Adventures in Dakar
We made it to Bamako. Things are very interesting here! A lot to get used to... I like it, I think. We have to be very careful talking to strangers who want to be our guide, etc. Last night in Dakar we, Pushkar and Sasha from Switzerland and I, were surrounded by maybe 4-5 men wanting to sell something, sponges, watches, gas stove pipes.... I sensed trouble and turned away to get out of the group and another 2 men came around. Sasha's car was near, thank goodness and we jumped in. As I shut the car door two other men rushed up from behind the car - maybe to grab my backpack.. which I don't usually carry at night. We were just coming back from the TV station - Channel 2 - one of two national stations for Senegal. I had my video camera and captured Pushkar's interview for 20 minutes on a program that will air on National Senegal TV tonight at 9PM. We will miss it but Sasha will get the CD of the show to give to me to pick up when I return in November. The fright in the dark Dakar Streets was a reminder. Don't carry passport, plane tickets, credit cards, cash, traveler's checks and valuable video footage all in the same bag.
We are fine and having a fun. I'm not too sore from our 32! mile bike ride tour du Dakar. Mom, I will cc you in my next message to the manager at my bank. Hopefully it's not much of a problem. Another tourist from Holland at the bank here in Bamako said that sometimes the credit card is denied when actually the money was transferred Something about the bank hub in Morocco. It's a bit confusing, but I need the bank to check my account to see if more was withdrawn than I actually got.
This computer is slow and hard to type because a few of the keys are in the wrong place, specifically the a, w, m, and the ', ., ?, and !. :)
Love,
Heather
Heather O'Neal
Of Global Interest LLC Adventure Travel
Ann Arbor, Michigan
(734) 369-3107
www.ofglobalinterest.com
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