Spring Break Day #4

     We started off our day going to the zoo.  I had been fore-warned that the zoo was not that great so I didn't have high expectations.  It definitely could stand some improvement but it wasn't as bad as I had prepared myself for it to be.  One of the zoo security men took it upon himself to be our guide.  He took us around and made sure we saw all the animals and told us what they were.  When we got to the cages of the big chimpanzees, he was quick to pull me away and warn me to be looking out.  Unfortunately, before he could get Jourdan's attention it was too late.  The chimp threw a rock and hit her in the chest. Fortunately it wasn't a big rock and he didn't throw it too hard.  Here are some pictures of some of the animals that we saw.

     The highlight of the day was meeting up with some friends and eating at the Brazilian restaurant.  It was an all-you-can-eat buffet of vegetables and salads.  The waiters would come by the table with different meats (beef, pork, and chicken) on skewers and slice off pieces for you.  It was delicious!  We finished off the meal with a dish of ice cream and great conversation.

     Alas, all good things must come to an end.  Day #5 of spring break will be spent packing up and heading back home to Fatick.  It has been a great spring break!

Spring Break Day #3

     We slept late today to recover from our camel ride yesterday.  I have to admit that I was moving a little slow this morning and sore in quite a few places.  To get the day started we all went to Presse Coffee downtown for a big breakfast (omelet, potatoes, fruit, and fresh-squeezed orange juice).  After eating a good breakfast we were ready for a day of shopping.  Our first stop was the Artisan Market where we made a few souvenir purchases.  Jourdan and I then headed back to the apartment to meet up with Lindy to go shopping for clothes.  They are going on a trip this summer and need clothes that are not African print or long skirts/dresses.  They tried on a pile of clothes and found some good buys at Numero Uno.

     Jourdan and I left then left Lindy and headed to the mall for more shopping and a little pampering.  Jourdan started off with a shampoo and cut.  From there we went to the spa and both got a pedicure.  This place even had the massaging chairs like we have in America.  It felt wonderful and painful at the same time (due to the sore spots from the camel ride).

     After our wonderful pedicures, we headed to the food court for our lunch/supper.  There were a few more stores on that level that we visited before finally leaving the mall to head back to the apartment.  So what can we do tomorrow?  Maybe visit the zoo?

Spring Break Day #2

     Our big adventure to Lac Rose (Pink Lake) to ride the camels began with us going to the Shell Station to meet our driver at 9:00 am.  He finally arrived around 10:00 am (this is Africa).  I had read in the travel book that there was no easy way to get to Lac Rose.  That was correct.  I don't think I would have ever found my way on my own.  When the book said that there is no sign but you will turn left at the corner where there are some ladies selling vegetables under a tree, that was also correct.  The first thing we did when we arrived at Lac Rose was head to the camels to take our ride.  It took two guys to help me get up on that thing.  As we started our ride I gained a greater appreciation for the Wise Men who made their long journey to see baby Jesus.  Our ride only lasted 30 minutes but I was ready for it to end after 5 minutes!  I had just thought to myself that I hope we don't have to get off this camel until we get back when our guide stopped us on the beach and proceeded to have our camels get down so we could get off.  It was nice to walk around on the beach and rest my rear end for a few minutes, though.  The little guy managed to get me back on the camel without too much trouble.  When we finally made it back to the camel "depot," the owner just made it quite simple getting me off the camel.  He just picked me up in his arms and lifted me down to the ground.  (Sorry I don't have a picture of that!)

Off we go!

Atlantic Ocean

Taking a rest

Me and my camel

Our guide

Camel "depot"

     After our exciting camel ride we headed to the restaurant for a delicious lunch of poulet yassa (chicken, rice, and an onion sauce).  We sat right on the edge of the lake so we could enjoy looking at the pink water while we ate.  I was so excited that the lake was actually pink because there are times when it isn't very pink.  Once we finished eating we decided to stick our feet in the pink water.

Poulet Yassa

Lac Rose (Pink Lake)

Got my feet wet in Lac Rose

     To finish off our day, we decided that Italian was what we wanted for dinner.  We got a taxi (not a crazy one today) and headed downtown to Cafe de Rome.  It did not disappoint us; we had the best lasagne!  Since we were downtown and only a few blocks away, it was only logical that we go to Nice Cream for dessert.  Now we are ready for our day #3:  shopping.

