In reverse Cape Cod fashion (everything relates back to the Cape), I celebrated Memorial Day by getting off the peninsula for the long weekend. In doing this I learned a few things….
2. No matter how ridiculous the directions sound, if they are coming from a local then they are spot on. I will expound a bit:
I’m not sure if I told you how we wanted to drive inland and visit Lac Rose a few weeks back (it didn’t happen, but that’s besides the point). I had asked our steadfast embassy driver, François, how to get there. At first he gave me directions that sounded a bit like “drive straight out of Dakar, then take a left”. When he saw my bewildered Western face at this guidance, he then scrounged for a map. Maps in this part of the world are a little silly. No, let me rephrase: useless. We both mutually agreed that the road system depicted on the map was far less instructive than his first explanation. “The roads change so much that this map would be outdated even if it was made last week.” he observed. He was right.
I’m not the brightest light bulb when it comes to details, so he tried again to give me directions with greater specificity: “Drive out of Dakar and turn left where you see the people selling the mint.”
“Les gens qui vendent le menthe.” I restated the last part back to him. “Yes.” he said, as if this was the most normal point of reference in the world.
Me, thinking to myself: “I’m supposed drive and keep an eye out on the Walking Wal*Mart until I hopefully see vendors walking around with fistfuls of mint leaves on this given day?”
Okay. Merci François. I’ll just walk away and pretend that I believe you….
Fast-forward to Saturday. I recount this exchange as we are off on this new driving adventure, with me in behind the wheel, Jennifer as a passenger, and a Lebanese-born Army officer who passed out in the back seat after downing two shwarma sandwiches (it’s his rental car). We get to the area where Lac Rose is reported to be near, and behold:
3.You can rent a house on the beach for fifty bucks a night. Divide that cost by three, bring your own food, and you can live like kings for pennies. Catch a glimpse of our balcony view: