baobab ropes course

while in senegal, a group of us went out of the city and went on the "accrobaobab adventure." what fun!



above: sarah waiting her turn to climb the first tree and its zipline



above: me, making my way across the first straight rope



above: only in senegal is a "gaal" or boat part of a ropes course!

back to Senegal

last january, i got super excited because i found out that i would get to return to senegal. this week we (my co-workers and I in West Africa) are attending a conference here in dakar.

i planned to fly into dakar a few days early so that i could visit with some friends from several years ago. the morning of the day i flew out of niamey, my friend and partner, sarah decided to join me. what fun we had!















a quiet morning on the beach below the lighthouse

it's been 3 years since i've been in senegal, so i was excited but nervous. my first stop was in yoff to visit my kids, friends, and family...



bamar & i: my baby who is obviously not a baby any longer...he grew so big & tall. oh, i love bamar!



my mother! oh the look on her face when she saw me...and the tears that were hidden behind my dark sunglasses.

of course, she prepared some delicious ceebu jenn (fish & rice) for sarah and i. then we went down to the beach to greet all of her fish selling friends...they use to grill me fresh tuna nearly every afternoon. ...one of the many differences in senegal & niger!



my friend, fatou: this woman is crazy. check out the wig!

fatou was one of the first friends i made in yoff. she now has 2 precious little girls.



yafara & binta...fatou's girls

as most of you know, i spent two summers in senegal. when i returned the second summer, i learned that one of my friends had married and moved to america. that's right. well, after i returned home that summer i contacted my friend. she had indeed married and was living in new jersey. we talked on the phone about once a week and later that year i flew up to visit her, her husband, and their little baby. visiting with aita in new jersey was...interesting. why? it was like being back in yoff, but only i was in america. anyway, later that year, aita & her husband decided they wanted their daughter to be raised in senegal. much to my disstress, their little one flew to dakar and has been living with their family since then. the Christmas before i came to niger, aita & her husband came to visit my family in louisville...that was an interesting and blessed christmas.

aita's girl, kouja. she has grown up so much since i last saw her in new jersey.

on this day, she turned 3 and sarah & i were able to join in on the birthday celebration.
fun times in senegal!