So I thought of just writing one LONG post about the past 10 days or so, but then realized that that was a horrible decision because so much has happened that the blog length would probably result in severe hand-cramping, on my part, and general apathy as the paragraphs continued, on the readers part, so I have decided to split this up into two parts. Today's part will focus on my village stay in Toucar, which took place last weekend (I believe it was July 11-12, maybe, I just don't know dates anymore).
Last weekend started the longest ten days of bus riding of my life! Our professor and program coordinator, Dennis Galvan, has been doing field research in this village for the past 20 years and brings students there each summer. We left our school around 9 am and did not arrive in the village until a little after 2 pm. The last hour of this bus ride was spent practically off-roading to find the village, as we left the main highway and meandered our way through the countryside. Apparently buses in Senegal also double as ATVs! Upon arriving in the village we were informed that groups of 2-3 people would be sleeping at different houses throughout the village, like a one-night homestay. I was paired with a girl who normally lives in the apartment, Savannah.
Last weekend started the longest ten days of bus riding of my life! Our professor and program coordinator, Dennis Galvan, has been doing field research in this village for the past 20 years and brings students there each summer. We left our school around 9 am and did not arrive in the village until a little after 2 pm. The last hour of this bus ride was spent practically off-roading to find the village, as we left the main highway and meandered our way through the countryside. Apparently buses in Senegal also double as ATVs! Upon arriving in the village we were informed that groups of 2-3 people would be sleeping at different houses throughout the village, like a one-night homestay. I was paired with a girl who normally lives in the apartment, Savannah.
(The hut on the left is what most people had to live in, while the building on the right is similar to but not the same one I resided in. )
This village looked like something straight out of national geographic, grass huts and everything. A "house" is a collection of huts with a fence around it. However, as luck would have it, Savannah and I were put into a homestay that involved an actual house. We found out the history of it later, and came to find out it was the first European-style house built in the village. Now when I say house, this place was plush for the city, let alone the middle-of-nowhere Senegal. There was a large house, with indoor plumbing and a toilet (no holes in the ground here), a small separate house for cooking, and another small building that's purpose I never figured out. Those were the buildings in this "complex" which was fenced off by a large wall in which contained the most grassy front lawn in the entire village. I must say I was pretty pleased with our surroundings, since other people had to sleep on the floor and had cows in the room next to them!
I have never had so much food shoved at me as when I stayed at Toucar either. We were served lunch right when we arrived and were given a plate that would normally serve 6-8 people for the two of us! We then had to convince our hostess that we actually did like her food but simply could not eat that much. Dinner was served late, around 10 pm, and again we were given almost quadruple the food we needed. I tried Senegalese couscous for the first time at dinner. It was served with some kind of meat but it was so dark out you couldn't really tell what you were eating, I'm going to assume it was probably goat though, since that is a pretty standard red meat for Senegal. Senegalese couscous is not what you think though, since it is made out of millet and tastes absolutely nothing like the couscous you would be served at a Morrocan restaurant. It's just really grainy and the texture was really odd, but it was still really good, especially with the sauce they served it with. At breakfast we were just given standard bread and butter however we were served the best coffee drink I have had in my life. We were asked if we wanted milk or coffee and milk, not knowing where the milk came from and figuring it probably hadn't been pasteurized but not wanting to be rude and refuse anything we both opted for the coffee and milk, figuring that mixing the milk with something might help. Savannah and I did not get sick and the drink they served us was amazing!
Our one-night there was spent attending a cultural event they had arranged for us. But not
before they made us into Barbies and dressed us up in traditional African clothing! We listened to traditional African music and dance, both of which were so much fun to watch. We even got up there and danced for a little bit! We made total fools of ourselves but they would not take "no" for an answer and so we danced.
The experience in Toucar was a lot of fun because we got to see the rural side of Senegal, up until this point we had only been in large cities. However, the lifestyle would not be my cup of tea. There was nothing to do but sit around and stare and each other. The one time we went for a walk we were bombarded by little children, some of whom had never seen a white person before and were totally confused, who would not leave our sides for the remainder of the night. Toucar had a lot less pollution than Dakar but it was too remote and calm for my tastes. I can see why many of the young adults of the village end up leaving, at least for a short time, for the bustle of Dakar.
Part 2 will come shortly and will be about my last 5 days...
I have never had so much food shoved at me as when I stayed at Toucar either. We were served lunch right when we arrived and were given a plate that would normally serve 6-8 people for the two of us! We then had to convince our hostess that we actually did like her food but simply could not eat that much. Dinner was served late, around 10 pm, and again we were given almost quadruple the food we needed. I tried Senegalese couscous for the first time at dinner. It was served with some kind of meat but it was so dark out you couldn't really tell what you were eating, I'm going to assume it was probably goat though, since that is a pretty standard red meat for Senegal. Senegalese couscous is not what you think though, since it is made out of millet and tastes absolutely nothing like the couscous you would be served at a Morrocan restaurant. It's just really grainy and the texture was really odd, but it was still really good, especially with the sauce they served it with. At breakfast we were just given standard bread and butter however we were served the best coffee drink I have had in my life. We were asked if we wanted milk or coffee and milk, not knowing where the milk came from and figuring it probably hadn't been pasteurized but not wanting to be rude and refuse anything we both opted for the coffee and milk, figuring that mixing the milk with something might help. Savannah and I did not get sick and the drink they served us was amazing!
Our one-night there was spent attending a cultural event they had arranged for us. But not
before they made us into Barbies and dressed us up in traditional African clothing! We listened to traditional African music and dance, both of which were so much fun to watch. We even got up there and danced for a little bit! We made total fools of ourselves but they would not take "no" for an answer and so we danced.The experience in Toucar was a lot of fun because we got to see the rural side of Senegal, up until this point we had only been in large cities. However, the lifestyle would not be my cup of tea. There was nothing to do but sit around and stare and each other. The one time we went for a walk we were bombarded by little children, some of whom had never seen a white person before and were totally confused, who would not leave our sides for the remainder of the night. Toucar had a lot less pollution than Dakar but it was too remote and calm for my tastes. I can see why many of the young adults of the village end up leaving, at least for a short time, for the bustle of Dakar.
Part 2 will come shortly and will be about my last 5 days...
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