Day 1 Dakar, Senegal
Left the airport around 9 AM, caught the bus
for what we thought would be the Grand Yoff transit hub (within walking distance from our Airbnb ), but was instead a little bit farther from there, so ended up taking a taxi directly to the apartment (and probably got way overcharged, but happy to do our part to stimulate the Senegalese economy).
Dropped off our stuff, went to the nearest ATM, picked up provisions at the Auchan supermarket, brought them home, had a leisurely drink on the terrace,
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| Our neighbor did laundry pretty much every day. Will that inspire me to stop complaining about my twice-weekly loads of massage linens? Probably not. |
then went out in search of lunch.
A couple of blocks away, caught a whiff of something like chicken soup, so we ducked into its source (a little takeaway joint with one table) and had a satisfying chicken and rice dish.
Struck up a conversation with a friendly gentleman from Guinea named Amadou. We only had large-ish currency from the ATM, so when it was time to pay for our meal, Amadou gave us a tour of the area while he asked each passing friend and acquaintance if they had change for a 5000 CFA note.
Went back home, had a cold lemon beer and chilled a bit
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| Cool looking table, but the surface was rather unorthodox |
before heading back to the supermarket to break more bills (and get the stink-eye from the cashier) and find a little something for supper on the way home.
We each had a fataya. I was still full from lunch so I brought most of mine home.
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| Several websites describe them as being like a samosa or empanada, but I thought it was more like a big pierogi, stuffed with cheese, spiced meat, a fried egg and french fries |
Took a shower and wound down, getting to bed around 8 PM after being awake for 35 hours.
Day 2 Dakar, Senegal
Even though I'd gone to bed the night before at 8:30, it took a couple of hours for my brain to slow down* enough for me to finally fall asleep at 10:30 or so.
Woke up at 5:30 and allowed ourselves a leisurely start to the day. After coffee and leftover fataya for breakfast, we left around 8 to walk to the African Renaissance Monument.
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| Really aiming for that first spot in the phone book |
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| Sporting some sideboob! Not sure how the locals feel about that |
Found an ATM, then proceeded to walk to the Dakar Plateau (giving us a total of 4 1/2 hours of walking up to this point).
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| The blood transfusion clinic. Not kidding. |
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| Was he going for irony with his sleeves? |
Had lunch at Mammy Healthy
And walked another 2 1/2 hours home,
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| Our landmark for getting home: Take a right at the water bottles |
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| Ubiquitous area raptor (Kite?) who ended up visiting the balcony every day. It seemed to like the bugs in the window box |
after a stop at Supermarket Auchan for more provisions.
Took a shower, had an ice cold beer on the terrace, followed by a couple of gin and grapefruit tonics.
Hung out for a bit, then went around the corner for pizza.
Went home and wound down, heading to bed around 9:30.
* My primary anxiety was the fact that we needed almost a million and a half Central African Francs for our upcoming trip across the country, and the highest offered amount at the ATM was 100,000. I feared that we couldn't accumulate enough cash in 5 days to cover our commitments. Today, Bhob suggested trying the "other amount" option, which (as it turned out) allowed us to request 200,000 apiece, giving us ample opportunity to get the money required to not ruin our plans. Go Bhob!
Day 3 Dakar, Senegal
Slept like a champ until about 2 AM, was awake for about an hour before getting back to sleep until the call to prayer at 5:30, then managed to sneak in another hour or so.
The plan for the day was to walk to the Port of Dakar to get the ferry to Gorée Island
Left the apartment around 8:30. On the way, got an omelette sandwich and made our daily ATM visit.
Proceeded onto Boulevard Dial Diop, crossed through a roundabout and while waiting for a pair of guys on a motorcycle to pass, one of them grabbed my purse and dragged me about 15 feet (Bhob's estimate) before letting go and speeding away.
The response of everyone around us was so immediate that it was clear that this was not typical and not OK. A bunch of men chased the motorcycle (not sure if they caught up with it) and one man asked if I was alright.
I was too stunned to think of anything but getting home and washing my elbows, so we didn't stick around.
Stopped by Auchan supermarket to pick up bandages and went home to fix myself up, wash my clothes, take some arnica and have a shot of whiskey (not necessarily in that order).
I felt very fortunate, as there were 800 ways that it could have been much worse: my glasses might have been broken, they could have held on longer until my elbows were scraped to the bone, it could have happened at the end of the trip, leaving me unable to work on clients for a couple of weeks, they could have succeeded and taken my passport, fat stacks of cash, my phone, credit and debit cards and left me without any way to contact our next Airbnb hosts and tour guide.
I'm grateful for the heavy duty anti-theft travel purse, but realize that in certain circumstances, it is something of a lure for an opportunistic individual, so I have had to change my M.O. to be more of a Pocket Person.
