Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Wild Wild Trouble Rescue

wrestling match at the Stade Demba Diop







Here is the national sport traditional wrestling (and that look ensuite le + les gens c le foot!). Indispensable donc, d'assister a un match de lutte, ds les regles de l'art, en direct koi et pas seulement a la télé!
Dimanche 21 juillet 2007. La Grande Finale "Bombardier vs Gris-Bordeaux". (les pseudos qui tuent, deja... Moi je preferais Gris-Bordeaux, + original kom nom que Bombardier, trop gde gueule je trouve!)
16h. Nous voila donc, avec un groupe d'étudiants Lillois (des stagiaires rencontres ici), en train de faire la queue devant le stade, en plein cagnard. Nous avons deja (ou pas) nos places, 2500CFA ds les gradins (en plein soleil koi, sinon c 5000 en couvert). Tout le monde ns a bien dit de faire attention a ne rien prendre sur soi qui craigne, c la qu'il y a le + de vols. Nous n'avons donc tous que nos petites pochettes avec le strict minimum, + bouteille d'eau oblige! Effectivement une des filles du groupe ne tarde pas a se faire fouiller les poches par un mec, qui repart l'air de rien kan elle s'en rend compte et l'insulte!

Jusque la tt va bien, ns entrons ds le stade, rien n'est commence ms il y a deja une ambiance du feu de dieu! Le grand match est prevu pour 17h30, ms ns savons qu'il va commencer en retard (heure senegalaise koi!) et que avant ca il y a plein de "petits" matchs : des lutteurs volontaires ki se mesurent entre eux. Et de tte facon, le but du jeu n'est pas de ne voir que le matche en lui-meme, ms tt ce qu'il y a autour, l'animation ds le stade, and believe me it folk. The fans, wrestlers entering the arena ds, then that circle the stadium strutting, showing an air of world domination, c quite funny, actually tt ds is the intimidation! They kidnap little by little a layer of clothing, they are watered with water (a heat burst vs. I say), eventually, little by little naked torso, arms, torso, legs, surrounded by gray-gri ...
Helicopter TV (Channel RTS) is taking off and putting a lot of time on the stadium, the qq meters ahead of us (ns I have not seen it on TV I'd be surprised kon ms have not been filmed!) ... the only time airstream!
The two great champions entering the stadium ds, showing a crowd at the same titre que les autres lutteurs, ou dansant la danse traditionnelle au rythme des percussions. Ils ont chacun un gri-gri que leurs 'assistants' portent et trainent derriere eux, mouton noir pr Gris-Bordeaux et miroir pr Bombardier je crois.
Les 'petits' lutteurs (soutenus par des groupes ds les gradins, des clubs de lutte) commencent a faire leur combat. Mais tt ca se fait tjs ds la meme ambiance (cad percus et danses et acclamations diverses, pavanage des autres lutteurs etc...)
Lorsque un lutteur perd, certains de leurs supporters se mettent a tomber kom des mouches, a faire un malaise ou je ne sais koi.. hypoglycemie? malaise vagal? crise convulsive? trop forte emotion? (ils st tellement a fond dedans je vs jure!), on se demandait although ts not a fight at a time ... In fact after the fact somebody told me ke ct Paske these people have gris-gris on them, giving off a very strong ki energy, and when they have finished work, to be useful (like the end of a match or they had to bring good luck), they become too heavy pr person and must be freed in the sb ke!
Ah yes, the games do not last very lgtps in fact, not kom c boxing with several rounds, not the c face-to-face, 1 lost tomb ki! (4 ground supports I believe, like shoulders and back ..)
They first study the custody of la'utre, endorsements, then they are taken by the head, and the blows of a point below fuse, and often we understand not much is happening cki, they fall and the yen has lost a ki ... You understand you have nothing voila c ms over!

Finally, the big match as expected. The two seek to bully and easily spread, and it goes very fast, 39 seconds of game after the media, had g'm watching with my binoculars, I see nothing to make the 2 fall behind even gst the referee, ms which is below?? You've had anything to understand the tps ke winner (c lekel shit I admit it!) Gets up and raises his arms, and the crowd was unleashed, people running everywhere, will the DS stage, yelling the name of winner - apparently good ah c Gris Bordeaux (gt dr cool him!) - and you ca pinball Paske starting to be anarchy. It starts out of the stadium, apparently the c baston ds the streets outside, the ki are the military security are our group to start out and say ns to stay there, wait a bit ke ca ns calms down and they escorted juska out! Good +
finally with fear ke bad, it is okay tt whole! With beautiful pictures in your head!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

How Long Do Shoulders Hurt After Lapro

My trip to Casamance ...

