Today was one of my better days in Senegal… it’s funny, keeping a blog like this is making me realize even more that my life here is an emotional roller-coaster! I woke up feeling somewhat down, so I went for a 5 mile run… exercise always seems to perk me up. I go jogging almost always on a dirt road behind my house… it’s quite pretty, but it’s the “bush” so there isn’t much there besides mango and cashew trees, some random fields, and a few small villages (the villages are awesome to see in the early morning!!! Some are off in the distance, and all I see are little huts and a few smoke stacks shooting up into the air…but it’s quite beautiful, a real “Africa moment” if I could say so myself). Upon returning into Sokone, I bought a loaf of village bread (so yummy and doughy, compared to the “factory” bread, which is somewhat like what is found in the states), and I went back into my ‘apartment’ and made myself the best scrambled eggs with tomatoes and basil (fresh from my garden!!), and I put it on the bread, with a little Laughing Cow cheese spread. Yummy! And for a drink, I made myself a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. Afterwards, I took a bucket bath and then headed to the Catholic Church in my neighborhood. I don’t really understand much that goes on in church, they speak a mixture of French and Wolof, but I try to go every Sunday if I remember. My family likes that I go; I get the impression that the 2 previous volunteers that lived here never attended church. Church here is SO beautiful! Instead of an organ or piano, there is a beautiful chorus and they play the African drums…
Then later in the afternoon, my friend Liam (another PCV, who happens to be from New York State as well) came over for lunch. He brought tea and a small bag of sugar with him as a gift for my family, and my sister’s husband, another Senegalese man, Liam and I relaxed in my room and drank 3 rounds of tea (this is a traditional amount). Then Liam went back to his village, and I went for a little walk and chatted with some of the people that live in Sokone… around 6pm, the sun began to cast it’s beautiful setting rays on the freshly rained on palm trees, and the sky was a dark, deep gray (from rain clouds)… it was such a beautiful contrast… I think it was the first time that I realized exactly how beautiful Sokone is. Upon returning home, there was the brightest rainbow I think I have ever seen in my life… Africa……is…. Amazing.
Then, before dinner, me and the men in my house (I don’t think the women are very much interested), watched the final soccer match of the European Cup - it was Germany against Spain, and Spain won (I haphazardly chose Spain as “my team” after France became disqualified). It was a lovely day indeed.
So, in about 2 days I will begin my trip down south to Kedegou…and I’m super excited about going! I think I’m going to start out the trip with a bike ride to my regional house (we have to take bikes to Kedegou; there is really no other option for transportation once we get there). And seeing that the trip will take 12 hours, I think a little exercise beforehand will do me some good. To go from Sokone to my regional house (which is in Kaolack), I will have to bike 47 Kilometers (give or take), which amounts to about 30 miles!!) I’ve never taken such a trip on my bike, let alone by myself; but people before me have done it, so I know it is doable. I’d love to go with other people, but everyone that lives near me has different travel plans than me. I will leave Sokone probably around 6:00am, and according to other people, it will take me a little over 3 hours to get to my regional house. Wish me luck! Once at the regional house, I will meet up with all my friends, and we will make the long journey together!