February 15 :: Thies, Senegal
February 15 :: Thies, Senegal :: 123km / 2811km total
A very early start for a mad dash down to Thies, racing against the Sun. For the first time this trip I really pushed the pace, willing to suffer a bit from the effort in lieu of getting brutalized later by the heat. I could barely see the road as I started out from Louga at 7 a.m. Eating tangerines as I rode I pushed very hard, eyeing the rising Sun nervously to my left as I headed South.
Before noon I rolled into Thies with sore legs but happily having beaten out the worst of the brutal heat. Time to look for a room... I've been very disappointed with my Lonely Planet West Africa guidebook, and now rarely use it when searching out accomodation. Sure enough I quickly found a great place - here in Senegal the prices are a bit higher but the value is fantastic - a clean room with 2 beds, Western toilet and shower... $22CDN. The shower is always cold but when its 35 degrees C out and your body is still pumping out the heat and calories from a 5 hour ride, who cares. Just down the street is a well-stocked supermarket and I found a restaurant serving chicken curry! Sure, its not Lahore Tikka House, but man it was nice to have something different.
There's really only one thing to do during the crush of the midday heat, and so it was quickly back to my room for a nappy. I had blown a second spoke on my rear wheel during the mad dash here this morning, and since Thies had lots of people zipping around on Western bicycles I sought out a mechanic late in the afternoon. I carry extra spokes but not the tools or skill to build a wheel. I was directed to The Wizard who, in about 20 minutes, respoked and trued (straightened) my rear wheel. I paid him double his asking price, and walked away very happy and $2 poorer.
Its election time here in Senegal, I believe the election is on Saturday. I've been seeing rallies, speeches, and placards all over since coming into the country. I've talked to a few people about it, they are quite nonchalant, everyone is happy and smiling, and it seems as if the election will be relatively smooth and hassle-free. That being said I'm glad I'll be in Dakar during the election... because this IS Africa, and you never know.
A very early start for a mad dash down to Thies, racing against the Sun. For the first time this trip I really pushed the pace, willing to suffer a bit from the effort in lieu of getting brutalized later by the heat. I could barely see the road as I started out from Louga at 7 a.m. Eating tangerines as I rode I pushed very hard, eyeing the rising Sun nervously to my left as I headed South.
Before noon I rolled into Thies with sore legs but happily having beaten out the worst of the brutal heat. Time to look for a room... I've been very disappointed with my Lonely Planet West Africa guidebook, and now rarely use it when searching out accomodation. Sure enough I quickly found a great place - here in Senegal the prices are a bit higher but the value is fantastic - a clean room with 2 beds, Western toilet and shower... $22CDN. The shower is always cold but when its 35 degrees C out and your body is still pumping out the heat and calories from a 5 hour ride, who cares. Just down the street is a well-stocked supermarket and I found a restaurant serving chicken curry! Sure, its not Lahore Tikka House, but man it was nice to have something different.
There's really only one thing to do during the crush of the midday heat, and so it was quickly back to my room for a nappy. I had blown a second spoke on my rear wheel during the mad dash here this morning, and since Thies had lots of people zipping around on Western bicycles I sought out a mechanic late in the afternoon. I carry extra spokes but not the tools or skill to build a wheel. I was directed to The Wizard who, in about 20 minutes, respoked and trued (straightened) my rear wheel. I paid him double his asking price, and walked away very happy and $2 poorer.
Its election time here in Senegal, I believe the election is on Saturday. I've been seeing rallies, speeches, and placards all over since coming into the country. I've talked to a few people about it, they are quite nonchalant, everyone is happy and smiling, and it seems as if the election will be relatively smooth and hassle-free. That being said I'm glad I'll be in Dakar during the election... because this IS Africa, and you never know.
posted by Graham Durrant at 10:07 AM
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