Eventually, we headed out again and ordered a Heetch (the local Uber equivalent) to take us to the port. We were blessed with a lovely young man named Sow (pronounced "So") from Guinea who spoke flawless English.
Got to the port and did our best to discourage the gantlet of tour guides offering their services, as I have made peace with the fact that all of the historical information shared is just going to be forgotten in 27 seconds, so I just don't bother anymore ("blah blah blah, Qajar Dynasty, blah blah blah").
Walked around the island for about 45 minutes
and returned to the ferry. At the port, tried to order another Heetch, and thought it would be a great idea to stand in front of the Auchan supermarket nearby, not knowing that there was another Auchan a block away (not unlike Starbucks and Subway in the US). After much confusion and several fruitless phone calls, he cancelled the ride and we caught a taxi for the same price (and got the bonus of a cheap high from the diesel fumes and a good laugh when he totally psyched out a family trying to cross the motorway with a stroller).
Got home, washed up, had a Coke Zero and gin and grapefruit tonic and went around the corner for cheeseburgers and fries at Master Food.
Returned home to wind down and enjoy the cool breeze.
Day 4 Dakar, Senegal
Friday in a Muslim country meant extended call to prayer. Every morning between about 6:50 and 7:20, there was a series of songs coming from the mosque that sounded to my infidel ears like sea chanties.
I sang along to this one "La di dye, it ain't no lie
La di dye, it ain't no lie":
After Bhob woke up, we did our daily ATM visit, stopping for cafe touba along the way.
Had a very leisurely start and eventually walked
toward the fairgrounds that were featured in the Guardian article (scroll down to the FAQs) that inspired the trip. When we got there, whatever enterprise was occupying the grounds required an ID to get in, so we tried to see what we could from outside the gate and the pedestrian bridge.
Crossed to the other side of the motorway to get a taxi* to Copacabana Surf Village, also featured in a Guardian article.
Had lunch and a few drinks
Then got a taxi back to our neighborhood and rested a bit.
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| What our terrace looked like from the street |
Enjoyed gin and grapefruit tonics while being serenaded by another 30 minutes of "La Di Dye It Ain't No Lie " before walking to Kals Eats for dinner.
They were still chanting when we got home two hours later. Guess it was a Friday thang.
Wound down and got to bed around 10.
*When we travel, our typical way of getting around is walking and busing, but buses were always super crowded, and when walking in a city that is not oriented on a grid, it is tricky to navigate without constantly looking at a map on the phone. In crowded areas, I got paranoid about someone snatching it out of my hand, so between that and the fact that my knee was still kind of banged up, for longer treks we found ourselves opting for a taxi. This shift might usually happen toward the end of a trip, but this time was hastened by the unpleasant incident of the previous day.
Day 5 Dakar, Senegal
After a great night's sleep, awoke to the 5:30 AM call to prayer. Had some coffee and yogurt. Lollygagged until the ATM opened at 8:15. Picked up some pastries on the way home.
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| We loved the color of this car at the end of our block. I don't know how they kept it so shiny. |
The big task of the day was to go to the Dakar Dem Dikk bus station to buy tickets for our trip the following week from Dakar to Saint Louis. Bhob had the foresight to suggest bringing our passports, and indeed they were required to book the tickets. Go Bhob!
Took a roundabout way home
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| The best babies at the best prices! |
and put some beers in the freezer to chill. The caretaker was cleaning the apartment when we returned, so we put our shoes further down on the landing so they wouldn't be in his way. When we ventured out again, they had been cleaned and polished! It seemed a shame to go outside, as they would be dusty again in 14 seconds.
Bhob wanted to buy a Senegal soccer jersey, and we found a store nearby on the google, so we followed the map and found... absolutely nothing. The spot on the map was an empty lot.
Oh well.
It was a pleasant walk somewhere other than my home street, so Yay!
Passed a pharmacy on the way home and picked up some sunscreen.
Got home, had a couple of gin and grapefruit tonics and ordered movie tickets online.
Walked to Delicia Restaurant and had Thiebouguanar chicken for a late lunch/early supper.
Then continued on to Pathé Cinema, because it ain't a proper Bhoboleeena trip without screening a Marvel motion picture.
Walked home, got to hear some Senegalese music coming from a tent party across the street, did some pre-packing and consolidating in preparation for our 8 AM pickup the next day.
Went around the corner to get a Fataya to eat for breakfast and wound down, going to bed around 10.
Day 6 Tambacounda, Senegal
Woke up at 5 AM to give ourselves plenty of time to eat, pack, and do 172 idiot checks before being picked up at 8 AM by our guide and driver for the next leg of the trip. Rahim and Vieux arrived promptly in a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and we were on our way.
