Sunday 8 April 2012

Camping at St Louis

4th April Wednesday
A lie-in, fresh coffee and a cold shower led us into today. we wandered around the town, enjoying their Independence day celebrations. Lunch comprised a delicious fish dish cooked in a spicy sauce. We were beginning to relax. Oh how fickle the human emotions are. Within 3 hours our moods had plummeted and I had tears of despair rolling down my cheeks as we began to learn how dire the situation was in Mali. We visited the Zebrabar, a campsite off the road to Dakar. There were 2 German bikers who couldn't wait to leave Mali. They were in Bamako, the southern capital of Mali. Thry were subject to a 24 hour curfew and witnessed chaos in the city as locals plummeted and looted garages and shops for fuel and food. This did not bode well for a swift resolution to the current disruptions.

Retruning to our campsite we were thrn stopped at random by a very agressive policeman who threatened Ben with prison for not carrying all his papers with him whilst driving the truck. a reluctant bribe later resolved the issue but not without denting our already low spirits.

Later, as we were shopping  for fish in St Louis's vibrant markets, I had tears rolling down my hot face feeling the lowest I have ever felt on this trip. Tension was also  rising between us. However we found a barbeque grill back at the campsite. A delicious meal later of grilled fish, rice and local vegetables, we began to work on our next steps.

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