Birthdays galore! Before celebrating the birth of the Motherland, we celebrated the 26th birthday of our lovely friend Tamar this past weekend (and Alys, too!) In lieu of another Thies lunch or a trek to the same go-to Peace Corps beach spot, we decided to try something new. One of our friends who has already left country used to rave about a certain beach destination called Toubab Dialaw which is slightly south of Dakar and where the Dakaroise (rich Senegalese people from Dakar) and French tourists like to go. Aside from being enticed by the Atlantic and a chance for a relaxing weekend, we were also drawn to Toubab Dialaw for another reason: crepes. Our friend, who is indeed a gourmand, had raved about a beach side restaurant that serves amazing crepes. We were sold.
Last Friday morning I met Alyssa, Katherine and April at the Thies garage and we were joined by a PC response volunteer living in Thies plus two of her friends. We rented a sketchy van that was supposed to only seat seven and reeked of sheep pee. Score! After a short drive we reached Toubab Dialaw and checked into out hotel. The hotel was, in a word, bizarre. It was a huge complex with random dormitory style bungalows adorned with tropical trees and flowers; it also felt like we were walking into a weird African style Medieval Times. The doors to all the rooms were giant castle doors and everything had a strange old time-y feel. Oddness aside, the price was cheap and it was minutes away from the crepe restaurant. Double score!
Once Brian and Tamar - the birthday girl - arrived, we spent the rest of the day lounging around on the beach and enjoying our first of many visits to the crepe restaurant. I made Tamar wear a bejeweled princess crown that someone had randomly sent me. She wore it the entire day, even in the water. Birthday champion! We drank boxed wine, played in the ocean, and per usual, I bathed myself in sunscreen only to end up sunburned regardless. Oh, African sun. I won't miss you in Seattle. That evening we all went out for a romantic candlelight pizza dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate Tamar's birth.
Girl selling mangoes near the beach
The ladies and Brian in Toubab Dialaw
The next day started with crepes (obviously) and was spent doing nothing but enjoying the beach and the company of good friends. Aside from the occasional harassment from Senegalese men on the beach, the day was very relaxing and a little bittersweet since it was the last time any of us will enjoy a Senegalese beach. Needing a brief repose from crepes, we decided to try a different beach side restaurant for dinner. The restaurant owner ended up recognizing the jewelry we were all wearing because the artisan who makes it (and who works with Alyssa) happens to be her good friend. Because of our random connection, the woman wanted to make us her "special platter." Lord knows we've had our share of bad meal choices in this country, but we figured we should take the chance anyways. We ended up with an AMAZING meal; grilled fish, grilled chicken, various shellfish, mashed potatoes, salad and coleslaw all served on a giant platter of deliciousness. The night was made perfect with cheap wine, a beautiful sunset, and great conversation. Senegal for the win!
The next morning we were up and at our crepe place for the third and final time before renting a sept-place to get us all to Dakar. The brief beach vacation was a perfect way to prepare mentally for the hustle and bustle of the next two weeks, and a great segue into another important birthday: America's!
0 comments:
Post a Comment