Today was an awesome way to start our journey. We didn't get up until after 10am. Following our breakfast of baguettes with chocolate, we had a "staff meeting" with Cal and the bunch. During this time, we took some lessons on Wolof, and also learned how to take a taxi here. It was fun, and slightly funny as a couple of us took turns practicing in the living room. It took until about...hmm...11am this morning...maybe 12pm before the whole reality of being in Western Africa actually sunk in for the majority of our team. I believe that everyone is loving it. Ryan is being particularly exciting...and excited. He was funny today. Today after our practice and staff meeting time, we went and ate next door. It was our first real Senegalese meal. It was Ceebu Jen, a common bowl meal with, of course, rice, vegetables, and fish. It was very good. The place we ate was part of our compound though. We are currently staying in Grand Yoff at a IMB owned facility/guesthouse. It is quite nice. Anyways, back to our day. After eating our Ceebu Jen, we left via taxis (using our previously learned Wolof) to go to the lighthouse in Mammelle or, "Begg na dem phar bi, ci Mammelle." We all arrived without incident. The view from that lighthouse was unbelievably gorgeous. I can guarantee that our pictures will not accurately get the point across. It is positioned on the highest point in all of Dakar. We stayed there for a while and took lots of pictures. Then we took taxis back to Grand Yoff. While here, we just sat...which is what they do here...a lot. We sat and talked and drank attaya in our compound with Papa, a Senegalese friend and translator. Whilst waiting on the attaya, several of us wandered outside the compound and sat out front. It was quite fun, at first we just sat there and took in the experience. Kids would come by and be intrigued by our whiteness, and we would greet them in Wolof, to their surprise. Soon enough, the girls on our team noticed the Senegalese girls that were dancing and playing across the street. They joined in. It was quite the fun experience for them, and fun to watch too. As soon as we finished the attaya, it was time to leave for dinner. So, it was back to the taxis again. We taxied and or drove to "On the Run", they have them in the States, but they are merely gas station/convenience stores. Here, they are restaurants also...several of them. The gas station has 4 eateries inside...I don't even know if there is a gas counter...there is "Nando's" for chicken, "Steers" for burgers, "Pizza Inn" for pizza, and "Creamy Inn" for ice cream. The ice cream place was closed again, just as it was last year when we were here. We had the pizza. It was very good, tasted very much like American pizza, but the cheese is a lot different. After pizza we headed back to the compound...it was already 7:30 or so. So, now we are just resting and hanging out at our compound. We've had a wonderful first day. I'm going to attempt to load up some pictures now, we'll see what happens.
Here is some of the sleepiness that existed in the Paris airport...we had already been travelling for a long, long time....
Here is a picture of us all up at the lighthouse, that is some of Dakar in the background, and the African with us is Papa, whom I mentioned above.
Ryan decided to take a nap on the lighthouse...he had no idea I took this picture...until now.
Here is our view from the front gate of our compound.
This is the only child we've had much contact yet as of now...other than the girls that our girls played with. His name is Mousa, he is Papa's cousin. That is Kesha holding him.
Here is some of the sleepiness that existed in the Paris airport...we had already been travelling for a long, long time....
Here is a picture of us all up at the lighthouse, that is some of Dakar in the background, and the African with us is Papa, whom I mentioned above.
Ryan decided to take a nap on the lighthouse...he had no idea I took this picture...until now.
Here is our view from the front gate of our compound.
This is the only child we've had much contact yet as of now...other than the girls that our girls played with. His name is Mousa, he is Papa's cousin. That is Kesha holding him.
