I saw one of these this morning on my way in.
Sorry Mom and Dad. No Phaenopepla yet.

I forgot to mention... I asked the local what it was. His answer? "White Buzzard". I just laughed. Dad you would get along with these people! LOL.

Tyler, Daddy needs your help coloring.....

:)

Currency

Dakar uses the FCFA (usually abbreviated even further to CFA and pronounced "see-fa".

French-bank based Francs.

Current exchange rate is around 500 CFA = 1 US Dollar.

Interesting enough it took me a week to find out what the design was on the coin.

It's a fish. Somebody told me that there is a "Ray" just off the coast that looks like that, but another told me that the design is a representation of how they filet and bone mackerel here on the shore. I cannot confirm nor deny either of these claims. It is obvious though that it IS some kind of reference to their fishing industry. What's really gonna get you is when you look at the city from above and realize that the roads were built to make the design as well.

I'll see if I can come up with a picture to illustrate this.

Those little black dots are Eagles. The numbers are staggering. You can draw your own conclusion about the food base abundance that scurries through the streets to support that population.

The air has an aroma here that is unfortunately the byproduct of no-emmissions vehicle imports from France. Peugot is responsible for the poor air quality here, because contrary to the rumors, all the fuel I have seen is unleaded, therefore all of these vehicles should have catalytic converters. Instead, you see 2008 and 2009 Puegot sports cars billowing black smoke out of the tailpipes like an old diesel rig.. Sad really...

This air quality is not helped in any way by the fact that it is customary to burn your trash once or twice a week, as the cost of trash pick up and disposal is well beyond the affordability ceiling of most locals.

Welcome to the trials and tribulations of a developing country.

What's even more amazing is that even though the word picture paints a polluted and dirty picture, the beauty of this country is astounding. The shores have a different texture than I am accustomed to, the rocks are a little rougher, the water color is richer, bluer, and more intimidating.

Africa is a beautiful continent. It has a feel, a pulse, and a rhythm that so many other desrcibe in movies and writing, that you just don't really get until you spend some time here.

The people and the culture are/is amazing. For a first trip, you are always unsure, and preconcieved notions are often the downfall of many introductions, but I will discuss the people in a later blog. There is way to much to say to fit it in today.

I haven't really had the time to look up quite a few things that I have taken interest in already, but as time passes I will address those with a little more background information.

Birds.... lots of birds... But not really the "exotic" kind that you think of when you image the African continent. In the city, the diet is more appealing to the rodents that root through the trash at night, and of course the Eagles that wait for them to hold still. I don't think I've ever seen so many Eagles in one condensed area. Most people write them off as circling Vultures, (and I have seen a fair share of them as well), but they are surely Eagles. Wahlberg's Eagles to be exact. Majestic and strong. They circle above the skyscrapers all day like they are mapping their attack routes for the dimmer hours. Impressive to say the least.

20090224 DAKAR, SENEGAL

As of today, I have convinced myself that it might be a good idea to start a blog.

I have always been anti-blog because of the over-sensationalism that has surrounded blogs for years now. But I have been converted. Actually I converted myself by conceding to the fact that a BLOG is a good way to document feelings, ideas, travels, and discoveries that pictures alone cannot convey...

So it has begun. Or has it?

I'm in Dakar. It's the Capital City of the country of Senegal located in NW Africa. Senegal is the closest country to North America on the African Continent... (Or so they tell me)...

I plan to document my time here and hopefully some of you who wish to visit might find this blog usefull for planning a trip, or who knows what else....