I absolutely do not want to be back in Dakar. I went on Spring Break last week-Friday through Thursday- to the south of Senegal called Casamence with Leah, Ginger, Sara and Alice. Going on this trip made me 1) appreciate Senegal much more because I met so many genuinely nice people 2) realize how much I dislike living in the city because I miss the color green and 3) made me really, REALLY want to go back to the States.
We took a large boat from Dakar to Ziguinchor which took us about 14 hours in all. It was nice though because we shared an 8 person cabin, so we had plenty of room to lay down and spread out. We shared the cabin with three other Senegalese (I think) men and they were all pretty chill.
Okay, so here are a few stories from Spring Break:
Day two on the boat: It's Complete
The day before, we saw that the boat was serving breakfast from 6 to 7 AM, and being American, we decided that we absolutely MUST eat the breakfast. The four of us-Ginger, Leah, Sara and I- woke up at 6:12 and made our way to the restaurant (Alice opted to sleep instead...good choice). It turned out that the breakfast was offered from 6:30 until 9, but we couldn’t turn down the breakfast so we waited outside the door. While we were waiting, we were thinking about everything this breakfast could be: pancakes, waffles, maybe some eggs, really coffee perhaps? When the door opened, we joked that maybe it would be bread with chocopain and nescafé: our standard breakfast at home...but we were paying for this meal so it COULDN’T be that.
We sat down at a table with a basket of bread, Nutella and a nice assortment of fruit spread. We were then given orange juice, which later turned out to be tang. We were given café au lait, which then turned out to be nescafé (nescafé is a powdered coffee that you stir into the hot water, but you don’t filter it). We were pretty sad because we thought that MAYBE this was the entire breakfast. As we were eating, our waiter asked us if we would like the ‘complete breakfast’. This was the conversation (in French).
Waiter: Would you like to have the complete breakfast?
Ginger: What is it?
Waiter: It’s complete.
Ginger: Yes, but what is it.
Waiter (not understanding that breakfast could be ANYTHING but bread and nescafé):
We took a large boat from Dakar to Ziguinchor which took us about 14 hours in all. It was nice though because we shared an 8 person cabin, so we had plenty of room to lay down and spread out. We shared the cabin with three other Senegalese (I think) men and they were all pretty chill.
Okay, so here are a few stories from Spring Break:
Day two on the boat: It's Complete
The day before, we saw that the boat was serving breakfast from 6 to 7 AM, and being American, we decided that we absolutely MUST eat the breakfast. The four of us-Ginger, Leah, Sara and I- woke up at 6:12 and made our way to the restaurant (Alice opted to sleep instead...good choice). It turned out that the breakfast was offered from 6:30 until 9, but we couldn’t turn down the breakfast so we waited outside the door. While we were waiting, we were thinking about everything this breakfast could be: pancakes, waffles, maybe some eggs, really coffee perhaps? When the door opened, we joked that maybe it would be bread with chocopain and nescafé: our standard breakfast at home...but we were paying for this meal so it COULDN’T be that.
We sat down at a table with a basket of bread, Nutella and a nice assortment of fruit spread. We were then given orange juice, which later turned out to be tang. We were given café au lait, which then turned out to be nescafé (nescafé is a powdered coffee that you stir into the hot water, but you don’t filter it). We were pretty sad because we thought that MAYBE this was the entire breakfast. As we were eating, our waiter asked us if we would like the ‘complete breakfast’. This was the conversation (in French).
Waiter: Would you like to have the complete breakfast?
Ginger: What is it?
Waiter: It’s complete.
Ginger: Yes, but what is it.
Waiter (not understanding that breakfast could be ANYTHING but bread and nescafé):
It's complete?
Sara (jumping in to help Ginger): But it’s what.
Waiter (thinking he finally understood): It’s two thousand cfa.
Sara: But what IS it.
Waiter: Two thousand cfa.
Sara (breakthrough!): what does it include?
Waiter (pointing at the table): bread, Nutella, fruitspread, ‘coffee’ and orange juice.
Ginger: That’s all?
Waiter (confused); Yes. It’s complete.
Sara (jumping in to help Ginger): But it’s what.
Waiter (thinking he finally understood): It’s two thousand cfa.
Sara: But what IS it.
Waiter: Two thousand cfa.
Sara (breakthrough!): what does it include?