First, why and how .. Already, it was not expected. Casamance is deemed to be the + beautiful region of Senegal, it is located in the south, in the Gambia, which separates the country into a little 2. It is a very green area, with LOTS of vegetation, because very watered during the rainy season / winter (June to September wholesale).
But here, everybody says, "does not especially in Casamance, the low c-hazardous there is war there are insurgents c risky" and blah and blah and blah. PIPEAU! It was an area at risk qq years ago, certainly, but it is no longer in any case not pr ds tourists and not the corner where I went.
I had planned to do my internship pepere months until August 9 and then I left 10j pr travel before returning home. But then, I find myself traveling alone, because tt the world is still on probation, or already gone.
2 weeks ago, I learned that Jocelyne, the instit colleague and friend of my sister is on holiday in Senegal, and she suggests I go in Casamance! I jumped at the chance! No chance to go otherwise. So I'm doing my internship to take a week vacation in the middle, and I will end one week later +. st they very compliant. And understanding. So it gives "ya no problem!"
Here I am ready to go Tuesday night.

D0: from Dakar by ferry (the Wilis) at 20h. Well, 20:30 in fait.Heure Senegalese koi.
18000CFA route to a berth (27 €), ca va. Expectation was reclining seats ms ct beds actually in a dormitory. Therefore quite comfortable. Except that one should not be seasick, or be too disturbed by the lamp that stays on, or the crapper door that keeps not to slam the rhythm of the waves (people do not close the door), nor yet the smell that comes.
The crossing takes 16-17h.

Day 1: We arrived around 10am in the mouth of the Casamance River and destination (Ziguinchor) at 13:30. On the river you can see the type of landscape that awaits us, and especially to see dolphins qq ns escort!
Ziguinchor: right out of the port, you get harassed by 2 or 3 guys (the "Rastas", vs. vs. remember?) "Hello Melles, vs.'re French? Koi is your name? Gonna holidays? Vs. want or go?-nowhere, we know where we will thank you. "but if we will go vs. show, vs going?
Well you finally succeed to get rid of after 2 streets after becoming decidedly unpleasant.
There is a small restaurant, a gloomy ms cheap. At that moment it only rains qq drops. Hardly have time to ns order consos it starts to rain buckets of water I have ever seen kom. We eat, hoping it will calm down quickly enough pr kon can then proceed to Cape Squirring.
error. It takes one, 2 hours. Ds torrent street. I buy an umbrella over 10m back and soaked. And water juska mid-calf. Are asked to go by taxi (not as many yen's Dakar! Shit kan did you need them they are not st course), sc kan asked to take ns to the bus station (the "Garage") they all refuse, "no no too much rain!"
Then, around 15:30 AC calms down a little, you end up finding a taxi ki ns taken away, so I understand their reluctance to go over there in the rain, since even in dry road is almost impassable, holes and huge potholes everywhere, so necessarily under 50cm of water ...
It then takes a bush taxi for the Cape, 1400CFA/pers (2 €). On the road, the taxi driver as he apologizes detout a small deposit on a runway walk somebody. means we have a small ds village trooop cute in the middle of nowhere ds nature. Diakène Wolof. The guy in question intends ns ns kon file ecstatic every 2 ns and then asks if ns know the Island of Egueye. "Oh yes we heard, we would like to go ca ms looks a little adit. "Well I c the manager of the camp, I'll vs can come with me! "Joce and I are watching, and no hesitation, it descends. Foot. It follows that the guy ns led to his dugout and on the island has its camp. Soooo barrel. cf. photos, hard to describe otherwise ms un ptit coin de paradis koi. On a rencontré une femme francaise qui est venue prendre sa retraie ici. Original. Tranquille en tt cas, ca elle a la paix.
On passe donc la nuit la, 11000CFA en pension complete(16€), super repas du soir, super petit-dej (avec confitures de mangue, papaye et bissap!) dehors ds un super jardin au bord de l'eau, ptite baignade ensuite, bronzette, t'es seul au monde c enorme, apres la folie de Dakar ca fait vmt du bien. Puis on part faire le tour de l'ile a pied, c pas tres grand ms on s'est un peu paumees ds la vegetation et les pseudos-pistes, ms tt va bien on a finies par etre guidees par l'odeur du poulet yassa et le bruit du pilon!!!

J2: Breaking afternoon after a canoe, taxi juska Cape Squirring is ns ns very quickly find a small camp, room with air conditioning, and 20m from the beach (kom all hotels of- Low in fact)
ride on the beach, along the coconut, you go back to the village which is 3.5 km away from settlements. It happens at Club Med, which squats about 1km from the beach, which of course is closed for the season (not the tourist season!). Too bad, there would have had a drink pr enjoy the surroundings. Anyway, ca fout ill at ease to say that some people spend their vacation "in Africa", ms ds good kind of place where tt is perfect and run by white, or you live your life without needing Trankill out of your acre of paradise even what dr to see what happens just behind, upon the village where people live a slum limit ds ... We arrive
dc ds village by the beach (after rejecting 4 or 5 ns rastas wanted to take their 'booth artists', one comes across a football match: a sacred atmosphere, the local football! Of Bcp attends the world, each team has its group of 'supporters' cad women singing and dancing to the rhythm of percussion!