It was Sunday morning, so there was no traffic to delay getting out of Dakar. The tour company owner, Ali, had told me beforehand that the driver didn't speak English, but Rahim spoke better English than many people I know.
He and Vieux were exceptionally pleasant and laid back, considerate with their choice of music (Youssou N'Dour, Salif Keira, etc) and Rahim made great time, skillfully passing the many slow-moving trucks on the two-lane highway that was the only route to Tambacounda*.
Made a quick stop in Kaolack for a bathroom break and espresso,
and made it to our destination in about 7 hours (the same amount of time it takes to fly from JFK to Dakar). It was 103°F.
Got to our Airbnb,
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| Upside: the host told us in her directions that it was located in the Slaughterhouse District, so we were relieved to find no indication of any actual slaughterhouses |
Dropped off our stuff and went with the guys for an early supper. It was Sunday, and a lot of places were closed, but the burgers at Djolof Chicken at the truck stop did the trick.
Got back to our place, took showers and settled in for the evening.
OK, true confessions time.
We are not fussy people, and I generally consider myself to be a no-frills traveler, but this time we were totally in over our heads. Our original plan, hatched in the comfort of our homes, was to spend the evening and next day doing what we always do: walking around, getting to know the area, getting a coffee here, a cocktail there, hanging out, covering lots of ground.
But the combination of extreme heat, overwhelming diesel fumes and disorienting foreignness turned us into giant wimps.
Walking around here was not like strolling down Summit Ave, turning onto St. Albans, going up Portland a little bit and then scooting back to Summit. When you go down a side street here, it's basically like walking onto somebody's front porch.
We more or less begged the guys to let us hang out with them the next day and they were totally gracious about it.
The new plan was to spend the evening in the A/C, walk around in the (relatively) cool morning, find some breakfast somewhere, and then meet up with the guys at 9:30 AM for the Tour de Tamba.
*Yes, my brain insisted on singing it to the tune of "Bat Macumba" by Os Mutantes.
Day 7 Tambacounda, Senegal
Though our accomodations were spartan, the bed was comfortable, the area was quiet and the A/C worked, so I got a halfway decent night's sleep.
It was still completely dark at 6:15 AM, but we ventured out for coffee and found some where our residential street met a main road. Two nescafés and a bread roll cost us 49¢.
Came home and chilled until it was light enough to find something for breakfast. At the main road we bought two delicious nambé (black eyed pea sandwiches) which set us back about 40¢ each.
The guys picked us up at 9:30, and we headed straight for the Hôpital Régional de Tambacounda, which we had learned about from (where else?), an article in the Guardian
Vieux talked to a guard, who gave us a behind-the-scenes look.
Then it was off to the market
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| "Tamba. Shit. I'm still only in Tamba." |
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| Kola nuts |
And train station, which hadn't been used for 15 years.
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| Bhob believes in always matching one's trousers with one's surroundings |
Walked around some more
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| Vieux also got the matchy-matchy memo |
Beers and lunch at Essamay, where we learned the Senegalese toast "Kin-ding kan-dang"
By then it was rather warm, so we spent the rest of the day in the very comfortable 80°F (thanks, A/C!) Airbnb, snoozing, reading a loaded inbox-worth of Gastro Obscura articles and watching youtubes.
Day 8 Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal
Walked up the road for nescafé and ndambé,
packed our bags and the guys picked us up promptly at 8:30 AM (and not a minute too soon, as the electrical breaker got tripped every few minutes whenever the sitting room A/C kicked in) to head to Niokolo-Kobo National Park, about 1 hour and 10 minutes away.
We picked up our park guide Iba and then it was another hour or so to our accomodations at Nioko Lodge.
When we had booked it 7 months previously, we'd balked a bit at the price, but seeing firsthand just how remote it was, and the logistics of bringing in food, water, etc, it instantly made total sense.
We were greeted with a glass of bissap (with ice!),
and hung out in the restaurant/lounge until our tent was ready.
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| Glamping at its finest! It even had a Nespresso machine. If there was ever a question, there isn't one now. We are officially bougie. |
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Dropped off our stuff and settled in for a few minutes until lunch was served at 1 PM.
The other guests seemed to be mostly European and African. There are 7 tents, so probably no more than 14 people.
We were told that around 2 or 3 PM, the animals would wake from their siestas to go down to the river for a drink (I can relate !). Sure enough, a group of baboons showed up, and some antelopes.
Hung out to watch the show and have a couple of beverages before taking a quick shower (it was 107°F) before the 4:30 wildlife tour.
