27 June 2011

Toubab Diallaaw

Last weekend, we took a trip to a seaside artists' village south of Dakar called Toubab Diallaaw. The weekend was a wonderful respite from chaos of Dakar and a moment for me to eat meat-free (which, even if I wasn't essentially vegetarian, was a welcome alternative to the fat-heavy diet we get in our homes). Most of the weekend consisted of swimming in the clean(er) water, reading by the beach, and eating... get ready for it, WHOLE GRAIN bread. We stayed at a wonderful artists' retreat hotel run by a Haitian architect and his French wife who designed and built the space using local materials with the intent to exist off the grid. I will try to snatch some photos from a friend to give an idea of the place; my camera, however, broke en route.

It is always pleasant to see how strangers converge and create community for each other. Our group here in Dakar has become a community for co-experience but will already have to see three new friends go back to the states this weekend. Moreover, in their place, three more will join us on July 4 for the last part of this adventure. We are at the half-way point of this summer session and I am only now realizing how quickly this will all end.

News on the protests to follow.

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