So here we are looking like we are just about to leave Senegal, and finally I am getting down to write about our first days here, which seemed like a long time ago.
After Nouakchott we headed south towards the Senegalese border. The road was again pretty monotonous but became greener and more interesting as we approached the Senegal River. Many people have warned us about the border crossing at Rosso and not to take it because the place is full of theives and corruption. They weren’t far wrong! to get to the other crossing at Diama you have to go through Rosso, we missed the small turn off and ended up in the pit of stinking hustlers. Here we have dodgy insurance sellers, corrupt police all telling you that Diama is closed. Eventually we duped one of the idiots into showing us the correct road, with a bit of effort we then got him out of the car again and headed on the bumpy road to Diama.
Part way we picked up an old gent on his way to Hospital near the border. He pointed out some of the surrounding sights and animals in the beautiful river delta. (Music fans will be happy to know he liked Graham Coxon). Eventually we reached the border and clearly there was no hospital, here it suddenly dawned on us that the old man was just another guide. We promptly booted him out of the car, reluctantly paid the exit bribes for Mauritania and headed across no mans land to Senegal. In Senegal we waited and argued for as long as we could until we eventually succumbed to paying the entry bribes.
A short drive into Senegal we arrived at the lovely city of St Louis which as I gather was once the capital of French West Africa. After the desert crossing this place was paradise (if not a bit touristy). Beer was available and the people were friendly, we had a great time. We also met up with two french men the enigmatic Claude and much more relaxed Begnat, I will now pass it over to Matt.
The bridge in the photo was designed by Gustaff Eiffel to cross the Danube, somehow it ended up here.
