Amerik to Here! And Back!

They  came. They saw. And they conquered.

Jenn and Margaret just left the land o’ Pulaar for the land o’ plenty.  They gave up three weeks of their real-world lives to see what encompasses my semi-real-world life here.

It was three weeks that sped by too fast for sure.  We laughed. We cried. We drank. We ate. We declined marriage proposals.  We WERE Senegal.  They did it all, and to be perfectly honest, I definitely didn’t make it easy for them.  To call them troopers, isn’t even close to enough.  In short, they faced not only culture shock, but also cases of the African stomach, threats of gangrene, intense sunburn, broken-down transportation, midnight goat and donkey calls, and among other things, the craziness of the 4^th of July annual Peace Corps Senegal party.

We started the trip in Dakar. They arrived early in the morning, fresh-eyed and energized for all Senegal’s opportunities.  That lasted about 30 minutes until the jetlag caught up with them. So our first adventure…an afternoon nap.  The peace and quiet didn’t quite last long enough, because we were very hastily awakened by warnings of impending riots.  Now riots, protests, and strikes seem to be an everyday occurrence here (remember, this was a French colony).  So, I brushed the news off and continued relishing in these all-too familiar faces that so surreally sat in front of me. Well, President Wade seemed to have made quite a mistake, because things seemed to just be getting tenser and tenser.  For a while, we didn’t know if we could even leave Dakar in order to begin our big, adventure tour of Senegal.  But like so many other things in Senegal, the people tired of it quickly, and by the next day we were on our way…to the camels.

Our first real stop involved a trip to the desert of Lampoul. Here we spent the night in the midst of sand dunes in Mauritanian-esque tents.  We were the only 3 guests there, so everything was personalized just for us.  We had a wonderful dinner, followed by a personal-sized drum party.  The best part: we tried to request an Akon song for them to bang out…and they did (they LOVE Akon). The next morning we awoke to a pack of camels, and it was our turn to take the reins.  We were led on a short trek with our own personal camels. (note: when riding camels, you sit ON the hump, not in front of it) I think Jenn and Margaret must have some innate-camel skills (probably something in that Tullahoma water), because the “staff” of our campemont started the proposals the second they got down.  Lucky for me, I can understand Pulaar…Jenn and Margaret, not so much.  Little do they know, I ended up giving away their hands in marriage for a free ride to the neighboring town.  (anything for a free ride, right? Also, Marge and Jenn, SURPIRSE. I bet that explains a lot of the unwanted attention, huh?).

After camels we started making our way down south to a place called Palmerin.  It’s a small coastal village, where you can kayak through the mangroves.  We spent the next 2 nights there with my friend, Steve.  The first one, they praised him. The second night, curses only.  Why? Well, before going to the kayaks, we all asked Steve if we even needed shoes. His reply: “no way, you’ll be fine.” Famous last words, some would say.  After a short hike through the fields of cow/horse/goat poop, we made it to the kayaks.  We jump in and begin paddling.  Around midday we stop for lunch and a swim.  Well, we’re all excited and start running into the water. On the way, Jenn and Margaret both get brutally “attacked” by clamshells. This is where the gangrene “scare” comes into play.  After much blood-loss, they get doctored up by our guide, and we eat a fabulous lunch, before heading back on the water.  A little further, there’s a spot with a cluster of baobab trees, where you can go inside one.  Well, we’re on our way inside, when all of the sudden, on his way inside the tree, our guide almost steps on a viper snake.  Needless to say, plans were changed and we ended up drinking our coffee (Nescafe-ring a bell, South African friends?) on some rocks.  It was almost-just as glorious.

What better way to follow such adventure than with a trip to Saare Boyli?  Village was the 3^rd stop in the trip, and I was anxious to see the girls’ reactions to bush life, as well as hear their perspectives.  Somehow by the grace of God, we managed to make it from Palmerin to my village in one day (although we didn’t get into village until about 11PM).  I really didn’t think that was possible, but it happened.  The next day was spent greeting the village, a tedious but necessary protocol. Mid-greets, we were surprised by a gaggle of volunteers from anther region biking towards our 4^th of July destination.  It was cool to spend the day with them, especially since Saare Boyli loves twobaab visitors.  In the midst of all the action, the girls manage to show off their sweet dance moves, get new African names (Margaret=Fatimata and Jenn=Mariama), and learn to eat with their hands.  The next day, they learn how to cook a local version of mosquito repellant, as well as take a tour of our rainy season lake. Overall, it was a good introduction to village life.  Day 3 in village, we start making our way towards Tamba in order to celebrate Margaret’s birthday with the hippos.

The hippos were found about 70K south of Tamba in a place called, Wassadou.  We took a busload of people down to celebrate the day of Margaret’s birth.  It was awesome.  The hippos were out and playing, and I’m pretty sure one even sang to Margaret. It was beautiful.  After spending the afternoon ‘hangin with the hips,” we continue our journey down to a region called Kedegou, where the 4^th of July is always celebrated for PC Senegal.

Kedegou is the prettiest region, by far, in all of Senegal.   Just the sight of elevation change and greenery, puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  It’s beautiful, even on American standards.  All that said, my favorite holiday was celebrated in said region in nothing but style. Warthogs, corn-hole, and fireworks. PC Senegal knows the 4^th of July.  And, now, I’ve said this before, and I’ll stand by it-nothing creates patriotism quite like living in a developing country.  God bless America!

Unfortunately, this is where the case of the African stomach crawls in.  On the 5^th of July, Margaret’s body succumbed to the pressures of this country, and as I understand it, she’s still suffering the effects.  Sorry, friend, Africa likes to leave her mark on all her visitors. Get better!!

From there, we slowly start making our way back to Dakar for their flight back to Amerik. Poor Margaret had to travel under the sickness, but she’s a trooper, and made it! The day they left, was a sad on indeed.  I still wish that they’re secretly hiding in my hut somewhere.  What awesome friends I have! I still can’t believe they came/can’t believe it’s already over.  Jenn and Margaret, ya’ll are the best! I love ya’ll so much, and can’t wait to come visit you in your native lands!