Waiter (pointing at the table): bread, Nutella, fruitspread, ‘coffee’ and orange juice.
Ginger: That’s all?
Waiter (confused); Yes. It’s complete.
So it was basically everything we were already eating. We paid 4 dollars for stuff that we get free every single day. It was a sad morning. FYI: Alice was satisfied that she stayed sleeping.
Clothing Optional?
We were all a bit disappointed that we couldn't go skinning dipping in Cap Skirring, so we decided to go in the hotel's pool. I'm not sure if you can tell from the photograph, but all of the rooms in the hotel faced the pool, so it was a bit risky. At midnight, the five of us crept out of our rooms-in towels- and went to the pool. The front desk was open all night long which added to the risk, but we figured the worst they could do is throw us out. And besides, French women go topless in the pool, so there wasn't THAT big of a difference. Alice and Sara were the first to jump in (Sara already went early that night) while the rest of us stayed hidden behind the palm tree to see what would happen. Sure enough, the front desk worker (who happened to be male) came over to the pool and hushed us. He didn't make us get out though. Once he went back inside, Leah, Ginger and I got in the pool. We swam around the pool for about 10 minutes, jumped back out, then hurried into our hotel room.
My new 'about me' for ice breakers will be that I went skinny dipping in Africa.
Last night in Ziguinchor: Is this...porn?
Let me just start by saying the French are crazy. Around one in the morning, after our skinny dipping adventure, Alice , Sara and I laid in bed watching the satellite TV. They showed eleven ads in a row for sex hotlines. Ridiculous. Then, a show came on. It started out with the camera panning a library and the director talking about the books while the credits said the show was inspired by some play wright. Alice assumed that it going to be like 'Storytime with Pierre' and he was going to read a play. Wrong. Oh so wrong. It started out pretty normal medieval program, and then the main char actor (he liked like a frog IMHO) winked at some girl and it was all downhill from there. It turned out to be medieval French porn-don't worry, they didn't show much. The three of us were dying of laughter because It's ON TV. Who the heck would make this? It was so ridiculous. The only word I could use to describe it is QUOI-which means 'what' in French, but it just fits this situation perfectly. Leah ran over from her room next door-she must have heard us laughing-and was like 'are you guys watching this too!?!'. Ginger and Leah joined us watching this TERRIBLE excuse for a show.
In case any of you are concerned, they didn't show much of anything, so don't worry!!
Never trust a German to give you directions to an American Diner...jafé jafé
While we were on the boat, we were complaining to our friend, who happened to be German, about our breakfasts that we have been eating, which all consisted of bread and some form of spread. She had been living in Dakar for quite a while and she told us about this 'real' American diner. She has been to America before, so we believed her and got our hopes up about this place. She told us
that they actually had REAL coffee and everything an American diner should have. So Leah, Ginger, Sara and I went- Alice opted out again (she knew better). As you can see from the photo, this place looked very much like an American diner, but looks are deceiving. The first thing we saw was a chalkboard that said "Cookie Crepe", which we immediatly knew we had to have, even though it was seven dollars. We got the menu and we were quite disappointed. There WAS real coffee-three dollars, but the only real food was omelet. In Dakar, Omletes are EVERYWHERE, so those weren't that exciting. Story made quick, we spend fifty USD on a breakfast consisting of omelets, coffee and frapachinos (which were great) and a cookie crepe-which was literally a crepe with a single little cookie on top.
that they actually had REAL coffee and everything an American diner should have. So Leah, Ginger, Sara and I went- Alice opted out again (she knew better). As you can see from the photo, this place looked very much like an American diner, but looks are deceiving. The first thing we saw was a chalkboard that said "Cookie Crepe", which we immediatly knew we had to have, even though it was seven dollars. We got the menu and we were quite disappointed. There WAS real coffee-three dollars, but the only real food was omelet. In Dakar, Omletes are EVERYWHERE, so those weren't that exciting. Story made quick, we spend fifty USD on a breakfast consisting of omelets, coffee and frapachinos (which were great) and a cookie crepe-which was literally a crepe with a single little cookie on top. All in all, I LOVED Casamance so much and am a bit disapointed that we had to come back to Dakar. Oh well.
XOXO
Tif
skinny dipping and watching porn...my my you have changed since going to Africa LOL. Sorry about your breakfast, when you get home you can have a big breakfast with all the different breakfast foods. A "complete" breakfast
ReplyDelete