Adventures in Dakar, Senegal

May 11, 2013

Le Centre Culturel c’est là the taxi driver announced.

C’est le Centre Culturel Derkle? I ask.

Non, c’est le Centre Culturel Americain

Derkle? He sounded confused.

I think back to my conversation with Amina, the nanny at my friend’s house. She also thought I was going to the American cultural centre. Maybe it’s the one most visitors go to in Dakar. I remembered that I saw ‘liberté six’ on the map when I showed her the location.

Now in the taxi and somewhat lost, I pull the map out of my travel bag and show it to him while pointing to The Derkle Cultural Centre.

C’est là, en liberté six.

Ah, oui, je le sais maintenant.

Ndiaye smiles and turns the taxi around as he knows where to go now. Relief spreads over me. For a moment, I imagined myself lost in Dakar and not being able to explain where I wanted to go. Senegal is the first place I’ve ever been where English speakers were difficult to find, a new experience for me.

Dakar Street Life on route to the Derkle Cultural Centre

We pull up to a rose-colored building in the middle of a residential neighbourhood in Dakar. There isn’t a tourist in sight.

C’est ici says, Ndiaye. I look around and hesitantly step out of the familiarity of the taxi and Ndiaye.

Merci Ndiaye, je vais vous répondre ici à six heures

D’accord, à six heures

Thanking him as I get out of the taxi, we make plans to meet at 6 o’clock that evening. I know that it’s the correct place as I spotted a sign before leaving the car.

There is a gated entry way; I walk through. A circle of senior women are on my right. They gathered in the shade of a tree. I can hear them talking, but I don’t recognize the language. I wonder if it’s Wolof. I want to stop and interact with them, but I have a class to attend, and I’m not sure where I need to go.

I continue and am now in the courtyard of the building. There are many rooms; they appear to be classrooms. I wonder where everyone is. I try to look for a sign
that may point to where I’m supposed to go for my Djembe lessons, but there are none. I wander around and try and listen for the sound of a drum, but again, nothing.

I go back to the front of the building and search for someone that may know where I need to go. It looks like I’m at the front office, but I’m not certain. I step inside.

Bonjour? I call out. Suddenly a man appears from a back room. Bonjour.

Savez-vous Ibou? J’ai des cours de djembe avec lui.

Non, je suis désolé mais je ne le connais pas.

I’ve just asked if he knows Ibou, the man I’m supposed to meet. He tells me that he’s sorry but doesn’t know him. I thank him and say goodbye. The only person who seems to know anything about the place doesn’t know the person I’m supposed to meet.

I’m not even sure where I am in Dakar. I don’t know how far away my friend’s house is, and I wonder if there is a local bus nearby but then I don’t know how to get back to my friend’s house. I don’t have a transit map, and I don’t have a data connection as I couldn’t get my Senegal SIM card to work. I don’t even have Ndiaye, the taxi driver’s number, and I’m not sure I can speak French well enough to get me to where I need to go. Suddenly, I feel ill-prepared, and a bit of panic begins to set in.

I take a deep breath.

Okay Andrea, relax. Think. You are more prepared than this; you can handle this. In my excitement, I forgot that I was supposed to call the drumming instructor when I arrived. Good thing I added an Africa phone and text plan to my iPhone the night before since my local SIM didn’t work. I look on my phone, and there’s the information I need. I dial the number. A voice answers.

Salaam alaikum

Alaikum Salaam. Hello, is that Ibou?

Yes, this is Ibou

Great! It’s Andrea; I’m here at the front.

Okay, I’ll find you there

I exhale.

djembe dakar senegal — A group of drummers at a local cultural centre in Dakar, Senegal. The man in the blue shirt on the right is Ibou and was my djembe instructor.

Why This Mother and Wife Travels Solo

February 24, 2013

If you knew me you would know that I absolutely love my husband, sons, friends and family. If you knew me you would know that connections are important to me. So why does this mother of 2 and wife leave behind my family to travel solo?

WHY THIS MOTHER AND WIFE TRAVELS SOLO

I travel solo because sometimes there are places I want to go that others don’t.
I travel solo because it is such a feeling of accomplishment. I research the places I want to see. I choose the accommodations, the activities, my transportation and my meals. I go from one end of the city to the other, from one city to the next and from one country to another.
I travel solo because I get to meet like-minded individuals from all over the world who are also travelling. It is amazing to learn of where they have just come from and where they are going next. It makes the world feel smaller and more connected.
I travel solo because it gives you space. Space to reflect, breathe and appreciate.
I travel solo because there are places all over the world that I want to experience for myself.
I travel solo because there are people all over the world that I have yet to meet.
I travel solo because it gives you time for yourself and to come back home more renewed than ever. Often when you travel with others, it’s a series of compromises. Sometimes I just want to take a while longer while photographing something or to really be present.
I travel solo to take care of myself. Some people shop, I travel. Travelling is so much a part of me that when I don’t travel I am itching to get back out there. It is much more than just a destination, it is all the experiences that come with it. It is living life.

Solo travel gives you as much or as little time as you want, to see, to listen, to touch, to smell and to taste. It’s only up to you to decide how much. All your senses truly come alive.

SOLO TRAVEL QUOTES

The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready. — Henry David Thoreau

Solo travel not only pushes you out of your comfort zone. It also pushes you out of the zone of other’s expectations. – Suzy Strutner

Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time – Hannah Arendt

Traveling alone doesn’t mean living lonely. It is when you travel alone you are most open to others. – Salil Jha

LONE TRAVELLER EXPERIENCES

Sometimes I just want to sit a while longer with my vin chaud (mulled wine) and people watch at the café in Paris.

