Parental Units in Dakar!

View from the top of my roof at my host family's house in Mermoz. Host family and us. Mouhamed, Mouhamed Abdou Rakhman, Wes, Dianne, Coumbis, Katy, Astou, and Ousmane. 

 The Americans in traditional Senegalese dress. Mouhamed gifted the red Boubou to Wes.

A delicious meal of lamb with onion sause, french fries and salad!

Waking up under a mosquito net at the apartment at La Libela , an Ethiopian Restaurant in Point E.

The Restaurant above our apartment.

 Breakfast in the lounge area outside of our room! So colorful!

An Ethiopian breakfast!

Mother and I at the French Cultural Center in Downtown Dakar. Here we are standing in front of a Baobab tree.

We saw Youssou N'dour later that night at the French Cultural Center.




Sheba the domesticated cat who lives at the Ethiopian Restaurant, La Libela, where we are renting out our apartment.











Me and my host brother Amadou in front of my house in my neightborhood named Mermoz.

















Dianne and Katy in her room at her host family's house.

Wes and Dianne wearing traditional Senegalese clothing at the wedding ceremony at Meredith's house in the Kerac Neighborhood. The boubou that Wes is wearing was gifted to him by Mouhamed, my host father in Dakar. Astou, my host mother let Dianne borrow the beautiful clothes that Dianne is wearing for the wedding. At the wedding we discussed with family and friends, drank gingembre, ginger juice, and had a delicious meal of chicken with an onion sauce, french fries and salad.

Me, sporting my Taibas for the wedding.

 

Parental units walking the 2 kilometers to Keur Bamboung after an 8 hour bus ride, a scooter taxi and a perrougue ride to the island! Long day of travel. Donkey friend in tow.



The outside of our hut. Those were the best stargazing chairs ever made!




Wes and Dianne lounging outside of our hut at Keur Bamboung. All lights at the eco-encampment were solar powered along with eco friendly toilets in the middle of a nature preserve. The funds from Keur Bamboung go towards supporting the surrounding villages to survey the area and ward off poachers from this valuable mangrove region. Many species of birds and fish have come back from dangerously low numbers due to over fishing and hunting thanks to the efforts of the researve.



Soaking it up.

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Our beds inside the hut. Wes loved the mosquito nets because it felt like he was in a fort! Let's get in the fort!-Wes

Mangroves with their chicken leg limbs waiting for the tide to come in and fill up the delta.

Wes and Dianne looking sharp after the mangrove tunnel.

Wes in the mangrove tunnel.

Hike in the mangroves after the tide went out in the evening. We kayaked through the same area the very same morning!

These are for you,Mother.

Dianne birdwatching on the mud plane.

Crab holes among the plants.

Shells of already harvested Baobab fruit.

Bird watching with our guide, Famera, on the eco-trail at Keur Bamboung.

Bats inside of the trunk of a giant Baoobab tree.

Baobab fruit, called Bouy in Wolof.

Giant grey pelicans in the distance.

Wes and Dianne on the perrouge.

This man made island was formed by the dumping of mollusk shells by the local villages is covered in giant Baobab trees, which thrive off of calcium. The dumping began in the 18th century to become the island we see today.

Pulsating jelly fish caught in the mud when the tide went out off of the shell island.

Inside the Baobabs, looking up.

Griots or praise singers were buried in between these entwined Baobabs. People still continue to come to this spot in hard times to find the healing energy of the trees. Women having problems with pregnancy will come to this spot to take 3 turns around the trees.

Family on the boat!

Sunset on the delta.