Ma Comes to Visit the Little Hut

Djiby (2nd from left) and his roommates at Dakar University
where mom and I went to visit him. He finished his first year
and goes home to Kolda in August. 

Garbage lined avenues of Kolda -
Mom seemed to think this was picture-
worthy... I'd forgotten what an eyesore
it is, since I haven't seen a trash can in
about a year.
Left: Mom and I got a ride out to S. Fode

The event of May was - my mom came to visit Senegal!!! It was an extraordinarily smooth trip (yes, mom, that really was smooth, by West African standards), and I am really proud of her for not only making her first extra-American voyage, but for making it in Senegal. She escaped the two and a half weeks here unscathed, with not a digestive tract illness or heat stroke to speak of, which is pretty shocking.  She learned to say 'jam tan' and 'jaraama' and a few other Pulaar words, and the village folks are still talking about her dancing. (For the record, they still talk about Ian's too.)

The welcoming committee, complete with bowl-banging.

Mom got on a bike for the first time in several decades, and performed like a champion, making it to Kolda and back, and out to see several other villages that I work in. On the last day, I realized she'd been in first gear the entire time.

Mom filled a few tree sacs at Toumani's Master
Farm for a live fencing nursery(retiring to the hammock
 a few minutes later, after which she proclaimed that
Senegal was much nicer than America...)

Sadiouma can't remember the name 'puzzle', but he has
become a pro since mom introduced the kids to the idea
for the first time. The adults enjoy them too.

Ansata chuckles as Mom tries to
pull water in the garden.

Mom and all the kids.

Mafe Gerte (peanut sauce) and
untu (fish balls) - mom and I concur
on our favorite village meal.

Ta-da - the toilet. Mom was a great sport
about the discomforts of life here.

Demo with Na, and Wopa with Diatou, ready to head to a wedding!

Me and my moms - Mom in the outfit I had tailored for her, and Nene in the outfit that Mom had made for her.

Trying her hand at laundry.  The problem wasn't the
laundry itself, but the reaching the ground.

Mom dancing with baby Diatou at the wedding. 

Sunset over the rice faro.

Aliou and I and his new baby doll from Mom.
He went to spend a few weeks with his
grandma in Kolda and wouldn't leave
the doll behind. Aliou is the most tempting
child for me to bring home, as I completely
adore him, and if he were only an orphan
or in real need I think I really might adopt him.

On the way home we spent more time
at hotels, in pools, on boats, and
being more touristy in general.

In Thies, Mom finished a classic Peace Corps favorite - a 'Chicken Dibi' plate of half a roasted chicken, fries,
and salad - and then finished what was left of mine. Not a utensil was resorted to. (There aren't any.)

We went to mass at Keur Moussa
(house of Moussa), a monastery near Thies
that manages acres of fruit orchards,
and produces goat cheese, wines, jams, and
music recordings.

The monastery creates both beautiful koras (a traditional
instrument like a cross between a harp and a guitar) and
beautiful kora music during mass. Here the monks are
tuning the koras in preparation for the mass we attended.

The chapel at Keur Moussa, with beautiful paintings of Bible stories on the back wall.  I loved how in each scene, Mary was obvious because of her bright garment, which looks like it's made out of West African fabric.

On her last day, we took the boat out to Goree Island, a place of retention and disembarkation for slaves during the height of the slave trade. It is now a beautiful town of well-kept up colonial buildings, lovely beaches, and art and craft vendors.

The dark history of the island remains palpable in places like the 'house of slaves', a museum of preserved slave-holding quarters, like this prison-like basement. It was really creepy.