Today is an all day pirogue trip through the Sine-Saloum Delta, which is full of mangrove swamps, palm groves, shimmering flat lands, salt marshes and lagoons. We take two pirogues, which are not that big or that comfortable. Unexpectedly we set out across open water, which is a little rough, especially for Margaret Thatcher who begins to feel quite unwell. Our first activity is a quick safari through mangrove creeks, looking for the West African manatee, but our guide, Pap, shoots that idea down immediately, insisting that the animals have been hunted to virtual extinction in this area. As we potter along the mangrove creeks, the scenery reminds me of the Galapagos Islands.
As predicted we see little wildlife and continue on to our next stop in the Sine-Saloum Delta, the shell village of Falia. The locals are a very friendly bunch and are actively shucking oysters and clams when we arrive. They even use the discarded shells to build up the height of the island, because even in this remote part of the world the effects of global warming are a real concern. During a typical day the villagers go looking for shell-fish at low tide, while at high tide they fish for lotte au curry (monkfish). Rather embarrassingly a very attractive teenage girl called Isadoo decides to befriend me and shyly takes my hand in hers. With our hands entwined we explore this island while the rest of the group snigger, but Christi is completely unconcerned. I do manage to untangle myself briefly when called upon to participate in the local shell dance with another woman from the village. As usual in such situations, Christi fades into the background avoiding the embarrassment of boogying on down in public. Isadoo seems genuinely disappointed when the tour group leaves Falia without her; perhaps she was expecting to go with me. For all I know holding hands around here means I married the girl.
Again the waters of the Sine-Saloum Delta are a little choppy as we cross more open water and head for a tiny deserted island with golden sand and thick stands of mangrove. This is our lunch stop. And while Pap barbeques lotte au curry for us to eat, Christi and I explore the area. There is an abundance of small immature fish that use the mangroves for protection and food, while crabs clamber along the boughs of the mangrove trees, and huge jellyfish bob about in the shallows. The jellyfish are a good foot in diameter and come with 12’’ long red tentacles. They look extraterrestrial.
We hang out on this spit of sand and mangrove swamp for most of the afternoon before returning to Palmarin. On the way back I get thoroughly drenched as the pirogue bounces across the delta, splashing water into the boat. This together with the drop in temperature leaves me feeling wretched and by the end of the day I’m coughing and sneezing. Who catches a cold in Africa for goodness sake!
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of broken hearts and broken test tubes.
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