Finally I have finished all my school work so I decided it would be a good time for me to sum up what I have been doing since my last post and considering that was a long time ago this is going to be a very long post so go grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine while you read.
A Long Journey
A five hour car ride isn't that long to endure. A five hour car ride in a van on roads that dont exists is a little hard to bear. The roads in the Gambia are comparable to the country roads of Snyder County. The roads in Senegal are non-existent what they call a road in a 5 foot hole in the ground so one is forced to drive on the side of the road which is made of dirt, sand, and rocks. One can assume that the journey to Dakar wasn't that pleasant and they would be correct. The good thing is instead of our usual van (no air conditioner, small bench seats, and the seats could fall out of the bottom at any moment) we had a lovely air conditioned van with nice comfy seats. The landscape on our way to Dakar was similar to The Gambia but there were hills and mountains well what I would call a mountain after being on flat land for the past 4 months. There were also more trees, I like trees. On our way to Lac Rose where we were staying we drove through Kaolack aka trash city. I must say it was definitely the dirtiest city I have ever seen. there was trash everywhere, right beside piles of salt that was harvested from the port.
Once we arrived to our destination we were shown our accommodation which were luxurious we had an air conditioner as well as hot water. The first thing that I did after arriving was jump in the shower, I took multiple showers a day in our time there. After scolding myself with hot water because I wasn't used to adjusting the temperature; my only option at the compound is whatever temperature the water is when it comes out of the hose which it usually luke warm to cold, we went to dinner. We were spoiled when it came to food. I think I put back on a few pounds that I previously lost after this trip. There was 3 course meals provided for us. I had steak, shrimp, Alfredo, steak again, and pizza, not all at once these were multiple meals. Thats enough babbling about my spoils reminiscing on them are making me ready for my journey home.
Our second day at Lac Rose we drove into Dakar which was quite overwhelming. Dakar is a legit city, there are tall buildings, highways, sidewalks, parks, restaurants, shops, they even have a mall. After being in The Gambia where you can see a person you met in Banjul 3 hours away in a remote village it was quite the shock to see all the people that you knew you would never run into again. We went to the ferry port which was also overwhelming seeing that it was a real building with real seats, people standing in lines not hitting one another to get closer to the front. There were even fire distinguisher's. Just as a reference point let me tell you about the ferry port in Banjul. There you sit under a roof on benches and brace yourself for the run your going to have to make to the ferry where you will be pushed maybe even hit, then you get onto the ferry where you stand amongst cars, people, and animals. Seeing the differences you will realize why I was so pleased with this ferry service. The actually ferry was almost tourist like it was a nice boat with seats for everyone, oh and they even had a safety demonstration, it was in French so I just hoped that I wouldn't get thrown overboard. The speed at which the ferry traveled was amazing compared to the hour plus ride it normally takes on the Bara Ferry in Banjul this ferry went the same distance in 15 minuets, this could be due to the fact that all engines were working. After this joyous ride we arrived at Gore Island which was one of the most beautiful sights that I have seen since being in The Gambia. The water was clear blue, the sand white, and the buildings where of every color of the rainbow. The sight of the place was much better then the actually island itself. Gore Island is a major tourist destination so the amount of hustling that went on here was a little overwhelming. As we sat and ate lunch we were interrupted on multiple occasions by people trying to sell us everything under the sun. Long story short Senegal is much more expensive then The Gambia therefore I did not purchase anything. I was happy to get off of the island. We then drove to the African Renaissance statue which is larger then the Statue of Liberty, not only that but it is situated on a gigantic hill. I wasn't sure I was going to make it up the stairs I almost felt like I was climbing the Great Wall of China. Over all I thought that the Statue was beautiful and the view of Senegal from the hill was quite surreal.
When we arrived back to our accommodation we were met by the French Army which happened to be training on the beach by our hotel. They being starved of female attention tried there best to flirt and communicate with me and my female counterparts. It was a failed attempt because only one of our crew spoke French and only one of there crew spoke English. After that long day I went to bed early and slept like a rock since I was able to take a hot shower and enjoy the air conditioning. The next morning we went and saw the actual lake which is called Lac Rose because it has a pink hue from the minerals in it. Men and women who live in the near by village harvest salt from this lake so there is piles of white salt all around it. I was even lucky enough to have a taste of the salt it was quite nice as far a salt goes. We also got to go on sand dunes in a huge cut off truck. Later that day we chilled by the pool surrounded by the French Army who wears short shorts as part of there uniform. Not Attractive!! Anyways even though there was a language barrier drinks were still bought for me that I cant complain about.
