8 Hours on the Road #Sweet2Senegal

Traveling through Senegal is a crazy, rough, and exciting experience. According to Google the United States is 50 times larger than Senegal.  However, when I travel through the country it feels as if I am traveling for so many hours I feel like I am going to another country. After I was installed as a Peace Corps Volunteer, traveling using Peace Corps vehicles as transportation came to a halt. We are expected now to take public transportation everywhere, and let me tell you, it is not like Uber. I use the public transportation system using Sept-Places. 

  If you ever wondered where your grandparents old station wagons ended up, look no further they are here!

A Sept Place that I took from Kafferine to Thies! 

To get to my village when leaving from Thies (where the Training Center is!), it takes about 8-10 hours depending of course on how I break up the trip or just have a full day of travel. In those 8-10 hours, I have learned a lot about myself and how I have changed since arriving in Senegal. I mean what else am I supposed to think about in a car full of Senegalese going cross country? So without further ado, here are just a few things that I realized on my trip!

1) Don’t have a personal bubble anymore

If I go through one day without having someone touch me, I would think that something was wrong and all the Senegalese were mad at me. Handshakes, hugs, holding crying or happy babies, having people playing with my hair, or even holding hands with my sisters are all a part of my day and it doesn’t bother me one bit anymore. Even in a Sept Place with 8 people, I am so comfortable.

 Meet my friend Mariama who wanted to take selfies and listen to Akon the entire trip! >>>>>

2) Marriage proposals don’t scare me anymore

On my way to Thies in my Sept Place, I met a family consisting of two wives and their husband. They all sat behind me and were so excited to be sharing the car with a Toubab (that’s me!). After trying to have a conversation in Wolof and Bambara, they asked me if I would like to be their third wife because their husband was a very successful boutique owner. After I politely declined, I was still asked to meet their entire family when they were dropped off at their house in Kafferine.  I think the offer will always be on the table….

3) I am not afraid to try meat on the side of the road

Okay now don’t freak out! There are meat karts in the Kafferine region that sell sheep meat wrapped in stomach. Okay maybe freak out a little.... Not going to lie, I loved it! I was offered some by my friends in the car and then I bought everyone oranges. Although there are no drive thru's when you get hungry, meat carts are the next best thing! 

4)  Even though I don’t speak Wolof, people still understand me

As you all know, my language that I speak here is Bambara. It is a minority language that is spoken in Tambacounda where I live. When I travel to bigger cities (especially in Thies!) I really do become the minority in the country and communication just gets that much harder! I have picked up on some survival Wolof which is the main language here in Senegal and along with some French I can get by! 

5)  I am cool sweating ALL day, next to people, in a station wagon.

Here is a picture of the Sept Place from the back seat! As you can see, there are two seats in the front, three in the middle and then three in the back. All of our stuff is on the top of the Sept Place that was tied down by our driver and then we hit the road! Oh yeah, there is no A/C and sometimes your knees stay still for the full trip so when you get out you literally fall to the ground. Yes, that has happened.  

Overall, the journey is the best experience and it makes the destination that much sweeter when arriving home or in Thies. It is cool to reflect about how I have changed some of my behaviors and it has only been 5 months here. I can't wait to take the journey back home from Thies to Tambacounda. 

Until next time, 

Herra Doron