I slept OK. I got up because those little ants walking on me so I found another couple of entry ways for the ants. They have a road system on the walls of the room. You can even see it--it's a slightly lighter color than the rest of the wall. I took a tissue and wiped a couple dozens out of existence. Their comrades, somehow sensed this and the ant roads along the walls were reconnoitered by occasional scouts (who didn't make it back alive) but traffic ceased. Then I found another one one higher up. Same procedure there--a mass killing followed by abandonment. Finally there was a third one. This was too high for me to reach, but some wet toilet paper to plug their entrance seemed to do the trick. This morning when I woke up, there were no ants on their road systems.
I allowed myself to sleep in a bit. The Guinea Bissau embassy woman asked me to be there after 11. I ate the baguette, jam, Laughing Cow, and coffee breakfast. Then headed out to the embassy--again wearing my best embassy duds.
The last two days, the bus arrived just after I got there, but this time, the bus left when I was still a block away. And the #8 to Palais isn't super frequent. But all was not lost. The bus route should take it left onto the highway, but the highway is under construction--possibly being turned into a divided highway and there are two sets of 4 foot high concrete barriers creating a sort of sandy median strip. So the bus has to turn right, go about 1km, and then come back. That gives me ample time to get across the street. It's interesting watching the locals go across the concrete barriers. Mothers with babies strapped to their backs, kids, men in dapper business suits, people in robes, etc, they all find one way or another to hoist themselves up and over the two sets of barrier. So as soon as there was a lull in the traffic, about 5 of us went across, heaved ourselves over the first set, then waited for a lull in the traffic on the other side to hoist ourselves over the other side. So I got across and a bout a minute later, here came the "8 Palais".
On the bus, an American missionary named Bill asked me if I was American. I said I was and we chatted for a while. We got off at the same stop, his destination being in the same nice part of town (Point E) as many of the embassies. He's been in Senegal for 17 years. That's quite a run. He was under the impression that the Guinea Conakry embassy was where the Lonely Planet guide said it was--he's even been there. So I was able to inform him of the new location. We parted a couple blocks shy of the Guinea Bissau embassy. He turned in toward the egg. At least I call it the egg. It's called l'oeuf and it's an oval shaped road that goes around something--I didn't know yet what it was though it would be easy enough to associate a number to a name on the Point E map.
So I went to the Guinea Bissau embassy. I went in and there was already a bigger crowd than yesterday. I stood outside. Most people were just waiting--for what I don't know. Were they waiting for a certain time to roll by? I didn't have a watch so I didn't know the time. It must have been about 9:30 so I went to the window and said in my French/English hybrid "C'est avant onze heure, mais is it possible that my passport is ready?" The woman looked at me like I was a total nut for even thinking it might be ready 90 minutes ahead of time. So I beat a retreat and headed over to see what the egg was. It turns out, it is an Olympic swimming pool as well a nice park with playground. And a fair amount of just green space. Very nice. I did a circuit around 'oeuf and then went back to the embassy. I waited a while and kept trying to steal glances of people's watches. I managed to see a few, but they were all different. What's up with that? Anyway, a guy came over and told me I could go sit inside in a little waiting area. I think he might work there. Maybe he's even the ambassador. That would be cool. So I headed over toward the sign that said "Courrier" and took a right and there on the left is a room with a couple of couches and a table with 4 chairs. But no clock on the wall. Dammit! That's what I really wanted. There was a fan, but two men were already sitting on the couch where it was aimed.
I got up and headed out to do one more circuit in the the northeastern direction. Just beyond Le Celtic, I saw a really pretty white girl. She was going to a missionary office a couple of blocks away. I noticed the Ker Jeraaf was also on this street. The Lonely Planet said that the Guinea Conakry embassy was across from the Ker Jeraaf. There is a building there that is guarded but unlabeled and I suspect it was once their embassy. I went around in a big square and found myself back at the Guinea Bissau embassy. Waiting at the window, I saw the woman who dealt with me yesterday come in. There were a lot of people in front of the little window so I just hung back. Then she looked through at the window and said, "Seignor? Your passport." and handed it through the window to me. :-) I thanked her and left.
On the way out, I noticed something a bit unsettling--the visa is only valid for a month. That means, I better get myself down to Guinea Bissau before August 30. I better not lolligag in Saint Louis or something.
Now because I had laid the groundwork yesterday, I knew exactly where to go next. So 2 minutes later I was in front of the Guinea Conakry embassy. I entered the gate to the street and told the seated guard, "je voudrais faire une application pour une visa." He told me to go in and go straight to the back. I did and found the consular section. There was a room with a long table and a man sitting at the end at a typewriter. I told him the same thing. He motioned to me to have a seat. I pulled out my passport just as he was asking my nationality. He saw my passport and said "Americain. Bush." Then saying soixante sank mil and sensing my inability to catch the number (looking flustered and embarrassed by the "Bush") we wrote it out on a piece of paper. 65000 CFA is the most expensive visa to date. That's like $130. I wonder if I would have gotten a better price if I countered with "Obama" but oh well. I tried to ask him how long the visa was valid. If it's only valid for a month, I'd rather wait until I'm in Bissau. But he showed me on the form where it had a new field (for me)--expected date of entry. Actually Gambia had that as well. Also, like Gambia, I had to provide my parents' names. So, Mom & Dad, you are known to two African countries. ;-) I didn't understand all the fields. There were questions like "do you intend to leave Guinea before your visa expires?" for which the correct answer was "yes". There were two more questions very much like that. Then he asked for 2 pictures and a photocopy of the passport. I wished I had a photocopy--then I could go get a Mauritanian visa, perhaps. But I didn't so he just kept the passport. I thanked him and left.
Now, being cleaned out of money, I decided to head down to the Casino which has a BICIS (BNP Paribas of Senegal) in it's complex. I withdrew a stack of cash and felt better.
I bused it back to the Via Via. The street was covered in these little flying insects. They must be like mayflies or something. I'd never seen them before and they were suddenly out in the thousands. Most of them were on the ground flapping their wings for no apparent purpose. Usually in the animal kingdom, when animals are seeming to waste their energy on useless activities, it's because they're trying to attract mates. We humans are just as bad if not worse. ;-)
With a beer and water I read some more of Dreiser. I'm at the pat where Clyde is seducing Roberta despite the fact she works for him. I won't finish it in time though. :-( Then they called me into the reception. I had asked them to calculate my bill a bit ahead of time so I have enough time to prepare. They choose that time to let me settle up everything. And as with the Guinea Conakry embassy--I got wiped out again--103750 CFA for the room and about 30000 CFA for all the food, water, and meals.
So I went to the SocGen and got out another chunk of cash. Now, since I was on the highway, I decided to use my newly acquired skill of of hoisting myself over the concrete barriers to check out some of the stores on the other side. There is a store that has a pizzeria on one side (Pizza Inn), a chicken place (Galitos), and a hamburger place (Steer's). The pictures of the hamburgers looked especially appealing. So I ordered the #1 meal--a King Steer burger with fries and a Sprite for 3300 CFA or about US$7. It was yummy. Two big patties and cheese so unbashedly processed that they actually have a "cheese whizz burger". The cheese and sauces were yummy. This thing must be dripping with transfats. It's probably worse than the Hardee's breakfast sandwich that got so much press for having like 50% of the calories you need all day. I finished it up and heaved myself over the concrete barriers and headed back. Thousands of these dead mayflies or whatever they are littered the road. I guess they come out, do some romancing, and then die.
I did some laundry since I got cheese whizz on my finest embassy duds while it started to pour outside.
July 31, 2008 18:21 Senegal local time
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