May 24 - Toubacouta

PIX

We began the morning in Kaoleck, seeing their mosque and attempting to meet the Marrabout.  However, the Marrabout had not arisen by the time we got there, so we were disappointed.  Nevertheless, we pressed on to the local market (definitely NOT for tourists), where we saw the life of the streets.  Some of us tried the koka nuts and other local produce.  It was interesting to see the differences in the markets, as there were very few items of clothing or bolts of cloth here.  This was about day-to-day living, not about making money from the toubabs.

We headed into the bush for a visit to Baye Atlanta, a village where people from the United States come to learn Arabic and the Qur'an.  There were no Americans there today, but we toured the place, and saw their medical facility, which was sufficient, but just barely.

One of the most serendipitious moments of the trip came next, as we traveled through Sarcane, the home of Ousmene Sene's family.  His brother is the Imam, and his other brother is the mayor.  We were greeted by Ousmene's family, in a dancing ritual.  The women played their drums, and we were all brought forth to dance with them.  Let's just say that, in the world of tribal dancing, they were the wheat, and we were the chaff.  There is plenty of video available, and it all will certainly go viral on youtube if anyone posts it.  We were welcomed by the mayor, and this impromptu ceremony, full of laughter and mutual warm regard, was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.

Entering into Toubacouta, we found our hotel for the next two nights, a former hunting and fishing lodge.  We were installed in circular huts, and had a couple hours of down time to recharge for dinner and the local music tonight.

After a couple of hours of downtime and a fine dinner together at the hotel, we boarded the bus for a short trip to a nearby village where we were feted with a music, dancing, and drumming show.  In the village square, by the light of a single sodium vapor lamp, we watched a professional dance troupe perform some traditional dances, the dance of solidarity and the fire dance.  Next it was time for the local drummers and singers to offer a come-all dance set, where Korka and Wali both strutted and we all entered into the fray.  Again, videos will be posted, and people will be stunned at our prowess.