Making La Limonade in Dakar

Tomorrow, we head home to the Gambia after a six-day odyssey in Dakar, Senegal. I decided to capture bits of our crazy trip in haiku. Hope you enjoy it!

Seventeen hours of

travel sans peeing. Potholes
shake our bumper free.


Children scream: "It's gone!"
We gape at our naked rear.
A taxi drives past.


Our bumper! On its
roof! Driver pleas for money,
but gives it for free.


Car squawks dead-bird sounds
in traffic on dark Dakar
highway. What to do?


We squeak to town. "Fine," 
says hotel. "Our mechanic's
here." We sigh relief.


For three days, he works,
Promising each day, "Almost
done, almost finished."


Then he frowns and says
"I can't do it." Our gift of 
lemons from Dakar.


We sulk and mope, then
decide to make lemonade.
We nap, eat ice cream.


I buy fabric, we
stroll by the sea, eat croissants, 
drink mango juice. Yum.


I sneak a swim at 
a fancy hotel. We find
a TOFU BURGER!


A hopeful call to
Peace Corps Senegal yields a 
skilled mechanic. Whew.


Now, hope renewed, car 
repaired, we navigate the  
city's crazy streets.


Dakar roads are like
San Francisco without stop 
lights. A soupy mess.


Roadside, we spot a
child's bike with a slogan we
love: "Yeah Cat Rabbit!"


As we share one more 
tofu burger, we reflect 
on lessons learned. 


When life throws lemons,
make lemonade. Oh yeah, and 
don't drive to Dakar!