Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Endless Summer

I use that title because of the surfing movie (which I've never seen) by that name which was filmed in parts of Dakar that we trampled upon. Now I've got to put it on my list of movies to watch. It's just too bad that it's not a typical one floating around Cameroon PCV hard drives.

Anyways, CA VA? That is a common French greeting, but was ULTRA common throughout Senegal (and of course Lauren got it down pat), meaning the equivalent of "how are things/things are good?" It was so frequently used that before telling a taxi driver where you wanted to go, first you had to greet with ca va?. Can you imagine asking your taxi driver, in the US, how he was doing...all of the time?

Lauren Weinstein and I continued our international travel ensemble, this time to a MUCH different part of the world - Senegal and The Gambia. It had been her first time in "real Africa" and I think was quite eye opening for her, both as an individual who loves seeing new places and understanding other cultures but also as someone who works in development!

For me, there were definite similarities to the life I know in Cameroon and other countries I've visited on this continent, even though Africa is so varied (which I kept reminding Lauren so as not to have her generalize the difficulties and be totally turned off to them for future possible travel on the continent).

Even though we had a wonderful time together, had crazy encounters, saw new terrain and tried to meet locals, I would say that I was not all that impressed with either country. My opinion is probably skewed as a result of being used to things in Cameroon - people and prices, most specifically. There is probably more to see and do in Senegal and The Gambia, but interactions with the locals were quite difficult because everyone seemed to only be concerned with knowing our names, where we came from, and how they can rip us off with the white man tax to the nth degree. Supposedly Senegalese are known for "terranga", meaning hospitality, but unfortunately we never really felt that. Granted, our experiences were in Dakar (a LARGE city) and then for a short time in Cap Skirring, in the Cassamance region (south Senegal, below The Gambia), which is a touristy village, though not TOO built up, except for the Club Med, haha.

I would say that part of the difficulties were as a result of limited time to explore both countries, long distances to travel (which is why we decided to fly to the Cassamance Region, instead of spending 26 hours on the road), it being low season and places being closed down no longer in existence, Senegal being a French speaking country and Lauren not being able to communicate (though she damn well tried in a melange of Spanish, French, Portuguese with an Italian accent), and the constant feeling of being ripped off.

Alright, enough reflection, here's what we did!

We lucked out in Dakar and were able to stay at the apartment (on the beach!) of an RPCV (great network to have) who was in the US at the time. That was our home base for our first 3 nights and 2 nights at the end, before spending our last day at Le Meridien Dakar (well worth it, though the hotel was lacking in customer service, as was most of Dakar). Lauren did some surfing with ex-pat youth who were taking lessons, we began to realize how big and spread out Dakar is, and how expensive it is. My biggest comparison: to go the same distance in Dakar as you would in a city in Cameroon, you pay 2000 FCFA (~4 dollars) vs. 200 FCFA (~40 cents), respectively.

We ate good international food (Thai, Italian, Spanish Tapas & Sangria, Magnum Ice Cream Bars), heard some Brazilian music, played with the neighborhood kids, and covered ourselves in Deet, for all of the mosquitoes!

We visited Ile de Goree, a colonial island (off the coast of Dakar), kept as is, from the days of the slave trade. In the Maison des Esclaves (Slave House), we joined a group with UNICEF to hear a bit about the history - definitely didn't know that the local chiefs joined in with the idea of keeping slaves, once the Spanish and Dutch began the trading process! Lauren began her search and practice for a traditional drum called a Djembe, which she finally purchased in The Gambia. We got our hair braided, which lasted until our last day on vacation, and chatted with the women who worked on the island and commuted daily on the ferry from Dakar.

The following morning we flew to Ziguinchor (in the Cassamance Region), again 45 minute flight as compared with 26 hours in a cramped taxi on BAD roads! From there we went to Cap Skirring and settled on an empty hotel on the beach (which we never did learn the name of). We tried to enjoy laying out on the beach and Lauren tried to surf with what looked like a surf board but was actually a HEAVY sign for a restaurant, but we were constantly hassled by people selling things. We participated in some drumming and dancing on the beach and chatted with the hotel workers and other locals.

We ventured into town and met a phenomenal local artisan named YAYA, whom we ended up spending a lot time with. We watched him create his tshirts, make his sand paintings, drank much Cafe Touba, learned the term BEGUE (essentially meaning life is good and continued drumming (well Lauren did and I videoed). A restaurant, which turned out to be just a woman's house, came recommended by one of Lauren's friends and we spent 2 hours playing with her grandchildren while she prepared our private meal! We went on a pirogue (canoe) to various islands in the area to walk through daily life and much inactivity because of low season) and got very ripped off by our taxi driver. Lots of grilled fish for just about all meals but breakfast!

After our time in Cap Skirring, we traveled with public transport (similar to the prison buses I described when I traveled to the North of Cameroon) into the Gambia and settled into the Sandele Resort (the leader in Eco Tourism in the area), another connection Lauren had through a coworker. Just our luck, it was filled to capacity, but we enjoyed Baobab juice (more calcium than cow's milk) and Bisap Juice (high in vitamin C, made from hibiscus flowers). They hooked us up with an abandoned bungalow on the beach; we could see the stars, hear the waves and were camping in comfort!

Our next step in the Gambia was to the Sheraton in the Serrakunda region (thanks to Lauren's Starwood Points). We enjoyed VERY relaxing days of reading by the pool and by the beach (at the same time), swimming, walking to find fish and chips on the beach, avoiding hawkers on the beach, chatting with the hotel employees, and NICE acommodations! We had all intentions to explore a culture forest, watch a meal being prepared after visiting a local farm, going hiking, but none of that seemed to actual exist, at least not during the low season.

We then continued to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia (PS...we never quite figured out why it's THE Gambia, but the best explanation we received was that it makes it more "official" with that article) and enjoyed a day there in the market, drinking fresh squeezed juice that we had searched for throughout the country, and eating falafel sandwiches.

We continued back to Dakar via public transport in a sept-place (7 passenger) station wagon, cramped beyond belief even after buying the 3rd seat in the back. It took us about 9.5 hours, including the ferry and various modes of transport back to Dakar. The highlight of our last bit of time in Dakar was seeing a famous Senegalese artist in concert at the French Cultural Center. Daara J Family is a great performer of Rap, Reggae, and World Sounds. Check him out!

This entry is way too long, I'm tired from writing it, so I understand if you never make it to this point!

All I can say is that 3rd world travel is NOT easy...ask questions if you want to know more details about the whole experience.

Lots of love with 4 months remaining in Cameroon and figuring out what the hell I'm going to do to fill my time.

Be in touch,

Stef

No comments:

Post a Comment