Did a 2-hour loop with Rahim, Vieux and our park guide Iba, who was great at spotting animals but insisted on referring to the many different species of antelope-y types (of the Bovidae family of mammals) as "Bambi", so we didn't learn their individual varieties.
Lots of guinea, egrets, antelope-y types, 1 monkey
I didn't get a photo of the most majestic one, the Nioko (the namesake of the park). It was HUGE!
Got back with about 90 minutes to wait for dinner, so I took another shower (did I mention that it was 107°F?), and we split a can of Flag beer.
Ate a fabulous dinner and waited with much excitement for 9 PM, when we were finally allowed to turn on the A/C in the tent.
We had no interwebs, so there was nothing to distract us or delay us from going to bed at 10 PM.
Day 9 Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal
Awoke in the pitch black to the sounds of a baboon dispute.
Had breakfast at 7 and then headed out for a morning wildlife viewing tour. The temperature was a very comfortable 18°C!
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| Hippos! |
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| Gots to love a suspension bridge with several broken cables! |
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| Noteworthy because it's two trees that grew together. Also noteworthy because I peed behind it. |
Vieux was kind of a newbie to the park, and our official park guide was more interested in killing flies in the car than helping identify birds, so the best Vieux could do was say that a particular bird was kind of like a chicken. We all decided that the new name for the place should be Bambi-Chicken National Park.
Got back with enough time before lunch for beer and tequila.
After lunch, we went back to the tent to try to pass the time as comfortably as we could in the extreme heat by reading the copies of the Midway Monitor and New Yorker that I'd brought for airport entertainment, never thinking we'd actually be relying on them as our only source of non-electronic entertainment.
Should we have been gratefully soaking in our surroundings, happy to be in the quiet glory of Nature and not freezing our asses off in Minnesota?
Probably.
But it was really stinking hot.
Je ne regrette rien.
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| That's 118°F, y'all |
At about 5:30, we met up with the guys for a behind-the-scenes look at the lodge infrastructure
And an evening nature walk.
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| Finally got an up close look at one of the termite mounds we'd seen everywhere |
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| The texture is like concrete! |
Got back to the tent, showered, watched the sunset
and went to have dinner and settle up our tab.
Rejoiced at 9:01 A/C Time!
Day 10 Dakar, Senegal
Woke to another baboon disagreement and did some preliminary packing.
Had breakfast and met up with the guys to leave.
When exiting the park, saw the new arrivals, including a young white woman in spandex booty shorts taking selfies with the local children.
Stopped in Tamba for water and a restroom and ran into the Niokolodge manager, who was in town for his weekly supply run. We initially didn't recognize him out of context.
Rode the highway back to Dakar, witnessing the sprawling, weekly market in a town whose name I can't remember.
Drove 10 1/2 hours (much of it in a Dakar traffic snarl)
and the guys eventually found our lodging with constant phone contact with the proprietor, Aissata.
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| Me, my new friends and my sherpa |
Dropped off our stuff, took a short walk and had Bhob's birthday dinner on the terrace, prepared by the lovely Aissata. It was a refreshing 66°F, 51 degrees cooler than the previous afternoon's temperature at the park.
Wound down, caught up on interwebs and prepared for an early departure the next day.
Things ended on a slightly stressful note when our upcoming Airbnb host would not give us directions through the official messaging platform, but only through WhatsApp (which Airbnb discourages). At any rate, I couldn't connect (and his listing and previous lack of communication was a little sketchy anyway), so we cancelled it and quickly booked something else.
The new host was very prompt in replying and pinned the location on Google maps and sent it via Airbnb. It can be done!
Day 11 Saint-Louis, Senegal
Woke up at 4:15 AM to allow ourselves plenty of time to gather our things and tend to our dainty needs before the next leg of the trip. Left the apartment at 5:45 and got a taxi as soon as we reached the main road. After a 15-minute ride, we reached the bus station, and were able to board the 7 AM bus at 6:30.
We hadn't realized that the tickets had assigned seats. Oops! Je suis désolé. We ended up sitting near the front.
The bus was very comfortable and our bags fit overhead. We departed more or less on time, and I sort of dozed for a bit. Checking our progress online, I realized that what I'd had in my head as a 3-hour ride would be closer to 4 1/2 hours.
Oh well. We weren't facing any kind of deadline.
Had a 15-minute rest stop at Louga (at which I took advantage of our proximity to the front and was the first to jump out the door and run to the restroom), and we were back on the road.
Arrived in Saint Louis around noon, but it was just shy of where we thought the terminus was. Bhob had the foresight to suggest buying our return tickets before going to the Airbnb. We asked around and eventually found the office.
Tickets purchased, we got a taxi and tried to explain where we were going by showing him the pinned spot on the map. Senegal doesn't seem to have street addresses, just lot numbers, so it was never easy for us.
