Leaving Ouaga was slightly stressful. Turned up super early to the airport and was feeling very pleased with myself as for a once in my life was not running late and was at the front of a very long queue. Feeling smug didn't last very long when the check in woman told me 'You're not on the list of passengers'. 'Surely you're joking. I have my ticket here'. 'No, you're not on the list'. Patientez un peu'. Not that easy to be patient in a heaving airport with 2 suitcases and a giant bronze statue that i'd ended up buying in the village artisanal. Trying to leave the country at the end of Fespaco on prob their busiest day of the year was in hindsight not the best plan. I convinced myself that it would all be fine tho and i should stay calm and they would sort it out. Didn't exactly work out that way and no amount of sweet talking, ranting or tears would get me on that flight.
So after 2 extra days in ouaga, finally got another flight back to dakar. It was SO nice arriving back. It actually felt like coming home and I felt that real sense of familiarity -hearing Wolof, seeing the yellow taxis and the sea!
It's great flying into dakar in the day as you see the shape of the whole peninsula. Made me realise how built up dakar is too. Flying into Bamako in mali on the way to burkina and then landing into ouaga, it is just red earth and more red earth and you feel like you're landing in the middle of nowhere. Dakar has that real city feel.
Not sure how well it comes out in the photo but you get the idea!
You can see the style of buildings in dakar too - lots of flat roofs (like the one in my flat); great for hanging out washing in day and parties at night. Went to lots of Christmas/New year parties on people's roofs. Now it's too cold. Maybe when it starts to get hot again...
Got back to the flat. Everyone talks about the dust here. I now understand why. There was a thick layer or orange dust on my floor. Before i could do anything i had to sweep the whole flat. Don't know where it all comes from!
