Today I Bought a Towel

When you're packing for a trip to Senegal, there's an elevated level of stress in not forgetting anything. The old "Well, whatever I forget to pack, I can just buy a new one in _______," doesn't apply when traveling to Senegal.

I forgot to pack a towel.

I had $300 cash that I wanted to have exchanged to CFA. Unfortunately, we were unable to do it at the airport when we landed, so later that day, we got in the car to return to the airport.

The traffic was impossibly backed up on the road.


Now, in the United States, that would pose a problem. Not in Senegal. A Senegalese driver does not let gridlock stop him from achieving his destination. I soon saw cars pulling off onto the sidewalk area. No, it was not a paved sidewalk with pedestrians, but it certainly was not road, either. As I was expressing outrage that these drivers were driving in the dirt alongside of the highway, Mamoune pulled our car into the moving traffic in the dust!

After some discussion between YaYa and Mamoune in Wolof, YaYa explained to me that they had decided to give up on trying to get to the airport altogether, as the "invented" road was now backed up, as well.

He said there was someplace in the market where I could exchange my dollars for CFA.

Now me, I thought that meant they knew of a specific destination...a bank, or something. As we started weaving through the market, stopping several times to ask for directions (Senegalese men are very much unlike American men in this regard) I realized that our destination was somewhat undetermined. We stopped at one shop and YaYa and Mamoune visited with the owner. YaYa asked if I wanted to go in and sit down and have tea and visit. I reminded YaYa that it was our daughter's first day in a foreign country, and we had left her alone with Mamoune's Wolof- and French-speaking family, and that I'm sure she'd appreciate us getting back to her as soon as possible.

By now, at least 2 other acquaintances have joined us, and I can understand YaYa explaining that we want to exchange my dollars for CFA. A man dressed in a dark blue boubou arrives and speaks with YaYa. He pulls out a calculator, and the two of them have a 5 minute discussion on the street. Finally, YaYa asks me for my $300 and he and the man go inside the shop. Dollars and CFA are exchanged. I'm realizing how entirely helpless I feel. Not only have I handed all my money to my ex-husband, but I have no idea how much CFA I should be getting. (Note: photo shows about $13 worth of CFA).

Weaving back through the market, we pass a man on the corner with a stack of towels for sale. I remind YaYa that I need to buy a towel before tomorrow's shower. By now, we have at least 4 acquaintances who are "helping" us navigate the market. One of them has an idea of a much better person to buy from, so we continue to weave through the market. I am constantly approached by men and women holding up jewelery, artwork, etc. for me to consider. I would tell each of them no, but they were very, very persistent. One woman in particular followed me three blocks, holding beautiful beaded necklaces on each arm, choosing one necklace at a time to hold up for me to see. At one point, I realize that she's not holding up a necklace, but a beaded thong! My eyes widen, and I can't help the smile that shows up as a result of my surprise. She sees my reaction, and shows me the matching beaded bra. I will admit it was a little bit harder to continue to say "no" after seeing those items...

Finally, we got to the shop we were being taken to. Once again, I'm struck with how helpless I feel here, as conversation begins with the seller and the 6 (yes, SIX! Mamoune, YaYa, and the other 4) men who are all discussing the quality of the towel and the price. I can't understand a word of it, but it's loud and aggressive. I just want a towel that I can use to dry myself off with after a shower. I indicate to YaYa that I like one towel in particular, and after more discussion, it is finally purchased for 5,000 CFA. Here's what a $10 towel looks like in Senegal:

YaYa was also trying to buy sheets and pillowcases for Binta's and my bed, so there's also been conversation about the quality of sheets and the price for a set. Finally, YaYa leaves without the sheets, but that doesn't stop one of the men from chasing after us, all the way back to our car, still trying to get us to buy the sheets! YaYa nearly closes the car door on the man's head!

The sheets were purchased later...we sent Diarra to the market to buy them for us after we returned to Mamoune's house. We've noticed that it helps the negotiating process if there isn't a white American (tubab) involved.

Anyway, I got my towel. And we saved the other things on my shopping list for another day, 'cause this trip pretty much wiped me out.

Senegal: Our Arrival

Sunday, December 25th, 2010

We land in Dakar, Senegal, at 5:30 am Senegal time. It's something like 9:30 pm to my body, and I haven't been able to sleep much, either during the 6 hour flight to New York, nor the 8 hour flight to Dakar. But I'm wide awake.

The air feels different here. It's thick. It's hot. It smells different. Our first indication that we are very, very far from home.

Life in Senegal is filled with challenges. Beginning with "How to claim your luggage." When we arrive, bags are already circulating on the baggage carousel. There are men at the door when you walk in, offering to "help" you locate your bags, for a fee, of course...I'm not sure how much YaYa paid the guy who helped us, but I'm sure it was more than he deserved. He about ran over both me and Binta with the cart on two different occasions.