Vin Chaud in Montmartre district in Paris, France — sipping vin chaud and people watching in Montmartre – Paris, France

Sometimes I want to enjoy the views a little longer.

Neuschwanstein, the fairy tale castle in Bavaria — Neuschwanstein, the fairytale castle in Bavaria

Sometimes I want to take more time to photograph what I see or wait for a shot I envision while listening to the calls of the wild in the Kruger National Park.

Sometimes I want to enjoy the culture of the city I am visiting and go to a ballet in Vienna or opera in Prague at the historic theatres.

Yes, you are physically alone when you travel solo and sometimes I feel lonely for a spell, especially missing my family, but I never feel truly alone. As a solo traveller, it is easy to meet people, mostly without even trying. I feel that the connections you make with yourself, the people of the world and nature can only be genuinely experienced while travelling solo.

If I didn’t travel solo I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to travel to and spend time in a village in the Eastern Cape to witness a Sangoma (traditional healer) graduation ceremony in South Africa.

An amaXhosa elder in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

If I didn’t travel solo I wouldn’t have taken Djembe (African drum) lessons with a Master djembefola at a neighbourhood cultural centre in Dakar, Senegal and be invited to watch his group practice for a performance after. I was the only foreigner amongst 30 drummers, dancers and local children. We also chatted about life over mint tea after the lesson.

djembe lessons in Dakar, Senegal, solo traveller experiences — still photo of me drumming in Senegal (from a video).

Watching a local Djembe group practice in Senegal, solo traveller experiences — watching a local Djembe & Dance group practice in Senegal

If I didn’t travel solo I wouldn’t have been invited to sing Christmas carols with 5000 locals against the backdrop of Table Mountain under starry skies and the shimmering lights of Cape Town in the background.

Carols by Candlelight - Cape Town, South Africa — Carols by Candlelight – Cape Town, South Africa

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVELLING SOLO AS A MOTHER

One of the biggest reasons I travel solo as a mother is for my boys. I want to show them that I am not just a mother, but that I am a woman that has dreams and that dreams do come true.

I want them to know what living life to the fullest is all about. They can’t always come with me, but with technology, I can share my travels in real time (FaceTime or photos) or when I get home.

I want them to learn that there is more out there than just our neighbourhood or country and that the world is not a big bad scary place as some make it out to be.

I want to inspire them to find things they love, to follow their hearts and go after their dreams.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly as I am raising men, I want to raise them to respect, encourage and support women in their dreams. The best way to do this is by example and what better way to learn what it takes to be a man than witness their father support my dreams and travels around the world.

I am grateful for my dear husband, but I know that is not the reality for many. I hope for a near future where “let” and “allow” are replaced with “encourage” and “support” when it comes to mothers, wives, girlfriends and daughters in following their dreams of travels around the world.

All these reasons are why this mother and wife travels solo.

SOLO TRAVEL RESOURCES

BreatheDreamGo – http://breathedreamgo.com/2013/02/ode-to-the-lady-traveller-wegosolo/

Mariellen Ward has travelled solo to India for a total of 17 months of the last 7 years. Find out about why she started the WeGoSolo movement. Mariellen is a great resource for solo travel in India. As well, you will find countless posts, tips and resources by other woman solo travellers.

Journeywoman – http://www.journeywoman.com/

Evelyn Hannon of Journeywoman has been travelling solo for more than 30 years and has inspired women from around the world to do the same. Her site is a fantastic resource for woman travellers.

Solo Traveler – http://solotravelerblog.com

Janice Waugh began travelling solo after a loss and hasn’t looked back. Her site is another great resource for solo travellers.

I Dreamed of Africa

January 9, 2013

My stomach began to flutter as I walked to the jeep. The feeling grew as I climbed into the open game drive vehicle for the first time. I was both excited and nervous going for a 3-hour drive in the Greater Kruger National Park. The times in front of the TV watching Wild Kingdom with my dad and Gran and the hours spent leafing through National Geographic magazines as a child came to mind at that moment.

Was this real?

I wondered what animals we’d see on our drive. Though I would be happy to see any animal that was allowed to roam free, I secretly wished for a giraffe sighting. Suddenly we came upon a lone giraffe walking gracefully in front of us; I was ecstatic. It was too far away to get a decent photo, and we were moving slowly behind it.

It turned left and disappeared into the bush. We caught up to where it was, but the thick bush separated us. We watched for a moment and continued driving. Unexpectedly our jeep turned left; I smiled as I knew our guide would get us closer. The giraffe was eating off to the side of the dirt road, but the area had a lot of trees and thick bush. You’d be surprised at how quickly giraffes and even a herd of elephants can hide in it.

The giraffe moved, and the bush gave way a little, but still, I waited.

I soon noticed that the sun was beginning to set and the scene unfolding before me. The beauty of the sky and the road in front would add to the photo I thought. The light was disappearing, but I continued to wait. I enjoyed watching the slow manner in which it ate and moved, but I wondered if I would lose my chance.

Before I travelled to South Africa, I envisioned scenes I wanted to capture. This view was one of them. I wondered if the giraffe would ever come out of the bush so I could see it silhouetted against the sky, just as I had imagined. Someone asked why I wasn’t taking any photos, as she knew that I was a photographer.

“I’m waiting for the giraffe to walk out in front of us so I can take a photo of it against the sun and sky.”

“Spoken like a true photographer”.

Little did she know that I had been waiting my whole life for this, what was another minute or two? The giraffe stopped eating and moved away from the bush. It appeared in front of us.

I dreamed of Africa, and I dreamed of being able to capture this very scene… a giraffe photographed against a sunset sky. Dreams do come true.

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