The driver called out the window to someone (maybe he knew him?) who spoke English and handed him my phone (eek!), and he tried to help. When we showed him the photo of the building from the Airbnb listing, he was like "Oh yeah, it's right up ahead!"
Called the caretaker, Samba, who came right over and let us in, showed us around, etc. His brother (?) Ibrahim came over as well. We chatted for a bit and then they left us to settle in.
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| We were across the street from a school, so there was always lots of activity. |
Made our obligatory trip to Auchan for essentials: yogurt, beer and Bugles (not the real kind; these were made by Frito Lay and used sunflower oil instead of coconut oil 😔)
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| But you've got to respect that Nutri-Score! |
Took a taxi home, put the beers in the freezer and set the timer for 45 minutes, while enjoying the Friday All Day Sing-along at the mosque.
Eventually went out in search of something for supper.
Got a little bit turned around but found our way to the main road and stopped in at Nice Burger for some...wait for it...burgers!
Walked home
and wound down to some French-dubbed episodes of Friends (say what you will, I still think the "Rachel" haircut is cute and flattering) and the first Tobey Maguire Spiderman movie ("Peet-air Park-air").
Day 12 Saint-Louis, Senegal
Allowed ourselves to sleep in, and earplugs prevented the 5:30 call to prayer from waking us (though we were up before 6).
Had some coffee and yogurt, did some hand laundry, and about 8:30, we walked over to the Île de Saint-Louis, about 30 minutes away. The configuration reminded me a lot of mainland Miami and Miami Beach, except that there is only one bridge.
After 6 days of mostly riding in vehicles, it felt good to walk for a long stretch on relatively wide sidewalks and a lot less car traffic.
The city's main revenue generators are fishing and tourism, so this area definitely caters more to tourists than anyplace (besides the Niokolodge) we'd seen up until that point.
The panhandlers were also significantly more persistent than any we'd encountered previously, to the extent that we gave up and sought refuge in a Key West style café bar for an early lunch and a couple of gin and tonics.
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| This kid was totally rocking that Johnny Rotten mohair sweater |
Did some recon for dinner possibilities and walked back home
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| Someone's pet deciding that it had had enough of sand; the astroturf in our courtyard is where it's at |
for a little break before going back to Auchan for more provisions.
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| Bhob was looking at it with much longing |
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| Somehow finding something to munch on between the sidewalk cracks |
Lounged around, took a shower and did some more hand laundry before heading back to the island for dinner.
Had a fabulous meal
And returned to the Coconut Café for some house-infused rums.
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| We had the Orange Canelle, Poire Vanille, Tagada, and Prune |
Walked home and took advantage of the carpeted bedroom to do some stretching (most rentals only have tile floors which equals ouch).
Got to bed around 11.
Day 13 Saint-Louis, Senegal
Allowed ourselves another extended lie-in. I got up around 5:45, and putzed around until Bhob woke up around 8.
Lounged on the terrace enjoying coffee, the mild temperature and the sounds of the neighbors' turkey and goats.
We had no plans for the day other than to walk to the farther island. It was Sunday, so we were prepared for the fact that our dining options would be limited.
Left around 10 AM and walked to the farther island.
It seemed to be mostly residential, and we definitely stuck out like sore thumbs (hence, no photos). The bright side was that we were not approached by panhandlers, but SO many little kids waved at us and seemed genuinely friendly, not asking for anything but a wave in return.
When it was clear that there was nothing significantly compelling ahead, we turned around and headed back to the Île de Saint-Louis, with the intention of going to the Hotel Siki and spending as long as possible drinking cocktails and having lunch. They accepted credit cards, so He-ey!!!
Arrived at the hotel about an hour before lunch, so we had a cocktail, and then some pastis, and then lunch.
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| Too bad this is the only place that takes credit cards. |
The Wine Mom jazz soundtrack was the perfect accompaniment to our surrendering to convention.
After 3 1/2 hours, they brought us the tab, a subtle way of telling us "Get the hell out of here and let us close until dinner".
Bought some souvenir lounge pants for Bhob's colleague, walked home
and had a well deserved snooze on the terrace after our strenuous afternoon of lounging.
Spent the rest of the day watching Instagram reels and youtubes, and doing some preliminary packing. Had Gazelle beers and Bugles for supper.
And in the Good News Department, earlier in the day, we had texted Sow (our Heetch driver from the week before) to ask if we could hire him to drive us to the airport in a few days. To our delight, he answered back "Yes"!
Day 14 Dakar, Senegal
A couple of hours after going to bed, Bhob was startled by what seemed to be a flashlight shining onto one of our windows. He woke me and I saw it too. We both had earplugs in, so we had no accompanying sound to explain it*. After looking out the windows and seeing nothing, we went back to bed, but sleep was hard to come by for the rest of the night.
