In Dakar

While in Dakar I stayed at one of IRD's (a French research institute that's a collaborator on the NSF project I'm a part of) installations.  It's a walled compound just off a large roundabout in Hann, Dakar.  The day after I arrived (Sunday) I was feeling really thirsty, I hadn't had any water since the inbound flight.  As they advise against drinking water from the tap (bacteria and such) I set out to find some water.  With the help of one of the PhD students I located an ATM.  Then while he went back to nap, I set off to find some water.  Unfortunately the grocery store I was directed to had closed for the day, discouraged I pondered what to do.  I promptly set off walking down a side street.  I saw a guard sitting outside a residence (a lot of residences in Senegal are walled and gated), at first I walked past.  "I'll never get any water..."  I was thinking to myself.  Then I thought something along the lines of, "I'm thirsty, here goes nothing."  Turning around I walked up to the security guard type.  He was a very nice fellow.  Didn't speak a lick of English.  After trying to pantomime drinking in several ways he pointed down to the end of the street and said American.  At the end of the street was the American Academy in Dakar!  Luckily someone was outside and they sent me back down the way I'd come to another street where there was a plywood convenience stand where I was able to by six 1.5L bottles of water.  On the way past I was sure to give the security guard an appreciative smile and thumbs up!  He smiled genuinely in return.

Also on this trip I saw what I first thought was a purple and gold squirrel or chipmunk.  Being from Ohio that's the first thing that comes to my mind when I see a small flurry of movement on the ground or on trees (or walls).  Turns out it was a lizard.  Classic mix-up as they say.   I've been trying to get a better picture but they only seem to be very still and calm when I don't have my camera.

Purple and Gold Lizard (In case you couldn't tell.)

On the way back the guard at IRD invited me to sit down and have some of their lunch, even though they spoke no English, and I no French.  People are really nice here.  They were having a fish and rice dish (very popular in Senegal), it was delicious!

While in Dakar I learned exactly what I'll be doing for my time here.  It's a project that has to do with nutrient distribution in farmers fields with the dominant variable being the presence or absence of native shrubbery (a shrubbery!!!!), the distribution of particulate organic matter around the shrubs, and also, maybe, aggregate distribution around the shrubs.

On the day before I headed for Thies I went for a walk in the evening.  It was interesting.  I felt very much an outsider.  As I was dwelling on this I came upon three kids sitting and playing in the street.  They jumped up and came running over, speaking as little French as I do they said, "Bonjour!" excitedly.  I responded in kind and we exchanged high fives.  They were positively beaming, and so was I.