I’ve never eaten so many mangoes in my life…Don’t
get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Spring Break in Senegal right in the middle
of mango season means buying them in bulk for next to nothing and eating them
to survive the 12 hour drive from Dakar to Tambacounda in a 14 passenger
mini-bus holding 18 people in 100 degree weather. It was kind of a crazy week.
Day one: Drive from Dakar to “campement” in Dar
Salaam.
Like I said, our transportation may not have been
the most comfortable or the most conducive to sleep, but it certainly was the
beginning of our week of adventures. Cramped in the back of a mini-bus, bumping
along the rough, dirt roads, my friends and I realized pretty quickly that
personal space no longer existed- at least not for the next week.
When we arrived at our hotel in Dar Salaam, we were
thrilled to see a few mango trees and immediately began our plotting of
sneaking out in the middle of the night to stock up for the week…
Day two: National Park Niokolo-Koba!
6 people, but only enough seats for 4. What does
that mean? It means trading off who has to sit in the back of the truck being
bombarded by dust and dirt as we bounce along the park’s trails looking for any
kind of animal sighting. It means mouthfuls of dirt and skin that magically
turns 5 shades darker, that is, until you shower. We did get to see quite a few
monkeys, a warthog, and (YAY) 4 hippos!
Day three and four: Hiking, mountain climbing, and
visiting villages.
Each of us stocked with our three water bottles, layers
and layers of sunscreen, sturdy shoes, and gifts for village chiefs, we set out
with our guide to do some hiking. In those two days, we hiked two mountains to
the villages at the top and visited two more villages at the base of the
mountains. While it was amazing to be able to see the green landscapes of
Guinea from the top of the mountain, I was probably the most moved by the trek
up the mountain. Each time we were climbing, we passed several children on
their way down the mountain with empty 10 liter bottles of water on their
heads. We knew right away that this was one of probably 4 or 5 trips up and
down this mountain to refill the water jugs to deliver to their villages at the
top. As I thought about how tired I was in the heat of the day and how I was
going to tackle the steep incline of the trail, I immediately thought of those
children- many of them making the trips barefoot or sharing one shoe each, just
doing what is necessary for their families.
Day five: Waterfall in Dindefelo
Our guide’s reward to us for surviving the two days
of hiking was to spend the day at the most beautiful waterfall I have ever
seen. A 45 minute walk from our guide's native village, it was like we had traveled
straight to Hawaii. After a day of swimming and relaxing in the cool (clean)
air, we traveled back to Kedougou in the evening just in time to visit the market
and head to the Peace Corps house for the night.
Day six: Kedougou back to Dakar: 12 hour drive.
After a week of sight-seeing, hiking, and playing
with the kids of each village, it was time to head back to reality. It may not
have been a relaxing spring break on a beach, but I absolutely loved our week
of adventures, however dusty and dirty we may have been.
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