Hawkes Bay NZ Water trail

Saturday, March 30, 2019

There’s no place like home

11am Atatürk international

How to get a day’s free WiFi at Ataturk International

Nothing like Sicilian pistachio gelato, but the solution to my lack of WiFi. The airport's "free" 2 hours is linked to a code sent to your cell phone.i didn't buy a SIM for Senegal so I hate this old school approach to a vital service.

Breakfast at IST

I like this bread ring. They have a big run of sweet mint tea on offer too, but I didn't get offered enough water inflight so parched.

First leg: done and dusted!

20 minutes south to The Gambia, an hour's delay as each overhead locker on the plane was searched by the flight attendants, then a bit over 6 hours to Istanbul. Turbulence over Morocco delayed drinks and meal service. Then a truly crazy flight: 2 crying babies, one of whom was a full size toddler with energy to spare, and the other a sweet little Senegalese/French baby who vomited after the 1st batch of turbulence, a blind francophone African, a dwarf using a scooter for transportation, and motley sun burned and weathered Europeans, including a blond biracial woman with distinctive African features and coffee colored skin. You can't make this stuff up.

Friday, March 29, 2019

BBC News: Seven ways the world is not designed for women

I saw this on the BBC News App and thought you should see it:

Seven ways the world is not designed for women
From military equipment to smartphones - here are a few ways the world seems biased towards men.
Disclaimer: The BBC is not responsible for the content of this email, and anything written in this email does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the email address nor name of the sender have been verified.


Sent from my iPhone

Self portrait with suitcase

Remember: it'll be all right in the end. And, if it's not right, it's not the end.
Waiting for a break on flights home.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Last late lunch at King Fahd hotel

Plus 2 ready made bags

7 x 6m pieces of wax cloth from my bargaining I Dakar’s cloth market

Potted plants on sale

Coffee cart, Dakar-style

Old style Renault mini bus

A prophet

He's everywhere: Posters, T-shirts, etc. There are no photos of him, so he's usually drawn with the shawl like this.

Le Phare

The African Renaissance memorial in Dakar

Apparently the baby is pointing at the Statue of Liberty in NYC. I learned yesterday, at the Slave House on Gorée that the slaves were sent to Brazil and the Caribbean. So, you could argue that the child should be pointing elsewhere. But, as a gift from
North Korea, you have to read between the lines.

End to lunch at La Farid

Monday, March 25, 2019

The good ship Papa Baye Seck

Squalid and alluring at the same time

In St Louis’s ramshackle UNESCO world heritage colonial old town

Nothing that can't be fixed with unlimited money and the ability to move an impoverished community elsewhere for decades.

Almost Greek in style

Fishing boats of Guet N’Dar in St Louis

On the Langue de Barbarie.

Bissap (Hibiscus) and ginger juice

Delicious.

Lunchtime view

Gustav Eiffel's graceful C19th bridge, moved here in 1897 from the Danube to span the Senegal River. Refurbished in 2006 or 2007 to its rightful glory.

Bougainvillea in St Louis

What's not to love about this signature French Colonial town climber.



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Heading back to St Louis

Sheep and goats wander freely along the sides of roads.

Flamboyant local

Traditional medicine

Coiffure