Finally here….

Overlooking Dakar...notice the cloud of smog and sand...looking forward to greener pastures

After a days travel in VERY TIGHT and very warm quarters, we made it to Ziguinchor where we will be spending a few nights at a very comfortable hotel while we do some work on our new home…we’re trying to savour these last few days of comfort… dependable electricity and water, hot showers, air conditioning and even a pool! The area is MUCH hotter than Dakar but much prettier too! It’s dry season here too and you can tell the lack of rain has taken it’s toll. Never-the-less there are fruit and palm trees a plenty!
Got to see our home for the first time last night…needs a lot of work but it has great potential…wish I had a few of you keen interior decorators with me right now…actually I could use your muscles more to scrub the place first!
Had a super welcoming as kids from all over town came running to see the "toubabs" – "white people". They were great little helpers though…I put them to work today drawing water from the well so Anita and I could start cleaning. It’s a deep well…I need to work up to that job slowly. After spending the biggest part of the day trying to find necessary materials and supplies, JP and Luc spent the day making wooden frames for mosquito netting to cover the windows. Things are so difficult to find here. We hope to find some more supplies tomorrow to finish the windows and hopefully see if we can get some water to the house…here’s hoping!

Mountains of sea salt...salt processing plant seen on our way to Niaguis

Horse cart is very common site in Senegal...dozens of trucks in background waiting for salt

My little troopers crossing a river in Gambia

Round and About Dakar…

Dakar is like many other cities…teeming with life…and pollution… and continually expanding. If you look on a map, you’ll see that to the west of the city is a long sandy coast, and to the east, a tight bottleneck which connects the Cap Vert peninsula to the mainland. What started off as a tiny settlement in the south of the Cap Vert Peninsula, Dakar now spreads almost across the entire triangle. Not surprisingly, the constant development has come at a cost – overcrowding, depletion of natural resources, and heavy pollution. The current president has been in power since 2000 (and was just re-elected a couple of weeks ago to serve another term) and has initiated an incredible amount improvement projects throughout the city ie. widening roadways, waste management programs, etc. Never-the-less, plans are actually being considered/made to move the capital to a new location – one that can accommodate the growth in size and population that Dakar’s peninsula setting just doesn’t permit.

After a week of fighting people and traffic to visit shop after shop and negotiating prices, we’ve gathered many of the items we’ll be needing to start our life in Niaguis – house wares, basic tools, motorcycle helmets, etc. Some things we’re hoping to still find and others we’ll have to learn to live without…did you know there is no such thing as measuring spoons here in Senegal?? Apparently I now have free license to be a ‘dump’ cook mama!

Today is Jeremy’s birthday (now 3 yrs) so we had planned to spend the afternoon yesterday at a local theme park (essentially a permanent carnival of second rate rides) . Apparently, it is considered ‘off season’ right now and it is only open on the weekends due to the ‘cold’ – I suppose it has been a chilly 20-25C some days this week.

Tonight we’ll be busy sorting and packing all of our belongings and supplies and getting ready for our trip South. We were supposed to have taken a ferry from Dakar to Ziguinchor (a city about 15 km from Niaguis) yesterday but found out earlier this week that the boat is out of commission for some much needed repairs. Looks like we’ll now be driving to Niaguis tomorrow morning instead, which should be quite the adventure! Pray that we have no difficulty crossing Gambia or any encounters with rebels.

Below are a few pictures of our time in St Louis and the Parc Nationale des Oiseaux de Djoudj. We'll post some pictures of Dakar when we get settled.

Me being mauled by the cutest little monkey in a small village outside the park

A 'Varan' lizard in the park

Just a few of the hundreds of adult pelicans

Hundreds of young pelicans awaiting their parents return with breakfast

Roadside Wonders

This past weekend we journeyed North to Saint Louis – the first French settlement in Africa (named after the French King Louis XIV) and Senegal’s former capital. It once was a busy port and centre for the trade of goods and slaves and today remains a thriving fishing community. Several wildlife reserves lie within an easy day’s travel from Saint Louis of which we only had time to visit the Parc National des Oiseaux du Djoudj – a world famous bird sanctuary. The park attracts many bird species as it is the first place with permanent water south of the Sahara. Apparently, around 3 million birds of more than 350 species pass through this park annually and one can typically see vast colonies of pelicans and flamingos. The best way to see the park is to take a ride on a "pirogue"- a long thin wooden boat. The ideal time to visit the park is between 11-12 noon when the pelicans return from fishing en masse. Unfortunately, we had to be there quite early but there were still plenty of pelicans and other birds to see. (bird pics later)

Pictures on the drive to Saint Louis...

Here Kitty Kitty...

That’s the sound of flight staff and passengers as our minous ran toward the back of the plane after escaping from their pet carrier while we were stealing a quick nap...oops!
After more than twelve sometimes stressful hours of travel from Chicago, we arrived in Dakar at 5:50am, local time (5 hours ahead here)…a long time for two cats to spend together in a 2 cubic-foot carrier, so all things considered, they really were awesome little travellers!
Luc, and warm weather, met us at the airport. Nope…no snow here! After getting virtually waved through customs with our five over-stuffed bags, we had plenty of unsolicited ‘volunteers’ to help with our luggage - each one touching a corner of one of our bags on the cart, then bitterly complaining that we only tipped the man hired by the airport to help with luggage! A short 15 minute drive in Luc’s Kia Sportage and we arrived to the Mission office where the two of us will be staying for the next few days in one of the 2 upstairs apartments – yes with running water and electricity!
Took a quick nap to try and feel human again then joined Luc and Anita and their kids Nicole (4yrs) and Jeremy (3yrs) for lunch (pizza – one of the last tastes of the familiar before heading south!)
Our afternoon was spent driving around the city and shopping for cell phones and groceries. The city is quite dusty since they haven’t seen rain since September. Dakar reminds us a lot of our time in Mexico complete with street vendors, horse carts, and brick and mortar architecture.
Tomorrow is a visit to doctors and the Canadian Embassy to register…not much else will be open as the city is almost ‘deserted’ following a mass exodus of the people today for a Muslim pilgrimage/feast nearby.
For anyone who doesn’t already have our contact info, we can be reached at soosenegal@gmail.com or
ADRA Senegal
JP & Tammy Duchesne
BP 127
Ziguinchor, Senegal.
Still not sure what the internet situation will be like in Niaguis but we’re hoping for the best! Looking forward to staying in touch…