D3: Morning beach Pepere, only 2 tourists at 3km round one would think, among the cows ki squat Beach koi, pretty funny. Hmmmm, not so Pepere ke ca en fait, g tendance a oublier ces rabateturs de malheur ki se fichent jamais la paix.
En fait tu finis meme par te dire 'bon assez pris le soleil, on s'en va ailleurs ca devient penible'
Nous voilà donc en route a midi pr Oussouye, ou ns mangeons une Tieboudienne pr rien.
Et la, commence l'a-ven-tu-re!!! Objectif : arriver à Elinkine avant 17h pr prendre la pirogue en direction de l'Ile de Karabane. Pas evident! Tu vas a la Gare routiere pr trouver un taxi-brousse, ms yen a pas (encore. Ms ici on peut attendre lgtps!) Ya bien des taxis prives ki te proposent de t'emmener ms pour 8000CFA, ca fait vmt cher la (bon, facon de parler hein, ca reste que 12€!). Tu finis par monter ds un Ndiaga-Ndiaye BON-DE, pour 300CFA, les bagages hop sur le toit, toi a l'interieur debout essayant desesperement de t'agripper a qqch, les jambes coincees entre les genoux des gens assis, qui te tiennent ton sac a dos... Vous croyiez connaître l'inconfort du metro parisien aux heures de pointe, et les coups de freins du RER???? Noooooooooooon, rien a voir! La, c a se demander ds combien de temps le truc va se RENVERSER sur la route!!!! En fait la route est une sorte de piste avec environ 50cm de goudron encore vivant au centre, donc t'evites les trous et autres obstacles en zigzaguant a mort, en rentrant ds les arbres au bord de la route....ca pendant 30,40 min. Assez folklorique! You must have a good tolerance, the comfort refrain friends! I found AC g unforgettable and very funny. Must remain exceptional ca ke kom koi experience.
At M'lomp, people down, we can finally sit PHEW!
Oh, c kon met with two French students in training in agronomy (the study on 'fly mango') super nice.
It has finally arrived Elinkine, then said Carabane by canoe.
Island Karabane, probably the place I prefer ... Camp with just room overlooking the beach and water lowest 5m + ... Vs believe have put 100 € ds a room with a frame like this? Well no, here c 3000CFA night (4.5 €) 7300 or half-board (well, with a little less luxury confess)

J4: I imagine the lil vs bf at the beach, the hot water I have ever seen kom .. limits a little too even, aprem ds ds it was like a bath! At noon
ns have right of crawfish! Ns that have the 4 control heads the day before, they seek expression alles st ds their tanks by canoe, they wriggle ns showed the morning before going to the pan ..
short, flanerie mega pleasant, it would be good here 2 or 3d. But you have to start tomorrow g my boat! It therefore incorporates the canoe Elinkine direction, then the there is a bush taxi for Ziguinchor. Ns or hotel or wanted to go is full to bursting. Damn, not expected this, c's true that the ferry arrived this morning in Dakar, dc necessarily ... In desperation (the taxi drivers are beginning to pressure ns fuck "I can take you to a place I know ke (c ca yesh you want your comission you!), "go it starts to rain you have to decide the" (I told vs they freak ke 2 drops of water falling, this can venir tellement vite ici!) je finis par appeler un numero kon m'avait file et on atterrit ds une maison ki a heberge une ONG..hmm je sais pas une sorte de gite ke personne ne connait, mal entretenu..pas tres confort koi. Mais bon, pas le choix.
On sort pr manger a l'Alliance Franco-Senegalaise, un endroit ki a l'air magnifique ms dommage kon le voit pas de jour. Ils ont une carte geniale ms manque de bol kom ils finissent les stocks ya plus rien ou presque.

J5 : Lever tot, histoire d'avoir le temps de louer un taxi pr aller visiter le village d'Enampore, ou il y a des traditionnelles Impluvium boxes has a gde box (central piece with rooms ds tt around the wall) with a central pit in the middle ki made a light input, and by which we can recover it rains water kan ... Ns a guide tour of the village, the sacred forest, etc. ... the "village phone": a piece of hollowed tree trunk, you hit it with a branch, it gives a kind of signal ki ke tt means the village must come together there, kan c it just happened an event ( birth, death ..)
Then return to Ziguinchor, pending the departure of the ship 15h, we visit the luxury hotels, or I leave Jocelyne ki will be happy with a consolation in the pool ... grrrr I the desteste!
return by boat nothing exciting but ke I spent the evening chatting with a girl troop nice, ki is the kon with his parents and had crossed several times pdt week.
Arrive in Dakar at 7am the next day but they put a ns + 1 hour of landing on the port because kom these assholes are the ns-ds a bus ride (huge, ts a bus in Paris! I swear vs. a true with the same green seats and tt!) dr go juska ferry departure lounge (kom ds airports koi.Sauf ke ... yavait 20m browse !!!!!!) has ben ca necessarily takes time .... But hey, true c ke time has no value here.
Except when one is supposed to be on probation at 8:30.