0250. Old Colonial Capital (Sgl 02--revisit)
Once again, I'm going to take a quick trip through time and add a blog entry from my 2004 visit to Saint-Louis...
SAINT-LOUIS 2004
It was nearly midnight with I arrived in St Louis--but the streets were alive with activity. It was an unforgettable thrill the feeling of having arrived in the Subsahara--"true Africa"--especially after the challenges I'd faced after the last couple of days. Everybody was happy, laughing, chatting--there was music everywhere, bright clothing, picturesque homes--everything I'd imagined Africa would be (I'm just going to call it "Africa"--it gets tedious saying "subsaharan Africa" all the time to distinguish it from North Africa.) I had very little money, no idea of where to stay--and it's now past midnight--but I'm not the least bit concerned.
Came across a hotel, but 15 dollars a night sounded a bit pricey, so I continued further. To my left was a wide river or lake with lights sparkling on the other side. And then there it was--just sitting there next to a gas station... an ATM! With a round the clock security guard! Of course! What did you expect? Actually, it wasnt until months later that I realized how lucky I was. Almost all ATMs in West Africa don't work with Mastercard... But this one did...
I figured I could save money by getting a cab to take me to a cheaper hotel. The cab took me across a beautiful bridge to the heart of St Louis to an even pricier hotel--so I figured I'd settle for the first hotel I'd seen.
The clerk carrying a bucket of water, took my up a labyrinth of hallways and outdoor stairways to an enormous dirty room. No running water apparently... But there was a fan and a window overlooking the river....
...This was the Waldorf Astoria as far as I was concerned...
I jumped out of bed early in the morning--not a moment to waste... I headed out to explore the most colorful outdoor market I'd ever seen... sat down in a little stall where a cheerful young fellow brought me breakfast... strolled across the bridge to "downtown" St Louis, a fascinating mix of African vibe with decaying French architecture...
St Louis is divided into three section. The mainland section, where I'd stayed the night, the colonial quarter which is actually an island in the middle of the river--and then the really fascinating part.
I tell you, a better welcoming to Africa I could not have imagined.
It's a Friday and St Louis seems to be quite a devout Muslim town. As prayer time approaches, it seems every man and boy in town heads towards the nearest mosque wearing the most magnificent robes. There the rows of men praying spill out onto the main street and even onto the sandy side streets...
I head back to downtown to a stately colonial building where I enjoyed a delicious meal of rice and Senegalese styled chicken.
...Hiked the island from end to end--enjoyed my first mango in a long time... Back to the mainland... another market... and back to the taxi station...
...An unforgettable first night and day in real Africa...
BACK TO THE PRESENT...
Once again, I arrived late at night to St Louis, with almost no local currency in my pocket... This time I knew better than not to take the bush taxi all the way to the station... I got off not to far from the bridge and headed towards downtown.
The city was hopping... there was big concert going on right near the bridge and everybody was out and about, having a good time. I found an auberge with a 10 usd a night dormitory bed--not rock bottom prices, but certainly a good deal here in Saint-Louis.
Find an ATM, no problem. A lady was selling grilled steak sandwiches on the corner--she seemed to be quite popular with the locals--absolutely delicious... I went on a short walk then came back around for seconds...
I hiked around for a bit... soaking in the magical Saint-Louis vibe--then decided to call it a day. I've got a lot to do tomorrow...
Next day...
I started out with a wonderful early morning swim in the ocean...
Since one of the best songs I've written was inspired by my last visit to Saint-Louis, I figured I'd better take a lot of photos and video clips, in case I should want to make a music video exclusively about this town--and Saint-Louis certainly has no shortage of photo opportunities.
Once I felt I'd had my fill, I headed on towards the bridge that connects the island to the coastal penninsula, for a walk along the shore, hoping I'll be able to see a boat come in, and all the local ladies rushing out to buy very fresh fish. I was not disappointed.
This was the paradise that so inspired me on my last trip...
This time, I saw a little bit of Paradise's uglier side--the tide was coming in, and everybody was dragging out their household wastes and filth and just dumping it on the beach to be carried out by the tide--making the walk on the beach a bit more treacherous.
Glad I already got my swimming out of the way.
Reaching the southern end of town, I came to what I call "fish hell"... tables with salted fish drying on them as far as the eye can see... Quite a grim sight, I must say...
I decided to keep walking for a bit along the narrow penninsula--as there seems to be another village beyond...
