Why I like Africa: places like Toubacouta...

After an hour by boat, here we were, visiting Misira and Sippo, tiny fishing villages in the south of Senegal. Beautiful Saloum delta, with baobabs and mangroves. But more importantly, in barely an hour, I witnessed several customs and habits that reminded me what I enjoy and even admire in Africa.

Here’s a couple:

1. We happened to be there during the monthly clean-up of the village. Already a very commendable practice, but, to get everybody to help out, first, drums beat to call all the young people to help. Next, for the more reluctant ones, they have a couple of guys, dressed in red costumes waving around two big machetes, who run around scaring kids, but more importantly, remind everyone to lend a hand. These guys are called kankourang, and are also used during  initiation ceremonies, a practice that in 2005 was recognized as a UNESCO immaterial cultural heritage (see link in FR).

Sun dried fish.

2. The local fishermen have started up a co-op, initially supported by the Japanese (hence all the Yamaha engines on the pirogues), which does all kind of things. Smoke the fish, salt the fish, make oil from the fish. Women bring oysters which are cleaned and processed, and the shells are grinded and charred to make building blocks for the houses.

3. In case of a conflict, instead of calling the police, the concerned parties meet around the sacred tree of the village, a fromagier (cause the fruit are supposed to smell like cheese). I can imagine being dwarfed by such a plant can help bring things into perspective…

4. We met the local queen! 86 years old, inherited the kingdom cause there was no male descendant thirty years ago. No protocol, a knock on the door, she gets out of bed, a quick flash of her boobs before she pulled on a shirt, chatting while she’s munching away on peanuts and occasionally spitting those on us, but very pleasant and down to earth.

Now, in how many places around the world can these sort of things happen?

Mangrooves

The fishing village Misira

A nesting spot for... well, a whole lot of birds!