Time-Lapse of the bridge in St Louis.

Beautiful! 

 

An ode to Bessie

Bessie was a much loved friend of Asagiri Jam and Fuji Rock in Japan... she was there when it counted!
This year's Asagiri Jam was her last. She will now live out her years next to Nakagima's cow shed with a view of Fuji San.

The Bats of St Louis

This was filmed from the balcony of our house... every evening the bats go to work....

St Louis Du Senegal

Tuesday 1^st November 2011

Next week is Tabaski., the Muslim world’s most important religious festival. It’s also called

"Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God...before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

On Monday morning after morning prayers approximately 50 million sheep will have their throats cut across the Muslim world and a great feast will begin. We have two such sheep in our garden. They are being well looked after by our land-lady and washed daily in preparation of their death. Beni likes them dearly and unfortunately for the sheep, he is not making their last week in this world be a stress free one....

We have been invited by a Senegalese friend to join him and his family for the important event. I am looking forward to it immensely. 

Meanwhile, we have been marooned at home while new brake disks and pads are sent via DHL from Blighty. We thought all was going swimmingly until we received a text saying the package was clearing customs in Cincinnati, USA. Even though we had written St Louis Du Senegal many times.....Dastardly news as we really do have places to toddle off to in the Rolls. The disk brakes have since been to Leipzig, Brussels and Paris where they almost, went to Cincinnati again!!! Do these people not have a map! Thankfully it is now en route to Dakar... now just the local customs to clear! 

Chez Nous.... bottom photo is the view from the balcon

Carruthers showing his many talents.....

Tabaski preparation.... top right is a billboard in Dakar

Rave lives in Senegal

Via Japan

Wednesday 26^th October 2011

Sorry for the long delay…. Having been recalled to old country, Carruthers joined me after several weeks to escape the fever and mosquitoes of the rainey season. Darling Beni was left holding the fort at our recently acquired house and keeping an eye on the gardener etc etc.

In Blighty, Carruthers accepted a temporary posting to Japan, which has the pleasure of joining as a ‘diplomatic wife’. We had a splendid time in the shadow of Mount Fuji at the Asagiri Jam festival. The sun shone brightly, the music played loudly and the sake flowed freely. Whilst there, Carruthers took the opportunity to make an honest woman of me (really!).

On leaving Japan, we embarked on a journey in the vein of Phillius Fogg. Leaving Japan and arriving to Blighty 12 hours later we hurriedly re-packed the trunks and dashed back to the Heathrow aerodrome and departed for Dakar via Lisbon. In typical Johnny foreigner fashion, Portugal’s National Carrier failed to arrive in Lisbon before the departure of our connecting flight. On kicking up a jolly fuss we were housed over night in the Marriot hotel, which proceeded a pleasant afternoon perambulating about Lisbon’s old town. Delightful.

Onwards from Lisbon to Dakar; and the heat and hubbub of Africa again. We’re now back in our residence with Beni our ever-faithful hound and leisurely exploring the crumbling colonial hub of St Louis du Senegal (bloody French builders).  

Shopping Japan style

Food! - Skiaki on the right with Kobe beef top left and Teppanyaki BBQ !!!

 

Asagiri Jam!

 

A punter brings his cat to the festival???

Carruthers in Tokyo.

Senegal

Last week we arrived at last in the beautiful Senegal. We drove to Zebrabar camping near St Louis where Beni fell in love for the first time with a visiting hound. The young lad is growing up!
Senegal is bursting with life, especially after the first rains. After driving through Western Sahara and Mauritania which I must say, in the middle of summer is quite devoid of life..... we are now being dive bombed by cicadas and hopping over enormous crabs. Everywhere there are multi-coloured birds and lizards and yesterday Beni met some monkeys which utterly confused him.
A few days ago I returned to the motherland and left Carruthers and Beni fending for themselves on an idyllic area of land not far from St Louis. I shall return in a few weeks and am hoping neither of them have gone too native.

Meanwhile, for your entertainment, watch this video of our journey through Western Sahara on the Paris Dakar route. (Slightly bigger screen if you click on the link... and turn up the sound!). Delightful!
 http://www.youtube.com/tarawatney

In the Sand 2

as you trundle down the road in Mauritania.... sometimes there is a little sand in the way.....