Got up at 4:30 AM to pack up and get to the main road to catch a taxi to the bus roundabout to return to Dakar. It was dark, and there were curtains on the back seat window, so we didn't realize we would be sharing it with two other passengers. Luckily it was under 10 minutes to the bus, so we didn't back out.
Boarded the bus with 30 minutes to relax until departure. We didn't have adjoining seats, but Bhob's was right behind mine, so it was close enough. We'd been together nonstop for 14 days, and we'd run out of things to talk about years before that, so there were no tears shed.
About 2 1/2 hours in, had a 15-minute rest stop at Tivaouane. By now, I knew where the restrooms were at the EDK superstations, and congratulated myself for being such a seasoned pro 😉
Arrived in Dakar around noon and caught a Heetch to our final Airbnb.
Dropped off our stuff and went to Auchan for provisions.
Caught a taxi home and he not only drove us initially in the wrong direction, he way overcharged us. We were already exhausted and starving, so this did not go over well.
Put some beers in the freezer and had them for lunch with some potato chips while watching some youtubes.
Watched the Senegal episode of Parts Unknown (yes, I know, so meta, but useful in that it mentioned that most Senegalese Muslims are Sufi, which explains the extended singing/chanting we encountered at mosques everywhere) and got indignant with Anthony Bourdain for strolling in after the production assistants swept all of the sand away.
After a couple of cocktails, went in search of supper and got a surprisingly good pizza from La Brioche Doree.
Returned home, ate the pizza and wound down after an exhausting day.
*We still have no idea what it could have been.
Day 15 Dakar, Senegal
Our area was pretty upscale and quiet, and had enough sand-free streets that we could finally take one of our beloved pre-dawn walks.
Back home, had some yogurt and espresso, checked out the rooftop terrace
then went out in search of Breakfast Part 2. We wandered around,
and after awhile, Bhob took out his map and typed in "Restaurant", and a few came up that we started aiming towards.
Our good fortunes led us to Teranga Grill Coffee. It was an oasis!
It had only been open for a couple of weeks, had hours that matched our eating times and the server spoke English. We ate breakfast there and decided to come back for dinner that night, and breakfast and dinner the next day.
After breakfast, went searching for and ATM to get enough cash to cover the costs of our new plan.
Walked home
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| The male mannequin looks like Brad Pitt after a bender |
had some Coke Zeroes and dozed a bit on the couch.
Had a beer on the terrace
And then went back to the apartment to cool off and watch Blue Öyster Cult videos on YouTube.
Returned to Teranga Grill Coffee for dinner, and hoped that our dorky presence wouldn't kill the vibe.
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| We were totally fighting over this guy |
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| Bhob savoring his first post Covid-era sheesha |
Walked home
And watched videos until bedtime.
Day 16 Dakar, Departure
Our last day in the country.
Since our flight didn't leave until 11 PM, the original plan was was to check out of the Airbnb, keep our bags there and spend the day strolling around and hanging out in town before returning to retrieve them and head to the airport.
However, this was not the kind of place with parks, libraries and cafes where one can pass the time for hours. Luckily, there was no one booked for the Airbnb after us, so we paid for an extra day just so we could hang out in comfort, quiet and bathroom access.
Took a pre-dawn walk, and had my coffee on the terrace
Went back to Teranga Grill Coffee for breakfast. Stopped by a spice shop/supermarket to see if they sold the spice for Café Touba (Auchan didn't carry it). They didn't, but they had these:
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| Way to commodify and sanitize a cultural tradition! |
Back home, took a shower and did some pre-packing.
Lounged around, packed some more, watched youtubes and eventually went back to Teranga Grill Coffee for dinner.
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| These "House" bags were the carrying method of choice everywhere |
Came home, packed for real, watched more youtubes and waited for our airport ride. Sow showed up on time and had us on our way. The exit passport control was very disorganized and slow, but we still made it to our gate with plenty of time.
Random Observations
This is the first country that I've been to that requires electronic fingerprinting when you go through Passport Control.
Women were usually very dressed up, in what I might call their "Sunday Best" and if not, at least very tidy in a t-shirt and skirt.
It was only in the two large cities that we saw women and girls wearing pants, and only then occasionally.
It seemed like men were allowed to dress a little more casually. Lakers jerseys were a popular choice.
Anyone who argues that Black athletes and laborers should be OK doing activities in the hottest, sunniest conditions because their ancestry has adapted them to it should note that we never saw anyone playing or hanging out in the sun; they were always in the shade.
It isn't until you are in a country where the local word for "Yes" sounds like "Wow" that you realize how often you say "Wow".
