Global Crossroads Study Abroad Blog

Things are heating up here in Dakar–and I don’t just mean the weather. The presidential election is THIS SUNDAY! Schools have been closed all week and university classes cancelled (my classes were very much on, though…) leading up to the election. Riots last Sunday left several dead in Dakar (luckily I was on the bus home from Toubakouta, so no worries!), and buses have been passing my house all night carrying supporters of various candidates. By Monday, we should know if there will be a second round of elections. Until then, all we can do is stay at home away from manifestations and wait!

In other news, it has been a pretty interesting week. We’re definitely all coming down from the high of Toubakouta and getting back into the routine of classes. Monday our environmental class took a fieldtrip to Guédiawaye, a suburb of Dakar. Suburbs in Senegal are pretty much the opposite of suburbs in the states: they are the poorest neighborhoods of the city. Guédiawaye, in particular, has a whole range of problems. Most noticeably, it was built on a water table and has been sinking into the ground for years. Some of the homes have sunk so far that the windows are only a few inches off the ground. Some are completely full of water, and some are so far underground that you would never have known there was a home there. People the residents of Guédiawaye can’t afford to move anywhere else, they try to extend the roofs of these sinking homes until they are inevitably forced out by incoming water. Moreover, the water is coming out onto the streets as well. It’s kind of like a perverted version of Venice–the water is green and pungent, and there aren’t any pretty gondolas here–only cinderblocks to lead the way across the sewage.

So, that was a pretty interesting and eye-opening afternoon. There are so many problems with urban planning and government corruption involved in how Guédiawaye became the way it is that I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Tuesday morning, Sophie and I ran up to Les Almadies, a wealthy neighborhood to the north. We stopped on a beach to stretch, and suddenly this pirogue pulled up to shore and a man in a wetsuit pulled something huge off the boat. We waited for him to pull it to shore and then went over to take a look…it was a type of small shark that he would sell for the meat. He had caught it with a spear in the ocean–this type of fishing is illegal in Senegal, but some people do it anyways.

When I got home from the run, I helped maman make crepes for like an hour! She made crepes for the entire extended family as a Mardi Gras tradition, and she taught me how to prepare them! Later that afternoon, we took another chance at Marché HLM and it wasn’t overwhelming! It helps so much to speak a little Wolof, and I was able to pick up a booboo and some shoes. I need to go back for gifts…We also went up to N’Gor, another beach village near Les Almadies, and met some guys who gave us a tour of the village. We all made wishes on an ancient Baobab tree. Also, as of Thursday, I have officially ridden a bicycle through the streets of Dakar. Thankfully I was with a Senegalese person, but I would not recommend it otherwise.

As for the weekend, it is interdit for us to go downtown in case of protests, so it looks like I’ll be hanging around the house a bit, which will give me more time with my family! I’m starting to really love my maman here. She is kind of amazing. Wish us luck for a peaceful weekend and a peaceful transfer of power!

Leave a Reply