Friday 23 December 2011

Senegaol

Travelling around Africa is incredible and we’ve had some amazing experiences so far. But it’s important to remember, we’re in Africa, and things can also go horribly wrong.

So far, we’ve had two prickly experiences – one in Senegal and one in Mali.

Unfortunately right from the border crossing, Senegal and us started off on the wrong foot. After several hours of intense investigation, let’s just say we made it into the country a little less well-off than when started.

A night out in St Louis, however, proved to be even more nightmarish. A word of advice to travellers: DO NOT GO TO FLAMINGO BAR! Or if you do, ensure you get receipts for everything you purchase and ensure it says ‘payé’. A group of us went there for lunch and afternoon drinks and were getting along famously with the wait staff. That is until the group thinned out to just three people who were then charged for (extra) tequila shots that they never had. The police were called and hauled the three of them off to jail. One lucky one we’re now calling ‘Jail Break’ managed to escape and alert Kristy. The other two were not so lucky and spent the night with 4 other locals in a prison cell that stunk of urine emanating from a full jerry can.

Afterwards, we found out that this apparently happens quite regularly and one unfortunate soul spent two weeks in a cell!

There was nothing Kristy could do until the morning, when, accompanied by a few others from our group, she began negotiations with the prison guards. The two ended up paying for the drinks they never had plus an additional fee. Luckily that was the only price they had to pay…

Malitary experience to come soon…

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