Finally in Cabo Verde
July 10th, 2005 by Sarin
Since I have arrived in Senegal, I have….
- Ridden in a bush taxi that fit all 25 volunteers and our luggage on top
- Not seen a patch of grass
- Overheard Will Smith in the radio at the convenience store and almost didn’t realize it
- Accumulated over 2 dozen or so mosquito bites… on one leg
- Sweated more in a bathroom alone than I have on some hot days
- Played over 100 games of Asshole
- Slept off major jet lag
- Stayed awake for longer than 24 hours… when getting up from Philly to go to Senegal… and getting delayed again
- Realized that my stomach can handle the African food, sometimes better than American food
- Gotten over 1000 stares from the locals
- Hung out with our new friend Wey-O from Egypt. He’s a pilot for Senegal International and has a beach house overlooking the dock in Senegal.
- Learned how to play a drum from some African friends
- Drunken more cheap African beer than I ever imagined
- Introduced and played absolutley every game I had in my book. This includes the name game, the hand game, up and down the river, golf, kings, and bullshit
- Were favored guests at a bar, with an African drum band that followed Bob Marley and Eagles tunes
- Peed in a squat toilet
- Been offered by a hooker. I asked her if she had babies, she showed me her bedroom instead
- Listened to a day’s worth of 2Pac blasting out of the speaker at the Dakar beach hotel
- Had more guys touch me than ever before
- Cradled a local kitten that needed some itching
- Had a buffet meal for the past 2 days, all on the Peace Corps expense
and this is all in a span of 48 hours. And sleeping maybe 15 of it.
In other news, we have finally made it to Cape Verde this morning. We finally got the airline to get a flight for us at 7am in the morning… and most of us just stayed awake that night. We are staying at a hostel for a day before we get moved into our host families. Already I have to adjust from the amenities that was previously available in Dakar (Senegal), as the water system and the lack of water itself is an everyday issue. There is an amazing view outside my window of two mountains I look forward to conquering some day. Ever since I made it into Africa, I have been looking forward to breaking a sweat. If nobody is down, I might have to try this myself.
Earlier this week, I got news that a good friend of ours Bethany Simard passed away. I haven’t had much time with her, but I do know she is close with my other friends. I am extremely saddened that I’m not home to talk to everybody, but please remember that our friend that has passed is a very wonderful person in my eyes and is indeed a very horrible tragedy. It’s still hard for me to settle in correctly… just the other month I was at her wedding… and now.
It is a couple of minutes before dinner and the night has yet to begin. Pre-Service Training has yet to begin and the next 9 weeks will be tough yet encouraging. I can’t wait till I learn even just enough criulo to start talking. Things will be alright. Contact here is very sporadic and my funds are limited. Expect an every other day type of update. But for now, I should go outside and explore a bit.
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Great post, I love it!
Sorry to hear about your Bethany.
I googled my friend(Bethany Simard)’s name and got your website. I’m not sure if it’s the same Beth, but my friend Beth also just died. So, I am so sorry to hear about your Bethany Simard. My thoughts are with you.