Mar Lodj

Was lucky enough to spend my weekend on a small island called Mar Lodj in the Sine Saloum Delta where the Saloum river meets the Atlantic ocean. The entire program traveled by bus to Ndangane where we took pirogues to the island of Mar Lodj. We were greeted by a French couple and quickly settled into our bungalows. All of our meals were delicious with fresh fish and shrimp caught just nearby our campement. Hammocks and a sandy beach were more than enough to encourage some genuine R&R.

Friday night we took a pirogue tour through the mangroves. The mangroves have been depleted since they’ve been used as fuel for cooking but there are several initiatives led by women’s groups to replant the mangroves. We saw quite a few species of birds at their nesting sight and some giant pelicans.  We returned home with the sun setting behind us and a three-course meal ahead. Fresh tomatoes and tapalapa – a heartier bread than the plain baguettes we’re used to, followed by cous-cous and chocolate cake to follow. Being used to simple meals in Dakar, the variety offered to us here was almost as wonderful as falling asleep in a hammock reading a good book.

Saturday morning I woke early to take a run across the island. I had a staring contest with a few cattle as they stood directly in our path. The ground was dry and cracked under my feet and the crisp wind greeted us as we doubled back. The landscape was much preferable to that of Dakar where I breathe in pollution and my land markers are buildings instead of a giant baobob tree. After breakfast the whole group – 52 students - took horse drawn carts around the island for a tour. It felt slightly uncomfortable and overly touristy to drive through villages on the carts. We took a brief stop to see the church and walk through a few streets but I much preferred the tour outside of the villages seeing the vast fields of sand spotted with trees and herds of cattle. I wondered how much the dry landscape must change during the rainy season. 

I filled my afternoon with some Frisbee, swimming and reading. After dinner was the main event, a wrestling match in the village nearby. They set up tarps in a big circle for crowd control and the ring was quickly filled with supporters. A group of drummers kept the rhythm and large speakers ensured everyone could hear the singer. There are many rituals surrounding wrestling and the whole ring was filled with wrestlers and their crewmembers warming up, drawing figures in the sand, and pouring specially prepared concoctions on themselves or around the rink. As opposed to the ring in the stadium in Dakar, which was neatly partitioned, this ring ended where the crowd began. The match was set up tournament style, single elimination and 2 or 3 pairs of wrestlers could be competing at a time. Before the semi finals, we were offered the chance to lutte (wrestle) each other. They helped us wrap the pagne properly and we paired off. I have had the chance to lutte against the kids that live next door and their tips helped me win the match against my opponents. It was really fun to watch some of the guys wrestle each other and realize how much more exciting the lutte would be if we new the wrestlers. The lutte is really popular in this region and they will quickly boast that unlike the lutte in Dakar, which can include some punching, this is authentic wrestling. It is the main form of entertainment and a tournament like this is held each month in a different village in the area.

On the way back to Dakar Sunday morning we stopped a large baobob, big enough to crawl inside. Outside the tree, vendors clamored for your attention while inside, bats fought for space to cling to the underbelly of the giant tree. Amazing but didn’t feel inclined to stay inside for too long. 

Food

For those of you who know me well it may be a surprise that I haven't talked about this topic sooner, but the time has come, as I am currently lounging in the living room in my mini wifi bubble that I found this weekend that is just strong enough to use my iPod.
Food:
ghost bread- the white baguettes that everyone eats for breakfast, void of any nutritional or taste value, I usually take mine with a banana and peanut butter and honey.

Sugar- another popular commodity, it us heaped into tea, coffee, and powdered milk. Triple the amount of sugar you would add and you might be close

powdered milk- popular alternative to real milk-- I can finally relate with my grandma when he talks about havig powdered milk as a kid

fried food- lots of tasty fried snacks are found in mini food stands or just on the side if the road, not sure how anyone makes money but I can get some delicious donuts for 25cfa each as well as fataya - dough with meat and onions inside, nems- like an egg roll. These shops also sell peas, sphaghetti, tuna stuff, and eggs which allake the ghost bread a litle less bland

lunch -- the largest meal of the day and unfortunately I spend it at school since I don't have time to go home at lunch time. Although it let's me vary my diet. Schmwarmas are my current fav

rice and fish -- I like the Senegalese dishes but I hve to admit I'm getting a little tired of rice and fish, and to think that I used to complain about having too much chicken.
Ceebu jen: national dish. Rice in tomato based sauce with fish and veggies- eggplant, cabbage, carrot, this root vegetable and another veggie I've never eaten. I will be learning to cook this soon so I'll actually know the names of the vegetables I eat.
Onions are everywhere
mafe- another fav dish this one has a peanut based sauce
cous cous: it's always an exciting night when we get cous cous.

Dessert: rare unfortunately and luckily the bakery is just far enough away that I don't go visit everyday. Biscreme is good- a little biscuit with chocolate in the middle, or those fried donuts can make a good treat

peanuts: grown in Senegal and you could walk blindfolded with your hands tied behind your back and you'd still find someone selling peanuts without any effort although you might get hit by a car first. Peanuts come roasted or raw in or out of the shells.

Fruit stands and fruit juice sellers are another favorite. Sometimes we buy bissap or the inside from the baobob fruit and make juice at home which a special treat.

I miss moms cooking and cheese-- cheese is hard to come by

Pigeons

Ever since I bit into a nasty piece of tendon or connective tissue at a Boston Market while trying to cut my own chicken, I’ve been a little picky when it comes to eating chicken wings. After spending 2 months in Senegal you could say I’ve moved to the other end of the spectrum. When you’re served rice and fish everyday, chicken starts to look really delicious and it’s totally worth scrounging and probing for every last piece of meat. Gone are the days when I complained about having too much chicken from the Hub (my cafeteria). Last night, I went one step further. We had pigeon for dinner – when I saw them for the first time in the kitchen I thought we were eating large rats for dinner. Luckily I was wrong. I thought I was doing a pretty good job taking the meat off my little pigeon when my aunt explained that I could eat the bones. The bones? My uncle chimed in that the bones were tender and rich in iron. I guess my face was still skeptical because she asked me to pass her one of the pigeon skeletons and proceeded to eat the wing. So without thinking about it any longer I ripped the wing off the carcass and chomped down. A little crunchy but I guess I could agree that in comparison with wings from B-Dubs it could be considered tender. A big bite of white baguette helped it go down and to get full marks of approval from my family I even ate the other wing.