So many goats! How do people keep track of whose are whose?
Didn't see more than a dozen people smoking cigarettes the entire time.
Preschool aged kids in Senegal seemed to be very capable and self-sufficient. I can imagine them watching an episode of Old Enough and saying "Yeah, welcome to my world, amateur!".
Travel hacks: if you are going to be out all day and only need your phone for its camera, keeping it in airplane mode will keep the battery from running low.
Also, chewing dried schisandra berries can help moisten a dry mouth if you are nervous about swigging too much water because there might not be a toilet available.
FAQs
So, was it a good trip?
In that we achieved my Winter Travel Objectives of not being cold and taking my daily walk somewhere other than the street I live on, yes.
Why Senegal?
For most of my adult life, my only awareness of Senegal was via the singer Youssou N’Dour and the kora player Solo Cissokho.
After a certain point, I could only associate it with the inimitable NPR signoff of Ofeibea Quist-Arcton.
Then a few years ago we watched a very intriguing Senegal episode of (quelle surprise!) Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown* Hmmm…
The clincher was an article about its architecture in The Guardian last year that Bhob had sent me a link to.
After reading it, I asked Bhob if he was thinking what I was thinking.
He was.
*Before choosing a destination based on Anthony Bourdain, we have to remind ourselves that we don't have producers, handlers and fixers clearing the way for us
Did you end up seeing any of the buildings from that Guardian article?
Nope 🤪
How was the weather?
In Dakar and Saint Louis, perfect!
 |
| Dakar definitely has my ideal temperature range |
 |
| Warmer than Dakar, but steady breeze from the ocean was refreshing |
In Tambacounda and Niokolo-Kobo, pretty challenging for Pittagirl
 |
| Nope. |
But wasn't it a dry heat?
It was a hot heat.
What time of year did you go?
Second half of February, 2023
Were there a lot of weird bugs?
Nothing unusual. I ended up with a dozen or so bites (mosquito? fly?), but I was never aware of being bitten in the moment.
What is the time difference?
6 hours ahead of the Central Time Zone
How big is Senegal?
A little bit bigger than Iowa and a little bit smaller than Minnesota (Iowa is .74 times the size of Senegal, Minnesota is 1.14 times the size of Senegal).
How were your flights?
MSP-JFK 2H 25M
ERJ175
No problems. Departure was delayed 30 minutes, but we were informed well ahead of time, before boarding. When we landed, we had to taxi for about 40 minutes
JFK-DSS 7H 3M
Boeing 767-300
No problems
DSS-CDG 5H 5M
Boeing 777-300
No problems except that it was easily the WORST airline meal I have had in my entire life. Shame on you, Air France!
CDG -MSP 8H 15M
Airbus 330-300
No problems, early arrival
What did you watch on the airplane?
JFK-DSS
A few episodes of Parks and Rec
Nope
DSS-CDG
Words and Music (RIP, Adam Schlesinger 😔)
The Big Lebowski
CDG-MSP
A few episodes of Parks and Rec
Traffic
Did you learn the local language?
Only a few words of Wolof. There is not a Pimsleur edition yet.
Do most people there speak English?
Nope, but the few who do speak it do it well.
Did you learn the National Anthem?
Yes! It's very pleasant :)
Did you eat any interesting foods?
Yes! Fataya, nambé and yassa chicken are among the typical Senegalese foods that we tried, but what really blew us way was the burgers. The buns were amazing, and they would usually top them with egg, cheese, ketchup, mayonnaise, french fries, lettuce and tomato. They really nailed it!
I'd wanted to try fonio, a traditional grain, but it was not on many menus, and when it was, the restaurant was out of it.
For beverages, everything was yummy, but a bit sweet for my taste buds: Bissap (hibiscus), Café Touba , and bouye (pronounced "bwee", baobab juice)
Did you drink the water?
No. Even the locals drank bottled water, so we followed their lead.
How did you get around?
Walking, taxis, intercity bus, and the tour guide's SUV.
How did you find your tour guide?
Good question! It has been almost a year since we started planning, so my memory is a little fuzzy.
We were curious about the Eastern part of the country and Bhob saw that there was a national park in that area. There didn't seem to be any way to get there via public transportation, so I found (Bradt Guide? Lonely Planet?) a list of recommended guides/ tour companies and found their websites.
I emailed all of them and only one replied, so that's the one we went with! We had a lot of communication with Ali in the months preceding the trip, so I felt like we were in good hands.
Is it safe?
If you pay attention to the walking surfaces and approaching cars, and don't carry a purse, then it's probably as safe as anywhere.
Are you OK?
Yes. By the end of our trip my elbows were scabbed over and not stinging. My knee is still tender (as of this writing), but the bump on my head no longer hurts when I lie down.
