My way to the unknown country

by Mamadou Salif DIARRA (Senegal)

A leap into the unknown Senegal

In 2018, i went together with my mother as pilgrims to Nimzatt a city down Mauritania. We were a group of sixty people on bus. As it was a country i had ever been to, i took a window seat d'or a better discovery. The departure was at a night time. Before starting, everyone said their prayers. It was dark and dogs running here and there. Two hours later, we were in Saint Louis, the former capital city of Senegal. A train parked at real station next to the bridge that was called Pont Faidherb. On the bridge, i contemplated the city from up to down through the window. Water was calm and clean. The sailors turning around with their canoes. People were waiting at the fishing port. There were women with baskets on their heads. The dustmen carried the pieces of luggage and begars looked for charity. in a little distance there were lots of waves. The wind was howling because of the embouchure. Then, i lost sight looking at the river that covered the other side of the city. that was the Fleuve Senegal, At the opposed side, i was surprised to see a quite nice statue carved out of stone in a shap of a man. People started commenting on it. Monument Faidheb, that was its name. There were many visitors who were looking at it, smiled and took pitures. I even got lost in the big town with busy streets and old tall buildings. People carried their children to the Schools. The sportives were running. Saint-Louis is a city of art and history, a world heritage. In no time we crossed the city next to the river on the road no far from the paddy fields. I could see many scarecrows on the fields. The following city was Richard Toll. it was by the side of a the Fleuve Senegal too. Here the main activity was agriculture. That is why, the land was so gold and green. the place seemed fresh and clean. Then, we got off the bus because we had to cross the border by ferry and there was a traffic jam. I couldn't wait to take walk and see the landscape. The area was almost surrounded by the sugar cane fields. there were plenty of farmers working very hard. sweat bathed their bodies. The "Compagnon Sucrière Sénégalaise"(CSS) was not far from there. I even visited the "Barrage de Diama". I have seen the gorgeous birds in the trees. The cliff so covered with bluebells. That was seemed to be covered with a thick, purple carpet. A valley of golden butterflies. A natural aviary where birds sung sweeter than i had ever heard. The more i saw, the more there remained to be seen, Besides, on ferry while crossing the river, people said prayers and threw coins in water. Indeed, that was a sacrifice to appeal the spirits of the river. In Ross Bethio, the first city from Senegal to Mauritania: The market was huge and beautiful. Richly spreaded with fresh fruits and goods. it was also full of traders and clients. The business negociations were multilinguals between Moorishes and travellers. From Ross Bethio to Nimzatt, we were in the desert of Sahara. The hills of drifted sand overlapped the biggest part of the country, just one hamlet in every 8 km. I could see the long caravans of camels heading slowly through the desert following by the head herdmen. The Moorishes dressed themselves in long ample clothes and covered their heads. The weather was hot abour 40 °c.The dusty wind blew hard. The road was hallowed and remained me of quicksand. Large trees were rarely seen in that land. Most of the houses in the desert were not made up of croncrete or cement. The Moorishes lived in "Khaymas": A house made up of tissue paper. in a city called Tiguent, i could see that their favored food were, meat, macaroni, biscuit and milk. In almost all the restaurants i entered, there men cooked and sold food. Then, we kept going up and down till we arrived on bus. My travel to Mauritania was a lesson i will never forget in my lifetim.