Home Away from Home

The longer I live in Dakar, the more comfortable I feel. The more settled I feel. The more I feel like this is my home away from home. 

We've been here over six weeks, and the Africa Mercy arrives in less than a month. I am excited to watch her sail into the port, to see the familiar faces of friends and the brightly colored flags waving in the breezy sea air. However, I must admit, a small part of me wants time to slow down. For one, there are still many things to accomplish. But secondly, this is such a special opportunity - and one that I might never have again. I don't want the weeks to pass so quickly.

Saturday Team Dinner @ Thai Garden

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There's something special about where we live. 

Our neighborhood is a melange - a mix of elements, a medley. Of sand and concrete. Of expat and Senegalese. Of established businesses and roadside "restaurants". Of farm animals and modern vehicles. Of nice homes tucked behind gates and simple shacks made from wood, corrugated metal, and fabric. It's an area in transition. An area with character. 

One of my favorite aspects of this neighborhood is the corner shops, small in size but packed from top to bottom with all sorts of essential items. They remind me of my time in Ecuador because that's where I first saw corner stores right smack in the middle of residential areas. Each morning fresh bread is delivered to the shops, often via wheelbarrow or a crate on the back of someone's bike. A large baguette is 150 CFA ($0.25), making it one of the cheapest food items to buy in Dakar. These stores also sell drinks, eggs, large jugs of water, roach spray, mobile phone credit, dish soap, matches...pretty much any non-perishable one could want. 

Fruit stands are another common sight here. The vibrant hues of mangos, papayas, avocados, apples, mandarins, bananas, plums, pears,and even strawberries (in season), bring a splash of  color to an otherwise rather dull landscape. We frequent these stands often given their proximity to our home but also because the fruit quality can be better than the products available at the grocery store. Aside from the tropical fruits, which might be grown locally, everything is imported and often presented right from their shipment boxes. While many Senegalese are involved in agriculture, it is mainly out of necessity for subsistence living. The soil is generally poor and prone to droughts; according to Wiki just 5% of the land is irrigated. 

Not far from our street, you enter a roundabout. That area is a mishmash of established businesses, a grocery store, a pharmacy, a paper store etc. but also the cement shell of high rise buildings that were seemingly abandoned during the construction phase. Yet despite the fact that many buildings are going unused, still other plots of land nearby are in development. 

Amid the houses, the businesses, and the buildings in need of further construction, there are open plots of land that act as the Lowe's and Home Depot of Dakar. These sandy swaths of real estate serve as the collection grounds for building supplies - bags of cement, wires, wood, PVC piping, paint etc. Look around and you will also see horses, often hooked up to a carriage, waiting to transport the next load of supplies. 

And it's not just horses that frequent the streets around here. You see big bull cows too - sometimes rummaging through trash to find a tasty snack but often just lumbering down the road to their next destination. They seem pretty docile, but their massive horns always make me feel on guard when I'm nearby. 

Recently, hundreds of sheep have also moved into the city from the interior for the Tabaski celebration (also called Eid al-Adha). This very significant Muslim holiday honors the willingness of Ibraham to sacrifice his son at God's command, but in the last moment God provided a lamb to take the child's place. These sheep are beautiful and regal with their spiral horns and large bodies. They laze about the day under pop-up canopy tents that are set up in medians and on the roadside. Those might seem like strange locations unless you think about all the potential customers who have to pass by in traffic during their commute. 

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The other day I had a revelation; there are three gelato shops within walking distance of our humble home. And for better or worse they all have sorbet, which I can eat. With the heat increasing (the hottest months of the year are July and August), sorbet is becoming my on-the-go treat. So far I have indulged in strawberry, melon, and mojito flavors. The quality doesn't match my sorbet experience in Italy, but I must say, I am quite pleased. And for the cost of 1000 CFA (about $1.75) I can't complain too much. 

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Despite this expanding knowledge of my neighborhood, I have spent minimal time walking around downtown near the port (about 20 mins away by taxi). At this rate, I will be a very poor tour guide when the ship first arrives in August.

In Guinea I had this impression that the Advance Team knew the city inside and out, so it feels strange that I don't know Dakar as thoroughly. And yet, I am grateful that being part of the Senegal Advance Team has helped me to know and really appreciate an area of town that would not generally attract tourists or even most expats. Navigating the port area will happen, just at a later time. 

And now my mind wanders back to Conakry. I wonder, was my view of Conakry too narrow? Did I stay too close to the ship, to the areas that felt comfortable? What else did Conakry have to offer to the sojourner willing to venture a bit farther afield? 

I take this experience as a nudge, a little reminder that one's willingness to explore and invest in places off the beaten path often leads to unique and satisfying results. 

PS - For work-related updates, see the Praise and Prayer Points page of my blog after this weekend (21 July).