2nd July St Louis

 2nd July. 

Papers arrived last Tuesday but notification not put in PO Box. Off to Mauritania now

29^th June. Reserve de Bandia, East of Daka.

Sitting with Christian the German who instigated this reserve, two juvenile warthogs sidled up looking for offerings. While talking I casually held my hand out behind me, they slowly approached sniffing quietly until touching my hand, they gave a gentle bunt with their gristly snout. I was left with a snotty muddy hand but a touching experience. They are still an animal we enjoy watching and as Christian says, very intelligent. They are also very family orientated with they young not leaving the family circle until at least 2 yrs of age.

The park we intended heading to north of St Louis, a world renowned haven for birds, was closed. Other offerings were slim to fill in time making us decide to head south some 300kms to this reserve. Christian has been in Senegal some 30 odd years, a forestry engineer, he started this reserve from scratch, capturing and transporting animals from Southern Africa as well as Senegalese specimens. We will see some tomorrow. His reminisces of their catching were entertaining.

Still no papers but am now in cahoots with the PO staff who are keeping an eye out for the parcel.

The drive from Zebrabar to St Louis is most enjoyable passing through tidal wetlands where many bird species can be seen from the road as well as cattle herds, donkeys and a few feral camels. Fishermen are active casting their nets in the deeper parts, We have seen quite large catches rewarding some of the casts. On the way in there is a small reserve that concentrates on severely endangered species that once roamed the Sahel and Sahara. The scimitar oryx is a beautiful pale animal, large, with curved scimitar-like antlers curving back from the head. The park houses some 70 of those, whereas some of the smaller antelope are few in numbers, and, although slowly reproducing, the threat of inbreeding looms large. We spoke to a Tunisian researcher about the problem. It is something they hope to keep under control by importing some of the few animals that are elsewhere in the world. Or at least their semen. Also in the reserve are flocks of greater flamingos feeding in the shallow waters as well as man made nesting islands where hundreds of grey headed and gulls were shielding their chicks. It was so nice to get back into some wildlife watching, seems ages since the last time.

30^th June. Campement Park de Popenguine, east of Dakar.

The drive in the park this morning was most disappointing. We would not recommend it to other overlanders. For $70 we saw few animals, none we hadn't seen before in much greater numbers and better surroundings. Spotted hyenas in a cage is no better than a zoo. That kind of money is almost what you pay for Serengetti or Etosha. Much better to come to the coast where we are now. The nature reserve here runs along the coast, has rocky cliffs nature walks, a great place to spend a day or two recuperating. The campement is run by local ladies, a large area with showers that need better water pressure and and a clean toilet. We intended eating at a restaurant that had a nice sign outside, but Uzman, the 2^nd in command of the reserve said, 'No, that is for white people, very expensive, walk along to Bafoma Cafe, it is much nicer.' We did. Sitting at a table over looking the surf and reserve, with a group of visiting white students playing on the sand and in the surf and eating a delicious fish meal is quite memorable. And being offered a nightcap at the end of the meal quite unexpected.

On leaving the game reserve this morning we drove down to the coast to an area now taken over by Europeans who have bought villas in walled estates where to spend the northern winters. It is the Italian or French Rivieras plonked down in Senegal with all the accompanying boutiques and souvenir shops with hardened white women driving quad bikes down the main street to round off the picture. It even had a Casino Supermarket that St Louis doesn't even have. It wasn't until we drove down a pot holed street did we finally glimpse the sea. This was the local area where children flew kites on the waters edge, repaired boats and a fisherman lit a fire to barbecue the fish he had just brought in. A bit of humanity amongst such western indulgence. We escaped and went to the next turnoff to the beach ending up in Popenguine, a few villas have been built here but nothing like the obscenity of further down the coast.

1^st July. Bush Camping on Somone Estuary south of Popenguine.

The bakkie is ten metres from the estuary waters. We arrived early afternoon after a circuitous drive through a couple of coastal villages and a drive along the estuary foreshore to a couple of restaurants near the river mouth. On the other side of the water is Somone, the northernmost part of the European enclave. Large villas overlook the water with boats moored alongside. A few cross the water in runabouts to lunch at the eating places. We could have camped near one of these but it was hot, no shade and perhaps hassles from the restaurant owners. We drove back a km or so and found this secluded spot with an excellent view of the hundreds of water birds resting on some of the tidal spits out a short distance. Cormorants, pelicans, at least 4 types of herons, lapwings, pied kingfishers, hundreds of terns, waders, it was all there to see. The point we stopped at had shallow water and locals would walk the ½ km of water from one side to the other. The women would raise their tops as they reached deeper water to keep them dry. A couple of the women were picking oysters and clams from the bottom, one of them came over to the van, asked for a knife then shucked a couple of oysters for us to try. They were big and juicy. She went back, retrieved her bucket bringing it back to us. It had about 3 doz oysters and half filled with clams. $6 for the lot. We only had three in change, for that we got all the oysters and half the clams. I'm always a bit scared of shucking them, next thing we knew she had grabbed the knife, picked up a bit of cement for a stone then did it for us. We didn't know what to offer her but Joan has been carrying these old spectacles around the whole trip wanting to give them out to some oldies. We offered a pair to her, her eyes lit up, not sure if she was going to use them herself, share them or perhaps hock them off. Oysters and clams beat corn fritters for tea any day.

A group of teenagers came across the water laughing and splashing each other. They came over and asked for a box of matches and some water, then went back, lit a fire and cooked what I think were clams as well. It was quite a scene with this group cooking on the smokey fire, a woman praying on the waters edge nearby, and a bloke washing his horse in the water. He then hooked it back up to the cart, they all hopped in then off they toddled calling out 'Bon appetit' as they went past. So once more we are alone, the odd sea bird calling and the sound of the surf in the distance. An end to a most surprisingly memorable day.

2^nd July Derelict Hotel, Mbayo de la Mer. North of Dakar

Should have stayed another night at the estuary. A camping sign was marked on the map for this place, but once here discovered a pretty run down area with no camping. The security bloke opened the gate to this derelict hotel for us. At least there is a breeze and we can hear the surf as we go to sleep. Surprisingly we are getting a light shower of rain as well which should cool things down somewhat. An uneventful day today, starting to head north. Will get to St Louis tomorrow and if still no papers, will take a chance with a photocopy and head into Mauritania on Wednesday.