Spring Break: Day #1

     Our day started off with the driver arriving an hour and a half early to pick us up.  No problem, he just sat out front and waited until we got ready.  We made good time on the road to Dakar and arrived at Amanda and Lindy's apartment around noon.  They arrived shortly thereafter.  Jourdan and I had planned to go downtown to eat at Times Cafe (great food) for lunch.  Amanda came with us while Lindy snoozed the afternoon away.  After eating lunch, we walked around downtown looking for the fruit/vegetable market.  When we ended up at Orca (a department store), we knew we had missed the market.  So we got a taxi to take us to the market.  It was fantastic!  There were fruits and vegetables galore!  Wish we had a place like that in Fatick.  We made our way back to the apartment for a little nap.  Around 6:00 we took a taxi to the lighthouse.  We should have had a clue what kind of ride this was going to be when the driver had to get out and work on something before we could ever drive off.  We had not gone very far before Amanda was telling the driver to pull over and stop to let us out.  He would not stop!  There were several scary moments in the ride but we finally got to the round point just below the lighthouse.  Instead of stopping, he kept going.  Amanda tried to get him to stop without any success.  He did slow up a little so I proceeded to open my door thinking that would make him stop.  Didn't work.  I punched the back of his seat and told him to stop.  A man on the side of the road noticed my car door open so he came over to help out.  We managed to get out of the taxi while the man was giving the driver a good lecture.  Finally, we were on our way up to the lighthouse.  There is a winding, steep road so it was quite a workout for me.  I managed to get a little over half-way before I had to stop and take a short rest.  I took a few pictures while at that point.

Westernmost point of Africa

The road we hiked up to the lighthouse

Looking down on the winding road that we walked

     
     We finally made it to the top and were rewarded by beautiful views of the ocean, lighthouse, and city of Dakar.

Dakar airport and city

Jourdan and I at the lighthouse

Jourdan and I on top of a lookout

Sun setting through a baobab tree

Beautiful sunset

 
    The trip back down was much easier.  We managed to get a better taxi to take us to a nearby restaurant for dinner.  This was a great start to our spring break.  Tomorrow:  camel ride and Pink Lake!

Lunch at Fatou's House

     Jourdan and I have been teaching an English class on Thursday afternoons.  One of the girls who has been attending is Fatou.  While we were visiting in her home a couple of weeks ago, we received an invitation to come back to have lunch with them on Sunday, March 24.  Fatou was going to cook one of our favorite meals:  chebu jehn (rice and fish).  As soon as we finished church at our house, Jourdan and I walked to Fatou's house.  The meal did not disappoint us!  We enjoyed a delicious meal with her as well as her mother and father.  Below are pictures of the preparation.

Fatou cooking in the kitchen

Rice that has been steamed

Fish and vegetables removed from the pot

Rice that has been cooked in the sauce

Placing the fish and vegetables on top of the rice

Platter complete

     Once the food was prepared, Jourdan helped Fatou bring it into the area where we would eat.  In a Senegalese home, you sit on a mat on the floor around the platter.  They will give us toubabs (Americans) a spoon but the Senegalese will just use their right hand and eat from the platter.  Fatou's mother helped remove the fish from the bones and would place bites of fish at the area where we were eating.  She would also squeeze lemon juice on the food to add some flavor.  I'm really going to miss Senegalese food when my time is finished over here.

Jourdan bringing in the platter of food

The mat on which we sat and ate the meal

Beating the Heat

     It is only March but the heat has arrived in full force with temperatures getting into the low 100's in the afternoons.  One Saturday, when my friend Anna-Marie was visiting from the United States, we decided to take a break from the heat and go to the river for a swim.  The river is actually an inland waterway from the ocean so the water is salty.  We took the children who live next door to me along for the fun.  

     There were some friends already at the swimming spot when we arrived.  Anna-Marie tried to teach one of the girls how to float but wasn't very successful.

     Since this was just a short drive from our house, we decided to take Minnie along for the fun.  It appears she enjoyed being in the water.

     I decided not to actually go swimming but enjoyed a nice walk along the beach wading in the water.  As I walked along, I came to a spot that was close to some water birds.  I love taking pictures of animals, especially birds.  Here are a few shots of the beautiful birds.

Farming in Fatick

   
     Farming in Fatick is a far cry from the farming that goes on at Holloman Farm in Alabama.  There are no big tractors to drive through the fields to plow, plant, and harvest the crops.  Instead, the plowing is done with a hand plow pulled by a horse or donkey.  Also, there are only two seasons here in Senegal:  wet and dry.  During the wet season (July through October), when there are rains, everything is green and growing.

 However, during the dry season, most of the farms are left for the animals to graze over until it is time to plant again.

If the farmers had a way of getting water to their fields, they could grow crops three or four times a year.  There is one farmer in Fatick who spends his day (before the sun comes up until after the sun goes down) on his farm and waters his crops by hand.  As a result, he is growing crops such as lettuce right now during the dry season.

Travis has been working on an idea that would make it possible for the farmers to get water to their crops.  It involves a small battery that the women could carry from their homes to their fields each day after charging it with a small solar panel.  The battery would be used to run a small pump that would pump water from a well through a hose so they could water their crops.  Travis took me out to a farm so he could demonstrate the process.  He is hoping to try this out on the field at the top of this blog.  Once he gets everything worked out, we are hoping to be able to expand this project through the help of volunteers partnering with us.  It will be a great way to open the door for us to plant seeds of the gospel to these farmers.