My Favorite part of my Senegal trip was that we got to see Vivian Ndour. For those of you who have never heard of her dont feel bad I never did before I came to The Gambia. Vivian is a huge star in West Africa her songs are catchy and can be heard everywhere. The concert was to start at midnight, this is West Africa and time does not work the same here as you could probably see from previous posts. We left the hotel at 12 and took two cars to the location of the concert, it was like we were really in the Paris Dakar Rally as we swerved to avoid pot holes on the road and sped to get to the concert "on time." We arrived at the venue and to be expected the power went out and they weren't even letting people in yet. Thankfully our tour guide/very sexy Senegalese man was able to get us in. Not only did we get into the concert early we also got to meet Vivian. This was all wonderful but let me go into a little more detail. The concert didn't start till around 2am, it was out door and it was probably 60 degrees out, this is cold when your used to 80,90,or 100 degree tempurates. We left the concert early and got home around 4am and slept two hour had breakfast got in our van and headed back to Banjul. I was so glad to be back in the small Gambia where you can hitchhike and probably be picked up by someone that you know.
Once we arrived to our destination we were shown our accommodation which were luxurious we had an air conditioner as well as hot water. The first thing that I did after arriving was jump in the shower, I took multiple showers a day in our time there. After scolding myself with hot water because I wasn't used to adjusting the temperature; my only option at the compound is whatever temperature the water is when it comes out of the hose which it usually luke warm to cold, we went to dinner. We were spoiled when it came to food. I think I put back on a few pounds that I previously lost after this trip. There was 3 course meals provided for us. I had steak, shrimp, Alfredo, steak again, and pizza, not all at once these were multiple meals. Thats enough babbling about my spoils reminiscing on them are making me ready for my journey home.
Our second day at Lac Rose we drove into Dakar which was quite overwhelming. Dakar is a legit city, there are tall buildings, highways, sidewalks, parks, restaurants, shops, they even have a mall. After being in The Gambia where you can see a person you met in Banjul 3 hours away in a remote village it was quite the shock to see all the people that you knew you would never run into again. We went to the ferry port which was also overwhelming seeing that it was a real building with real seats, people standing in lines not hitting one another to get closer to the front. There were even fire distinguisher's. Just as a reference point let me tell you about the ferry port in Banjul. There you sit under a roof on benches and brace yourself for the run your going to have to make to the ferry where you will be pushed maybe even hit, then you get onto the ferry where you stand amongst cars, people, and animals. Seeing the differences you will realize why I was so pleased with this ferry service. The actually ferry was almost tourist like it was a nice boat with seats for everyone, oh and they even had a safety demonstration, it was in French so I just hoped that I wouldn't get thrown overboard. The speed at which the ferry traveled was amazing compared to the hour plus ride it normally takes on the Bara Ferry in Banjul this ferry went the same distance in 15 minuets, this could be due to the fact that all engines were working. After this joyous ride we arrived at Gore Island which was one of the most beautiful sights that I have seen since being in The Gambia. The water was clear blue, the sand white, and the buildings where of every color of the rainbow. The sight of the place was much better then the actually island itself. Gore Island is a major tourist destination so the amount of hustling that went on here was a little overwhelming. As we sat and ate lunch we were interrupted on multiple occasions by people trying to sell us everything under the sun. Long story short Senegal is much more expensive then The Gambia therefore I did not purchase anything. I was happy to get off of the island. We then drove to the African Renaissance statue which is larger then the Statue of Liberty, not only that but it is situated on a gigantic hill. I wasn't sure I was going to make it up the stairs I almost felt like I was climbing the Great Wall of China. Over all I thought that the Statue was beautiful and the view of Senegal from the hill was quite surreal.
When we arrived back to our accommodation we were met by the French Army which happened to be training on the beach by our hotel. They being starved of female attention tried there best to flirt and communicate with me and my female counterparts. It was a failed attempt because only one of our crew spoke French and only one of there crew spoke English. After that long day I went to bed early and slept like a rock since I was able to take a hot shower and enjoy the air conditioning. The next morning we went and saw the actual lake which is called Lac Rose because it has a pink hue from the minerals in it. Men and women who live in the near by village harvest salt from this lake so there is piles of white salt all around it. I was even lucky enough to have a taste of the salt it was quite nice as far a salt goes. We also got to go on sand dunes in a huge cut off truck. Later that day we chilled by the pool surrounded by the French Army who wears short shorts as part of there uniform. Not Attractive!! Anyways even though there was a language barrier drinks were still bought for me that I cant complain about.
