Zach’s Travels

Saturday night I slept outside on the topmost point of the island, next to some old guns that the French left behind many years ago. Beautiful night. Great temperature with a nice breeze and a sky full of stars.

I was invited by Duchere, one of my closest and most helpful friends on the island, who sleeps there every night during the summer. I originally declined the offer, to which Duchered replied, “why not?” Not having really any good reason, I got my pillow and sheet and joined him at the top. Duchere provided the mattress, a thin piece of foam that reminded me of sleeping conditions in Japan. Only in Japan directly under the thin mattress was tatami, thickly woven straw that gives way, and under me here in Senegal was concrete. Which doesn’t give was as much.

Looking back on it I realized that had I seen these guys sleeping outside on my first night here I would have assumed they were homeless. And now here I was, a toubab, sleeping right next to them!

I slept well, too. And, surprisingly, I didn’t have any mosquito bites in the morning. Even in my house I typically wake up with a new bite every morning (in fact, in writing this entry, I got another one on my right arm). Bastards.

Today I am heading into Dakar with Duchere. Monday is his day off, his “holiday.” There aren’t any tourists really today, so most of the island artists take the day off. I’m not sure where we’re going. When I asked him he said, “I don’t know. We see.” So there you go. We see.

On a brief note of excitement, there is a 4th of July Party this Friday being put on by the US Embassy. A little camaraderie with some fellow freedom-loving, terrorist fighting Americans maybe? And did I mention they’ll have hot dogs?

Random: Rather moving story from the NY Times