Firsts & Seconds

Midnight approaches, marking the end of a long day.  Tired travelers are already asleep – as Latane put it, it feels like we’ve been here for 3 days!  A list of firsts experienced by members of our group today:

1. First flight
2. First croissant jambon-fromage
3. First ride in a pirogue
4. First run in with Senegalese bureaucracy
5. First proper nanga-def and mangi-fi
6. First Senegalese speedbump
7. First taste of Sine Saloum oysters
8. First glimpse of the Atlantic from the east
9. First encounter with Bandia (he says hi to everyone who knows him already!)
10. First ride in our magic school bus and brand new pick up truck
11. First sweat from kano peppers
12. First discussion
13. First full count off
14. First taste of Senegal’s national dish (thiebou dienne)
15. First miscalculation of the currency
16. First game of soccer in Senegal
17. First blue crab identified
18. First pictures taken
19. First questions inspired by observations & encounters

And many of these things warranted seconds – plate-fulls of food after plate-fulls of food, lots of conversations, lots of laughs, lots of language learning.

It has been a great first day.  We are looking forward to our only full day here in the delta.  Latane is tomorrow’s leader of the day (a big role for our only freshman!).  He is excited and we expect big things.  Who knows, we might even catch our own food and learn to cook it with a Senegalese family in Mar Lodj…

Bon Nuit!