Santo Antão

We've been travelling for three weeks now, though it feels like a lot longer. I can't believe it has only been twenty one days since we left Morocco. So much has happened since then, and our days have been so full.On the other hand, we're already at one third or our trip, which makes it seem like a lot, especially as we've only done four countries so far.  Maybe I also have this impression that it's been longer, because no days resembled the previous. We've changed quite frequently places, and we haven't had a single day in which we did nothing, or even just sat by the beach, reading.
Meanwhile, we're in what I expected to be the highlight of our trip: Senegal and Cabo Verde. After Fogo, we're now on Santo Antão, the hiking island. So far, we've done three hikes, through misty hilltops and lush valleys, very impressive though not too touristy. So nice to really "do" something, to be active.

Cabo Verde is quite a breath of fresh air for us, easy transportation, nice blend of  Africa and Europe, with each ot the islands with its own character and assets.

I do hope the rest of the trip won't disappoint, after these last few days...

Fogo, Cabo Verde

We spend three nights on Fogo, the highest volcanic island of Cabo Verde. Great landscapes, as if we were on the moon. Exhausting but thrilling hike, with Fabio, our local guide, Fabio.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Cabo Verde

Bien arrivé sur Praia, maintenant en attente pour le ferry à Fogo (l'île avec le vulcan). Notre numéro pour la durée de séjour au Cape Vert (jusqu'au 30 octobre): +238 9215992.

Dakar

Dakar always held a special appeal to me, and, next to Cape Vert, was one of the destinations I was looking forward to discovering most. The music, the joie de vivre, a big city in Africa and a reference for most of the region. And Dakar didn’t disappoint. It’s big, it’s varied, it’s interesting. Our trip kept its tranquil pace however, with afternoon siestas imposed by the heat. Of course, being here during Tabaski (the sheep feast) also helped to keep things less hectic and even the streets were deserted that day.

One of the pleasures of this trip is meeting up again with people from the past. After ten years working in different countries and continents, you realize development work makes the world small(er). Here in Dakar, I got the chance to catch up with Rebeca and Laurent, two development workers who were in the Dominican Republic while I was in Haiti. Seven years have gone by, two lovely children of one and three years have joined them, their careers have evolved and however, it doesn’t feel like that long. Sometimes, when I meet up with friends from before in Belgium, it seems we have little left in common, while talking with Rebeca, there is so much I can recognize and relate to. The same questions of where to go, what approach works for us, which career path to follow…  I’m often surprised though by how many of those expats return home, for whom the stay abroad was an experience, a chapter written and closed, while it only seems to entice me to go elsewhere, discover another region, other ways of thinking and living.

Which doesn't mean it's always easy to turn the page. Hence this trip. Leaving Haiti seemed to break my heart, and consequent departures have not been easier. Instead of going straight home however, I feel it's beneficial to first take a trip, make use of the gap between two jobs to travel and also go through the "mourning" of a closed chapter. It makes it easier to digest, not going from one life abroad back to Belgium without a transition, straight back into the hassle of every day life and fitting back in, with the invariable questions of what are the plans now and where will we be heading to do what. And when else would we be able to find two or three months to travel like this?

Le bonheur est dans les poudres...

Extrait d'un BD par Christophe Merlin (lien), intitulé "Saint-Louis", livre superchouette. Examinez bien les tampons avec les dessins explicites...

La lutte à St Louis

Fighting in St Louis: introducing the national sport in Senegal, taking over football since the last couple of years: la lutte! Two muscular mountains turn in a circle, four arms catch the air, looking to destabilize the other. The first one whose shoulder touch the ground has lost. Fights take around 1 to 2 minutes but can bring millions to the fighters. Walking on the beach, we saw some youngsters playing/training and they were only too happy to let me take pictures…

Arrived in St Louis

Just a quicky, to say we arrived safely, after a lot of hassle with the Senegal visa, in St Louis... More to come shortly!

Nouakchott - Maurétanie

So much better to visit a place when you have a friend there. So very true here as well, as, through France Volontaires, we met up with Daro, the representative of FV here, and he showed us the hopsitality that makes West Africa famous.

Beautiful fish market by the sea,little coveted Eden with turtles, amazing dinners with the family. Le me try and say it with pictures:

		West Africa B: Nouakchott VOIR LE DIAPORAMA TOUT TÉLÉCHARGER

It’s still adjusting to the fact that we’re on holiday. I need to stop myself from checking work emails or making lists of things to do in my head (Oh, that reminds me, let me not forget to start applying for that Senegalese visa online).