Suddenly, the carousel stops running, and we have yet to find even one of our suitcases. There didn't seem to be much concern from people who worked in the airport. Passengers started walking over, around, and on the carousel, to claim their bags. After about ten minutes of waiting, the other carousel, loaded with baggage from a previous flight, started running. Amazingly, we locate all six of our bags.

Once we get outside, we found Mamoune, YaYa's brother. How great it was to see him again, after 9 years! He got a big "Mamoune!!!" and hug from me. He looks exactly the same.

He brought our car over to us, and it was clear to me what our next challenge would be. There was no way our 6 suitcases, 5 carry-ons, and 4 passengers would fit into that small car. Apparently, I was the only one who saw that the challenge was impossible. The Wolof speakers thought there was a way it could work, and proceeded to try to Jenga the suitcases into the car in one creative formation after the next.

Two suitcases in! Only 3 suitcases, one large duffel bag, 5 carry-ons, and 4 passengers to go!

Three suitcases! Even loading up the backseat still left us with one suitcase that couldn't fit. Not to mention the 2 passengers and 5 carry-ons...Finally, the men admitted defeat and a cab was called. Note to self: must find out how to say "I told you so," in Wolof.

We got to Mamoune's house, and I was bombarded by 4 beautiful, lovely young women, all shouting my name and hugging and kissing me. Nine years ago, Coumba was 15, Mben was 13, Diarra was 10, and Fatou was 3. Fallou was merely a baby, about 6 months old.

From left to right, you can see Fatou, Mben, Fallou, Coumba, and Diarra. I'm the one in the center. ;)

After several hours of sitting around, looking at my photos from our last visit (many of which they either laughed hysterically at, or sighed wistfully at), Mben and Coumba headed to the market to buy ingredients for lunch. I never miss an opportunity to go to the market, so Binta and I invited ourselves!

Oh, Senegalese market...how I am both fascinated and repulsed by you! I love all of the colors, the noises, and (some of) the smells! I am horrified by the sights of raw meat, lying out on tables, with flies buzzing and crawling all over the pieces. The tables that have fish smell so offensive that I have to perfect a method of breathing through my mouth whenever we pass.

I wish more than anything that I could understand the exchanges between Mben and the sellers. They seem (to me) almost hostile as they negotiate a fair price for fish. At one point, we walk away from one seller, only to be called back to continue to discuss, and finally purchase, some chunks of fish. They're put directly into a plastic bag, and we continue through the market, stopping about 5 more times, to buy onions, spices, red pepper, other vegetables, and even to buy more fish! I find it strange that we buy fish from a total of 3 different sellers. Why not just get all the fish at once?

The sellers are amazing. This lady, selling fish, works so quickly with her knife as she runs it across the fish's body, causing scales to fly all over the place. She then sticks the knife inside the fish and guts it so quickly that I'm nervous for her...but it's clear that she knows what she's doing.

Lunch is Thiebu Jen. "Rice with fish." A perfect first meal for a non-seafood person like me. Binta dives right in...quite literally...by sitting at the "kids' floor" with Fallou, Fatou, and Diarra, and using her right hand to shape the rice into little balls to pop into her mouth. Quite a shock, given that this is the kid who refuses to eat anything but hot dogs and mac & cheese in America.

I ate with the adults, and using a spoon, I kept to just the rice. And a few carrots. It took the edge off my hunger, at least. Here, it's "eat or go hungry 'till dinner." I'll eat.

During our stay in Dakar, we have a room in a "hotel." And it is a room, by definition. Four walls, and a door that locks. As far as furniture goes, it has a bed, which is a wooden frame with a thick piece of foam that acts as a mattress. Binta and I shared the bed. There's an electric fan, too, which works most of the time, and some of that time, we can get it to work without a horrible screeching sound. It's all about priorities.

Mad props go out to YaYa, for sleeping on this (shown folded up) foam mattress on the floor. I doubt that the actual comfort level was much different from our "bed," but just the fact that our sleeping place is elevated from the floor (and any creepy crawlies) makes it more desirable.

You may have noticed the date of our arrival. Today was Christmas Day. But you would never have guessed that, by looking at any random piece of our day. As a matter of fact, at one point, I remarked to YaYa that this was a very strange Christmas, and as I heard him relay my comment to Mamoune, I heard Mamoune express surprise, as he said something that included the word "Christian." It was something like what you'd expect to hear in the United States, if someone said that today was the first day of Ramadan. "Oh yeah, Ramadan...that's a Muslim holiday. Is that today?"

Today was the complete opposite of a typical American Christmas. Right down to the 85 degree weather.