Day 1

So Today the 18th of May I arrived in Africa. Dakar, Senegal to be exact. The South African woman on the plane who absolutely detested Montgomery, Alabama told me I was lucky, and that Senegal was the best place to start discovering Africa. It’s not so European that it looses its feel and definitely African enough to let you know you have left what you’re used to.
My first impression of Senegal was getting off the plane at four in the morning to about twenty smiling faces surrounding the steps on your way off. Everyone seemed so awake I swear they don’t sleep. I got my bags and went through customs. The guy handed me back the wrong passport, hahaha. The airport, for being the central airport of Senegal is tiny. It’s the same size as Tortola’s probably.
You walk out into the hot summer air, which smells strongly of urine and manure but its easy to get used to, and immediately get accosted by men wanting to carry your bags, people who have a good taxi deal, or people who just want you to use their cell phone so you can call your party. Luckily enough I was saved by Papa Dia, Caty Sarr, Yacoumbe Sanga, and some other AIESECers and we were on our way.
By 5 am I came to the realization that nothing happens here quickly. We had been standing on a sidewalk cracking jokes and just talking for about 20 minutes in the wee hour of the morning till we got a taxi. At that point I was ready to sleep. I was told in the little information that I had been given that I would be staying with Yacoumbe. That being the case, I somehow ended up on these two girl’s piece of foam that came from holding the bead stable. They kindly gave me a sheet. Their apartment was literally just a room with a bed and a dresser. The bathrooms are outside and around the corner, and I have no idea where they would cook. Nicolette, thank you for telling me to bring a sheet, its come in useful.
At what I thought was 10am but really was 8 I woke up and was offered a shower. Well let me tell you, there is no water during the day in that girl’s apartment building so they must collect it in the middle of the night. Soma the girl who let me sleep in her room was so nice as to give me a whole jug of water that she heated up to shower with. For those of you who don’t know, and it was my first experience, you basically take the large bucket with water and put in it the toilet/shower mixture and take a watering can type thing and pour water on yourself. Yes the toilets are squat toilets too.
So after I woke up and showered, Soma tried to teach me some Wolof, but its really hard. I know the greetings now.
Yacoumbe decided to move me to another place, to a girl who spoke some English around the corner. You walk out and are witness to slums lie you cant believe. Literally places made out of cardboard and metal. It’s so different. Also, you know how the US has raccoons that dig through garbage, and Chile has wild dogs? Well in Dakar its CATS, millions of them. Thank god I’m not allergic. We walked down the street to Sonja’s apartment, which was a smaller room with a window that looked into the hallway. It had a piece of foam on the floor for a bed and her really nice laptop, that’s it. She loved out of her suitcases.
After I put my stuff down Yacoumbe and I got some water and I got to take my meds. Bad news not having eaten! We were taking the car rapide to down town (the nicely adorned yellow and blue minivans), when I started to feel disgustingly sick. Yacoumbe sensed it and we got off, I RAN to a squat toilet and vomited everywhere. Lesson: eat. He then purchased me a baguette, which was delicious. Any who we met up with his friends who are graduating uni and had the job to pass out invites for commencement to all the government. What a cool experience! I went to all the gov. buildings and had visitors passes and got to explore. So cool! Then we went and took another bus called a NganyieNdgine or something and waited probably 30 minutes for it to fill up so we could leave. While waiting I was offered to buy water in bags, Colgate toothpaste, sequined scrunchies, and my favorite item superglue. (The man next to me bought two bottles, I’m not sure why knew what it was since it was in English and who buys superglue on a bus?)
Once we got off I was in the heart of the market where the bank to change my money was located. We changed my money in a high tech bank and then walked along the market. Mom and Dad, no one offered me anything! They did however tried to get Yacoumbe to buy me things I think. Tomorrow I will wear shorts so they can try the sock scam.
Afterwards it was time for lunch where we went to Genevieve and Alain’s room house to eat. Alain had prepared the national dish of the fish in rice. It was delicious!!!!! I was given a spoon to eat with thank god but it was a whole fish which for anyone who knows me well will be so surprised to know that I ate the hole thing. After that I spoke with a nice guy named Thierry who takes English in college and plays basketball as we watched La Lutte on TV. Honestly I never thought I would be in a situation with whole fish a room/apartment, 5 African men, and wrestling on TV, all speaking Wolof and French. I felt right at home.
After that we went back to Yacoumbe’s so I could nap as Sonja was at school and when we got there AIESEC was there!!! So exciting. I finally got to meet Claire who I have been corresponding with since March. Everyone is soooooo incredibly nice. I really do understand why it’s La Teranga. So the whole group then went to Sonja’s to get my stuff again, as I found out I was being moved to an actual house, so I could get the family feel. We took a taxi to Fann and went to the MCVP’s Aunt’s house.
I feel so spoiled. I’m currently lying in my own bed in a room I share with Virginie, their daughter who is 23. The have a toilet that you can sit in and a tube that I can use. I’m about to take a nap but I just found out that Sunday I get to go to a first communion!!!!!! So excited to see how African’s partayyy! Harriet comes June 1!
So far I feel that I was exposed to so much in a matter of hours. Can’t wait till tomorrow!!!