Last days with Caroline, who came down to travel with us, and then we’ll be really cutting ties with Morocco, or so it feels.

Oh, don’t think so, but to the family: our number here in Mauretanie, should you need us: +222 41828607.

Too old for Dakhla

Our first stop, Dakhla. After two and a half years in Morroco, our first time this far south.  Our plane touched down in Dakhla, small airport where, when they asked me for my passport, I asked “Why?” and they let me through. Dakhla is the gateway to the south, just before Mauretania.

The guys from the hotel came to pick us up in a pick up, and during the drive, we could admire the magnificent sunset behind us.

We stayed in a Auberge de nomades, 28km from the city center. Our camp is in a lagoon, beautifully situated.

All the other guests were die-hard kite surfers, hair bleached and skin tanned by the sun and talking about… wind! Though we felt a bit odd, being backpackers, they were pleasant enough and some were interested by our trip, but we still decided to hoist sails and move to the city center after a day, so that Caro and Mona could join us easily and stay at a cheaper accommodation. Which didn’t stop us from still having some fun by the coast….

		Dahkla VOIR LE DIAPORAMA TOUT TÉLÉCHARGER

Practising to get ready for the next of West Africa, miles of road, lots of hitch hiking and waiting…

Good Trip resolutions

Okay, so resolutions I made,  for my own sake and to make this trip better:

1. Look people in the eye when talking

2. Not to be affraid of looking ridiculous: if the only reason for not doing something isthat I’m worried I might look stupid, that’s not a reason at all. So let me get out on that dance floor and shake it, even if it is next to rubber-waisted Africans!

3. Exercise 15 to 30 minutes a day: with all of these long busrides, I need to feel active at least a bit.

4. Go from smoking to my electronic cigarette: cheaper, less annoying and a good conversation starter as well (“Is that against asthma?”)

5. Stay away from soft drinks, especially the big brands, and drink water or fresh juices

Leaving Rabat

There we go, Rabat has been left behind.
Last week was hectic, with too many things to wrap up at work, a proposal to submit, a last training session on civic journalism and common ground approach in Salé, and the hand over to organize with the two new people that were hired. Friday afternoon, my official goodbye during one of our PCT-sessions (Peace-and-Chocolate-Time). In honor of the C, I made some chocolate mousse, with Thomas' help, and, for the health-conscious members of our office, a fruit salad. Though three of my closer colleagues were unable to attend, the newcomers were there, some satellite people and Thomas had been invited as well. I managed not to cry, and it felt nice. I'm really very happy with the time I spent at SFCG, working on conflict resolution, and I feel I've learned a lot. In truth, I couldn't have dreamed for a better job, and consider myself very lucky for my time with them.

While wrapping up work related issues, there were also all the preparations for the trip to make, like getting the visas for most of the countries we'll be visiting or sending us most of our stuff by bus to Belgium..

As far as goodbyes go, we had a party on Saturday, nothing too wild, but fun. I love the fact that, though most of them didn't know the others, almost everybody mingled easily and socialized. By the end though, we stayed with the hard core, friends we have known during almost our entire stay here. Sunday was devoted to recovering, a last hammam to leave Rabat as clean and pampered as possible, and a goodbye dinner with my boss and his wife at the Dhow. Monday evening was our last session of home-cinema, the Manuelit@s, which we started on our arrival. Many of the initial group, mostly UN-related friends, have also left or were on mission, New York, Egypt, Algeria, Gabon etc. We watched "Les invisibles", a documentary regarding senior gays in France, how they lived their sexuality just after WW II. Another sad last, though I've suggested we'd use our Facebook group to continue recommending films and to stay in touch that way...
Tuesday we packed our last things and send 5 plastic bags of 76kg to Brussels, to be collected and stored by friends of ours till we fly back from Lagos to Belgium on the 18th of December.  Thomas' apartment is being renovated and we'll find have a place to be more at ease during our stay in Belgium.
In he evening, we had a last couple of beers, first close to the railway station, at a dodgy Lebanese place, and then back on our terrace to finish our last beers and give away some of our stuff.

And this morning, our bags, a quick inspection of the apartment we'd spent two years and a half in, hand over the keys to our landlord, and a last breakfast with Claire and Caroline, our two other veterans. For me, again an emotional moment, that familiar bitter-sweet feeling of leaving a place, closing a chapter, even though I'm excited about our trip and the future in general.

And then, with our minimalist luggage, the train to Casablanca, and now we're waiting to board the plane to Dakhla, the beginning or our trip....