www.theblisspages.com - travel: Senegal
www.theblisspages.com - travel: SenegalMy trip to Senegal seemed to be fated from the start, when I realised that I'd been quoted for a ticket to Dhaka in Bangladesh rather than Dacca, the capital of Senegal.
Soon after we took off, my eye started itching, and by the time we landed I was in agony. When I got to a doctor a day or so later, it was obvious that I'd developed shingles - and yes, it is as painful as everyone says it is! The doctor gave me iodine, and a drug whose name I don't recall, but which hadn't been used back home for several decades. The iodine gave me what I hoped would be a rakish appearance, but in fact just looked as if someone had been throwing purple dye at me.
To make matters worse, I was mugged, or at least conned. I freely admit I was stupid, but can at least blame feeling groggy on the medication. As I was waiting for a taxi outside the hotel, a couple of locals started talking about England. In the course of the conversation, they started talking about stamps, and asked if I had any British stamps. And where were my stamps? They were in my wallet, of course.
Somehow, as they were looking at the stamps, the wallet was in their hands, and my money was being removed. My English reticence and politeness in adversity suddenly overcome; I grabbed it back, and started trying to recover my money. I suppose it shows I felt reasonably safe, but I followed the two men down a side street, while remonstrating with them, and reminding them that, as Muslims, stealing was a sin.
It obviously worked, as I recovered about fifty pounds and forty dollars, so my eventual losses were only twenty US dollars. I was very lucky, as this was the only theft I can recall in thirty-five years of travelling.
Happier times I remember include a magnificent meal of lobster with a colleague in a small cafe.
The last night of our trip was marked with a very enjoyable meal by a beach at the westernmost point in Africa. See the poem I wrote celebrating favourite restaurants round the world I've visited. We started with Oursin, or sea-urchin, which was predictably salty, but rather nice. I then had a steak, which wasn't so much rare as raw - though undeniably tender. There wasn't time to send it back as we were going straight to the airport, but luckily my knife was as sharp as my mind...
I also remember a great outdoor concert given by Yousa N’Dour, Salif Keita, and Papa Wemba.
The atmosphere was electric and the music fantastic. We had a wonderful time.
See my Yousa N’Dour, Salif Keita, and Papa Wemba records and CDs.
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: © Mike Bliss 2008