I will probably always be more wary in general about being robbed. Depending on the circumstances, I am also less likely to just walk around casually holding my phone.
It was definitely a wake up call.
When you see me in person, please don't ask me about the incident; I don't want to talk about it or dwell on it.
Were you approached by many panhandlers?
Yes, but they also seemed to approach all adults/strangers, not just us obvious tourists. They were all little boys and were pretty gentle, soft-spoken and (for the most part) non-persistent.
Did you follow the CDC's advice for regional disease prevention?
Yes, we both received vaccinations for Yellow Fever, Typhoid & Hepatitis A and took anti-malarial medications.
It probably wasn't entirely necessary, but when Airbnb properties proudly list "mosquito netting"* as an amenity, we figured we might as well hedge our bets.
*I'd pictured mosquito netting as something that hangs from a ceiling and surrounds a bed, but it really just refers to window screens.
How were the motorists?
Bold yet skilled
How were the roads?
Main streets and motorways were in really good condition. We saw maybe one or two traffic lights; most intersections were controlled by roundabouts, and speed bumps were everywhere except the expressways.
Is Senegal bicycle/pedestrian friendly?
For pedestrians, friendly enough, as long as the pedestrian is paying attention and not daydreaming. It seems like the vast numbers of pedestrians necessitates that motorists accommodate them to a certain extent. Like in many places, it's a bit of a dance.
We did see cyclists, but only on the main roads. Too much sand on the side streets.
Did you hear a lot of music?
Sure, it was everywhere, especially at night in Saint Louis.
Any highlights?
The weather in Dakar, glamping at the Niokolodge, hanging out with Rahim and Vieux, Copacabana Surf Village, Teranga Grill Coffee and sitting on terraces not being cold.
Also, I never got tired of looking at baobab (pronounced "bow-bob", as in "Bow to the Queen, Bob") trees. They are so hardy and resourceful, and each one has such a distinct silhouette.
Any lowlights?
The attempted purse snatching, the oppressive heat and crummy Airbnb in Tambacounda, and the lack of street addresses and odd (to me) pattern (or absence of pattern) of street names was frustrating.
Any surprises?
I hadn't expected so many horse-drawn carts in the big cities.
I also hadn't any idea of the ubiquity of sand. It isn't unpleasant; it's nice, soft beach sand. It's just everywhere.
Burgers! So good! Everywhere!
What was the exchange rate?
$1 US to 621 CFA (West African Francs)
Not super easy to calculate in my head, but my anchor mental conversion was 3000 CFA=about $5 US.
How much did it cost?
Prices were all over the place; I got a Nescafé and sandwich in Tambacounda for 57¢, and a quinoa bowl and fresh juice for $20 at the Dakar equivalent of Crisp & Green. You could get by spending very little. The trickiest part was breaking those large bills that the ATM spits out; most street vendors only deal in tiny sums.
For 2 people, 16 days:
Airfare $1716.36 (individual ticket price was $1236.47, but I had used a credit from Delta)
Lodging:
Airbnbs, Booking.com, Nioko Lodge (including wire transfer fee for deposit and staff tip) $1523.57
Ground Transportation $184.99
Tour Guides (including tips) $2056.12
Groceries $113.81
Restaurants and street food $472.79
Booze $96.47
Household items $14.15
Sunscreen and bandaids $22.91
Admissions $34.82
Total $6139.52
Total per day $383.72
Total "on the ground" costs (not including airfare and lodging) $2899.59
Total "on the ground" costs per day $181.22
To save up for a trip like this, a person would have to set aside $16.82 per day for a year.
Wow, that's more than you would generally spend on a trip!
Yeah, I know. The Tambacounda/Niokolo-Kobo jag really drove the cost up.
But!
If we had gone to a country with a national park that had hippos and baboons and we didn't go to it, we would be forever kicking ourselves.
Who should go?
Anyone who likes beaches, urban hustle and bustle, street markets, who can tolerate diesel fumes and wants to practice speaking French somewhere other than France (but you'd better be fluent!)
Would you go back?
Unlikely.
Despite our various discomforts and general disorientation, I'm not sorry that we went (although Bhob says "This country has beaten me").
We enjoyed a lot of our time there, and interacted with a lot of sweet, friendly people, but not being francophones was a significant hindrance. Also, it wasn't easy to just go out and walk around.
I loved the weather in Dakar, but if my main objective for a Winter getaway is to sit on a terrace, relax and drink, I'm more inclined to go to Mexico City and use the difference in airfare to rent a fantastic apartment with a private terrace.
Who watched Stinkerbell while you were away?
My dear friends/neighbors Jennifer and Rob :)
