As some of you may recall, every year there is a softball tournament for aid workers, PCVs, embassy folks, and other expats in Dakar. Although a few of my closest friends were absent this time around (I miss you Bintu, Bouli, and SRose), taking first place this year made the trip quite memorable. In fact, if I didn't know any better I would have thought the championship game was played in America. They shipped in ballpark frank hot dogs with all the fixins (Yummy!) and American candy (Reese's Cups and Fun Dip). Of course, there was also lots of beer and a rowdy crowd. Team Mauritania has a longstanding reputation as being an unruly bunch of drunkards, but this year we also gained some respect for our spirit and our revenge game against Team Asia. We even belted out an impromptu rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner". It truly was an amazing moment when we all stormed the field and hoisted our players on our shoulders. We may have had two teams representing us this year, but when it comes down to it, all the divisions between regions, classes, and sectors fade away and we are all one big group.
Perhaps the best part of WAIST (West Africa Intramural Softball Tournament) was the chance to make friends with other courageous souls living on the continent. Here's to Julie, Sarah, Brandon, Swedish Guys 1 and 2, Muave, Tito, Aaron, Sasha, and the many others I cannot recall. In fact, Sarah, a former PCV in Tanzania, also joined a group of us on a jaunt to another town in Senegal known as Toubab Diallo. There we enjoyed the beach, beautiful sunsets, batik-making, pottery, and dancing.
The last leg of my journey involved a 5 day trip to The Gambia with Cat and Molly. Although The Gambia is not nearly as beautiful as Senegal, the food was absolutely amazing! We lounged on hammocks on the beach; visited a nature park where we saw monkeys, hyenas, birds, and other wildlife; played with schoolchildren on a playground; and studied the mating habits of rich old white people who toured the country. Because The Gambia is an English-speaking country in West Africa, it receives a ton of tourists. This made our travels a bit difficult as everyone assumed we were also rich white people so the never-ending harassment got to be quite annoying. Mauritania may have many disadvantages, but compared to other countries, the people are incredibly kind and generous. Despite some delays and cancellations on the return trip, we made it home in one piece and thoroughly enjoyed our travels. Check out my photos to get a glimpse of my travels. (www.kossenjfk.smugmug.com)
Janine
