Leaving Zig was a mini tragedy in itself. It only really hit me when Lucien (collegue) left during our night at the Bombalong. I had a great last night dancing though! Astou, Mami (the house maid) and N’Diaye (Rama’s mother) came with too. I’m seriously going to miss dancing to African music, especially Couper Decaler.
(Image right: myself, Sabine, Claudine and MC on the boat towards Dakar)
Since I got to bed at 4h30, I sort of slept in on Sunday, packed my bags and got to the boat for noon. Saying goodbye to the family was hard; especially El Hadj.
My tears were so close to bursting out – one more look at the cutie and the waterworks would have started… Landing (father) was sweet and brought me to the docks himself after a pit stop at the artisans market for a souvenir for me. Daouda was there with me the whole time. I’m really going to miss our friendship :(
(Image left: St-Louis - the second bridge between the rich island and the very poor Langue de Barbarie section)
Saying goodbye was agonizing and I was anxious for the boat to leave so I could move on to another chapter of my life. As usual, I enjoyed the ride and saw dolphins jumping near our
boat :) I slept very well and arrived in
(Image right: MC and I with the fleuve and market in the background)
The ride there was over five hours + taxi transits to/from the road stations. On Tuesday, we walked all over town. It is so different from Ziguinchor! There were huge socio-economical differences readily apparent within blocks of each other. In fact, St-Louis is composed of several
islands. Most inland is the largest part of town which looks/feels like a normal urban section of
(Image left: taken from the uglier part that is on the oceanfront polluted beach)
The furthest part is a strip of ocean which if it were not as habited, would be beautiful. In a normal city, it would be filled with condos and hotels. But instead, it is the poorest, most disgusting part of the city. Sadly, it is filled with garbage, shacks as well as human and animal excrement.
(Image right: cemetery on the Langue de Barbarie - over the hill is the beach and ocean which seems endless)
I can’t put words to what was so despicable about the city and especially that part of it, but it really didn’t please me that much. The weather was really cold which is a 
good thing considering my travels are bringing me further and further north.
(Image left: me in a boutique where I found an African version of ET!)
On Wednesday am, we headed out of town to the Reserve de Guembeul which is a rehabilitation centre for flora and fauna. There, we saw antelopes, gazelles, onyxes, turtles, monkeys, birds and an empty lake filled with salt deposits. Our tour guide left us in the middle of nowhere to go get other 
tourists. More or less impressive… In the afternoon, Sabine and I visited the cemetery as well as the fisherman’s wharf which was most interesting.
(Image right: fisherman's docks where they manually carry off the fish from the pirogues and process them. They put some into trucks filled with ice; others they smoke or dry with salt)
On Thursday, I went to the museum before heading for my seven hour transit to 
evening, with our Dakarois comrades (and Senegalais friends), we went to an Ethiopian restaurant with a French couple. Very eclectic!
(Image left: stupid goat; picture taken in the nice rich part of town near our auberge)
Today is my last day in 
Tonight, I’m not sure if I’ll stay up or sleep a bit since we have to leave for the airport at 4 am. I’ll be doing one or a couple more blog entries for
Take care and give news.
(Image right: monkey conversing with Martin, the 64 year old turtle)
(Image left: the empty waterway filled with salt deposits. It looked and sounded like snow...hmm mental preparation for what awaits me in Quebec)
(Image right: you guessed it... the sexy cavewoman look! This is my hair after taking the braids out)
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