The weather has most definitely shifted here. Temps are noticeably cooler and the wind is blowing constantly. Sand is everywhere. It's in our shoes, in the house, and in the car. There's a pile of sand in front of our drive that looks like and feels like a dune and makes it hard to back into our parking area. My morning walks are often against the blowing sand. The air is beige, as Matt calls it. This is more like what we expected when we arrived and we are only now entering the truly "dry" season. The temperature change is a relief and finds us reaching for something a little bit warmer to wear in the mornings even though we won't need it by afternoon.
The weather isn't the only shift we're feeling here in Dakar. The presidential elections are coming up at the end of February and there is every expectation that these will not be easy. Just in case anyone is wondering, if it gets too disruptive and/or dangerous, we could be evacuated from the mission. We're prepared to stay or leave if ordered to do so. Time and the situation will dictate. We continue to feel safe here and are maintaining our schedules as usual.
We hosted three Peace Corps volunteers over last weekend. They were wonderful guests and we enjoyed their company tremendously. They had so much to share with us about their experiences in the villages and were ever so grateful for a bed and a hot shower (and we were happy to share). I think the hot coffee was appreciated, too :) -oh, for the love of Starbucks and Amazon.com.
Dakar hosts the West African Invitational Softball Tournament (WAIST) every year and it is a fun weekend full of games both social and competetive. Teams are from a variety of sources, embassies, Peach Corps, NGOs, local schools - whoever wants to play the game. Matt and I watched games on Saturday and again on Sunday and Monday with Carl when he came back from Ghana. The US Embassy team lost to the Senegal team on Monday during the playoffs. Despite losing, it was an excellent game!
No comments:
Post a Comment