Dakar. April 28th, 2003.

(journal entry)

The Lagon II hotel feels like a cruise ship. The doors to the rooms are yellow and rounded and you have to lift your feet to step into them. The constant sound of waves adds to the feeling. Everything smells salty, ocean-like.

There is a nice restaurant on the pier here, next to a workout room. They both overlook a private beach, small but charming. I took a walk with some of the girls this morning after breakfast. We let the waves smother our feet for a while, then took a path leading to the city. We only caught a glimpse before heading back. We'll try later this afternoon, to change our American dollars into the Senegalese Franc CFA.

From what I saw, Dakar will surely be an interesting place. Its still hard to belive I was in Madrid just yesterday, walking through the streets, seeing the huge, ornate buildings (old mixed with new), and hearing all the different people speaking Spanish. (Just like back home in West Covina, but with a lisp!). Spain felt different than France, which was more like an old friend. I'm looking forward to those 10 days I'll get to spend there when I leave Senegal.

But for now I'm thrilled I'm here! It's very hot and humid and will take some adjusting (after leaving the cold and rain of Provo). None of us have really absorbed the fact that we're here, after all the preparation and expectation--we're finally in Africa.


Looking out over the Atlantic from my hotel room balcony.