Blogs from Senegal, Africa - page 9

Przebrnelismy przez Mali w miare sprawnie chociaz na kazdego stopa czekalismy ok.6-8 godzin.Jednak dotarlismy radosnie do Senegalu. A bylo to tak: (wg zeznan M.) Z reguly przygladalismy sie burzom z daleka,sa imponujace chociaz niebo takie jak u nas, to pioruny tancza po niebie kilka sekund robiac wspaniale spektakle. W Bamako zmoklismy pierwszy raz na tym wyjezdzie a przeciez to pora deszczowa. Bamako chaotyczne rozlegle plaskie miasto z gorujacym nad nim Bankiem Centralnym wyglodajacym jak skarbiec Sknerusa. Suszymy sie i uciekamy na wylotowke w strone Dakaru.Placimy taksowkarzowi by nas wywiozl na wylotowke w strone Dakaru,wysiadamy i dowiadujemy sie ze wywiozl nas w przeciwnym kierunku,fajnie za pol godziny robi sie ciemno a my musimy znow przez cale miasto sie przeprawic. No ale teraz chociaz dobrze juz sobie radzimy w poruszaniu sie po Bamako transportem publicznym. P... read more

So folks, i am within hours away of going back to, or rather once again, returning, to Senegal, and thought i should at least give you the last few fotos. Minus any commentary. in september, i found myself, finally settling, after years, into which family, circle, language, social position(s) i feel comfortable with. let's see if that all goes to camel poo and see what happens this time 'round... ...los geht's! more pictures below...... read more

overall, this Sojourn was gastrologically like no other Senegalese trip of mine. how much of that is due to the development of Senegal and the development of me...remains cloudy. ...unlike years ago, I finally have a strong enough body now to sit, for hours, in crappy lawn chairs. doing nothing. moving barely an inch, except maybe to bend down and pick up my Coke. yes, Coke. i did more as the locals do this time 'round, too. also unlike years, ago, my courage in vocalizing my vegetarianism brought all sorts of surprises, and salads my way. i now announce myself within moments of meeting folks. i confess my strange, toubab lifestyle...making no lame excuses of belly aches or allergies or religious premises. this meant, instead of ducking out of meal times or feigning illness...i began conversations, ... read more

a few years ago, i decided that Tom's of Maine toothpaste was not up to my hippie standards. in that moment, i snickered, realizing just how much of a hippie i must be - who am i to criticize Tom's? about 5 hours into my Senegalese Sojourn, i had a similar moment, when i decided that a middle-class home in a newly developed area of Dakar was just too developed for my african standards. in that moment, i panicked, realizing just how much of an hippie i must be - who am i to criticize a middle-class african family otherwise? being put up generously by a good friend's family, i was staying in a house where the large, flat-screen television dominated the house in routine and decibels, and even in the children's imaginative play... ...i craved ... read more

Monday April 25th, 2011 Dakar, Senegal Latitude 14 degrees 40 minutes’ north- Longitude 17 degrees 25 minutes' west Situated on the westernmost point of Africa, Dakar is a port with a strategic location. First settled by the Portuguese in the 1400s, it was the capital of French West Africa until granted freedom by France in the 1950s. Since then the economy has struggled, but this is the first place in West Africa that I have seen heavy construction equipment lined up on the dock. There is either a construction project going on somewhere or Caterpillar has a factory here. You can tell we are on the edge of the Sahara Desert; everything that has been sitting at the dock for awhile is covered with a layer of dust. The staff onboard covered all the walkways coming ... read more