After much needed sleep, I had my first day to explore Senegalese culture. Lunch today was around 1:30; I had my first traditional Senegalese meal, which was a delicious beef curry. Nearing the end of the meal, we were each poured a delicious glass of bissap juice. Bissap juice is sometimes called the "National drink of Senegal," which is made from the dried red blossoms of a hibiscus plant. It can be served with many different flavors, from vanilla to pineapple juice or orange juice. We had it with a sprig of mint. Another member of the group described it as tasting like a thin mint. It was the best thin mint with juice I have ever tasted. At breakfast we were also given mango juice and supper we had had an orange-mango juice. I think that is one of the reasons the Senegalese are so healthy; they replace a fattening dessert with fruit or fruit juice.
One other note before I sign off to sleep off the rest of my jet-lag. Even though I have been here for a little less than a day, I have never felt more welcome in a culture than this. The moment I stepped on the bus this morning a member of the SIT staff, Bouna, was eagerly waiting to chat with us about Senegalese culture and history. His friendly conversation continued through breakfast. He even returned to keep us company during lunch, even though he could not eat with fasting for Ramadan. Even tonight just a few steps outside the hotel, there were people sitting, enjoying each others conversation and company. I couldn't contribute much to their conversation in French; however, the unmistakable strong community feeling was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
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