Kaolack

29 november 2022

Last night I returned to Tambacounda and stayed in the La Basseria hotel again. There is something quite reassuring about returning to a town and hotel that you already know.

I repeated some of the routines I'd done on my first visit; buying fruit from the same seller, getting coffee Touba from the same stand and getting money from the same bank. There is some kind of comfort in these reassuringly familiar small details.

This morning, I waited in the taxi area for a seat to Kaolack. It was definitely worth the wait; watching early morning behaviours and actions of the people in this area and eventually getting a good quality car ride all the way to the next town. I think I have now mastered the art of set place taxi rides and the costing differences.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed staying in Kaolack for the evening at de Paris Hotel (30,000CFA per room, 5000CFA for dinner) in the old port area of the town. The hotel caters for passing business people so I came into contact with a different crowd - a team working with a advisor from the World Bank looking at road development projects in Kaolack and St Louis, and a group of students from the local collage on a study exchange. Much more English was used as the common language which as a welcomed relief for me. We also watched the Senegal / Equator match together which led to much celebration in the local market. I finished the evening with a tour of the port and a visit to the old French colonial area of the town.