travers de leurs boubous et de leurs turbans d'hommes des sables. Je suis le noyau blanc dans l'attroupement. Les Mauritaniens discutent bruyamment. Il y a de la nervosité dans l'air. De toute évidences, les voyageurs en toges sont beaucoup plus à l'aise sur un chameau que dans un avion. ... ... read more

Getting from the Gambia to Senegal was a little tortuous. Before dawn, a taxi took us to the middle of a dark Banjul market. From here, we walked down an alley to the ferry. In the waiting area, hawkers were offering water, snacks and ladies underwear. Useful if you forgot your bra and pants, I guess. We boarded in the dark and watched the dawn come up over the river Gambia. Banjul slipped away and Barra slowly appeared in the distance. It was cold on the 45 minute crossing – we were in fleeces for the first time on the trip. Once in Barra, we bargained with the next taxi driver and half an hour later we were at the border, where we seemed to be the only people crossing. We walked straight in to the ... read more

Part V "ride home" and the day(s) after the ride home in post-wedding dizzy, we get lost on our "ride home", though our route home not a ride at all but rather a walk...M. heads back to the city, but G. and i had agreed with the family to camp out in the bush, within a somewhat safe distance of their compound (they of course thought that we were totally out of our minds). staggering "home" to our tent, we are a bit lost in the forest. the night outlines of baobabs all starting to look the same. where was "our" tree? we find our way and bunker down in the brush savannah...already curious to see what "the day after" brings...which turns out quite fruitful in observations, and generating Part V Editorial... but first... the day(s) ... read more

Part III Wedding day: overview, venue, outfits the wedding day overview every wedding needs a wedding organizer, right? and we had one extraordinaire on our hands! though the final wedding date was not confirmed until 1 week before the event, this should not reflect on his months of preparation. from the taxi onwards, we have idea what is transpiring around us. we spend the whole day in the confines of the family compound, watching people meander between huts, "the kitchen", shade trees. we let ourselves be dragged here and there. we see the groom running from hut to hut, looking pretty nervous. one of the first places we are coaxed to is a bit outside the main family compound. to a pool of blood. we are fortunate, they say, to catch the end of the cow ... read more