My Favorite part of my Senegal trip was that we got to see Vivian Ndour. For those of you who have never heard of her dont feel bad I never did before I came to The Gambia. Vivian is a huge star in West Africa her songs are catchy and can be heard everywhere. The concert was to start at midnight, this is West Africa and time does not work the same here as you could probably see from previous posts. We left the hotel at 12 and took two cars to the location of the concert, it was like we were really in the Paris Dakar Rally as we swerved to avoid pot holes on the road and sped to get to the concert "on time." We arrived at the venue and to be expected the power went out and they weren't even letting people in yet. Thankfully our tour guide/very sexy Senegalese man was able to get us in. Not only did we get into the concert early we also got to meet Vivian. This was all wonderful but let me go into a little more detail. The concert didn't start till around 2am, it was out door and it was probably 60 degrees out, this is cold when your used to 80,90,or 100 degree tempurates. We left the concert early and got home around 4am and slept two hour had breakfast got in our van and headed back to Banjul. I was so glad to be back in the small Gambia where you can hitchhike and probably be picked up by someone that you know.
Mice, Razors, and Ash
One of my "to do's" while in The Gambia was to get a Fula Tattoo. I was presented with this opportunity when we went up country to a Fula Village. After hearing that there was a lady in the near by village who was willing to give us the scars me and my fellow house mates minus 2 all bought razors from the local shop to ensure that they were clean and sterile. We then preceded to the older lady who was sitting beneath a mango tree. The people sitting there were looking at us like what the hell are these Tubobs doing, although I think in the end they were impressed with us and enjoyed the fact that we partook in there cultural tradition. Dylan was the first to go and watching the process I was starting to get a little nervous but I kept my cool and watched him and my roommate go through the process. It was then my turn, since I was scared my veins would be cut if I got the tattoo on my writs I opted to get them on my side. I was filled with adrenaline as I stood under that mango tree shirt up with a women cutting three lines in my side with a razor. After the cuts were made the women packed the wound with ash. The Idea is that the ash will heal into the wound and whats left is three dark lines. This is what is supposed to happen but since my wound have healed I am left with just three scars that have a slight dark color, but hey the experience was worth it. The reason for the lines is because the fula people believe that they keep away the evil spirits and if thats what they believe I am happy to be protected.
After getting a long ride to get up country and being cut by an old women under a mango tree I was ready for bed but I was also hungry. When we got back to our accommodations which you will soon understand was no Sheraton, we waited for dinner. Dinner was very good as was our company of monkeys. All I wanted to do was sleep after consuming it. This was not really possible. The huts we stayed in were not equipped with power and it was very hot out. It took me a long time to fall asleep due to the fact that I could hear all the wild life outside my screen window as well as what I assumed were bats in the ceiling. Once I was finally asleep, probably 4am, I know this because the call to prayer was being sung, I was awaken by a shuffle at the end of my bed. I thought I had just kicked my bag when I realized that my foot wasn't near my bag. With this realization I threw my pillow at the direction of the sound and jumped out of my bed. To shorten this story let me get to the point. As I went to the door to escape my roommate was like Shelby is that you and I was like yes and she was like did you just touch my leg and I said no. She too had a visitor in her bed. After this we decided to just go by the water and wait for the sun to rise and for breakfast.
As part of our accommodation we were given the chance to take a boat even further up country where we were promised to see hippos. The boat ride was a total of 6 hours and I slept for about 2 of them. The food on the boat was the best food I have had so far. Its amazing what can be cooked in a small kitchen on a boat.
On our ride we managed to see a few hippos which was neat to see them not in the zoo but sadly all we could see of them were the tops of there heads.
I am sick of writing about that so let me just tell you the following night I was able to sleep without mice in my bed.
Wrap up
So I now only have 12 days left in this wonderful country and I cant believe it. I have had the time of my life along with so many once in a life time experiences. It is going to be a super hard semester next year after the one I had here. Not saying that it was always easy but things are negotiable here, I dont think thats something that I can bring back to SU. I am going to miss the smiling faces as well as the children shouting toubob at me. As for the adults shouting things at me thats something I am happy to leave behind. All in all though I cant wait to see my friends and family, have a burger from the dollor menu, and take a hot shower after driving my car.
As usual I am now in the mood to list.
Things I am going to miss.
Drinks being bought
Drinking being legal
Old Creepy men
Dancing the dinosaur dance
My Housemates
Benichinn(my favorite local dish)
Being at La Pariesien 24 hours a day (the internet cafe that has the best ice cream along with wonderful people who work there)
Aladdin's and Husein
Hitch hiking
seeing cows in the town
pigs getting chased down the road by dogs
babys on the backs of women
the beach
the predictable weather
gully gully rides
and so many more.............................
