Goodbye Senegal...

Hi Readers!                                                                                                                            19th april

How are you? Well today I'm really sad because yesterday I left Senegal. I am now writing from Madrid's airport because I had two hours of wait here.

My last week in Senegal was really awesome, first I had my farewell party in the village, we played a lot of songs, we improvised, we sang, etc. Then we ate something very typical from Senegal and we danced all night long. It was very nice but the day after I was very sad of leaving. When I was leaving  I took my luggage, I said goodbye to everyone and Samuel took me to Kolda, where I was going to take a bus to Dakar. But when I was leaving de village, a little boy called Djiwoo ran to me, hug me and gave me a CD that he bought in Kolda with his classmates. It was very beautiful for me and it meant a lot. Then Samuel took me to Kolda and I took the bus to Dakar, the farewell was very sad for me and I was in tears while leaving.

But when I arrived to Dakar, I went to the hotel, left my luggage and decided to go for a walk for the city (I have a week here in Dakar, I can't just stay in the hotel crying haha!).

Here I leave you a picture, taken from the hotel where I am.

Anyway, Dakar is a very beautiful place and is like the intermediate between coming back to my house because is a big city and the village where I was living, because of the people, and walking help me thinking a lot about this year.

Here in Dakar I went to a music bar every night until my leaving day, really near to the hotel, with my neighbor called Marcelo, who is from America too. He's from Perú and his family lives here, so he is here just some days to visit his family. He was my mate here in Dakar! And I will try to keep in contact with him, so now I have a reason for going to Perú someday!

But well, now I am writing you from Barajas Airport, in Madrid, I am very sad, but excited of coming back to my home. Here are some photos of the airplane from inside and a photo taken from the airplane, of Dakar seen from the airs.

This trip really changed my life, I met a lot of amazing people, I learned a lot and I changed my mind. I met another culture, so much different from mine, but so interesting too. Every part that I saw in Senegal was awesome and unforgettable, like everything in this year. I learn a lot and I experienced what is living in another country with another people of another culture.

Now I think I am coming back to my home more mature, because this trip made me grow up and learn a lot.

Whoops! That's my flight in the speakers! Goodbye!!! And thanks for following me in this blog!

It's been a long time!

Hi readers!!!                                                                                                                         18th of June
It's been a long time since the last time I wrote didn't?
Tomorrow is going to be a month since I arrived and I can't believe how this trip is changing my life. In this two months I have made more friends that I thought, the people here is fascinating and they are really friendly. In this time I have been teaching music in the school of the little village near to Kolda where I'm living, the kids are really good musicians, almost everyone of them plays an instrument and all of them play in a different way than what I use to hear, they have very interesting styles, and there is where you can see the differences between cultures, which is fascinating. Anyway, I am teaching them new things, but I think I learn of them more than what I teach them!!
In this days I have been going almost every week end to Kolda, to buy things and to know the city. Now I really know the city as I know my own house, and I thing is one of the most beautiful cities I ever been, they have some places to go at night, like bars where a lot of people go, with music of all kinds! Guitarists here are amazing, as someones of you must know, there is an important tradition of guitarists here in Senegal. It's really nice to be here and I have seen things I never thought that existed.
Here you can see a photo taken by myself in this little village with some woman that play percussions with all kind of instruments. The rhythms that they can create are awesome, and very different than what we always hear.
Well last week my holidays started, I have two weeks without job, and I decided to make a trip in the cities and villages of senegal and to go the beach. So my friend Samuel (I talked of him last time I wrote), wanted to come with me with another friend. These days we have holidays because is a very important moment of the year here in Senegal, is a week very similar to Carnaval in Uruguay, a lot of people don't work and people dance in the streets and in Dakar for example they have a big parade and everything. In my village they made a spectacle with people dancing and music, here you can see a photo of a friend of mine dancing, he prepared his costumes two weeks ago, and he was really nervous.

Anyway, we decided to make this trip and I am writing you from a village near to the Atlantic Ocean, because we went to the beach!!!
In conclusion, everything since now went better than expected and I am enjoying it very much.
I will try to write soon and thanks to all the readers that are interested of my trip and my photos.
PD: I leave you a third photo of the beach where we went, a very beautiful place.

Day 1

Hi dears readers!!                                                                                             Sunday 18th april
Well today I finally arrived in Senegal!! The flight was such a mess, I was sitting near a baby who didn't stop crying! But when then I arrived at Dakar I took a bus to Kolda, a big city in Senegal and I slept a bit in the bus.
When I finally got down of the bus, Samuel, a very old friend of mine who is living there was waiting for me in a car. He took me to a village very near where he lives in community with other families, where I left my luggage and where I met some new friends. Incredibly, everyone in this community plays an instrument! (one of them is the best guitar player I've ever known!!).
Then he took me to a bar where we ate something typical of Senegal, because I was starving and he took me back to the house. Where I went to sleep after an exhausting day.
Tomorrow I start working here as a music teacher in the school of the village, I just can't wait for tomorrow! I think I am going to teach something new and different to them, but I am going to learn a lot too.
This trip has just started and I am already learning things about the culture here, very different from mine, I think I am going to learn a lot and I will love this year in Senegal.
Well, I gotta go to my bed, tomorrow is going to be a hard day!

By the way: This is a photo of the market in Kolda, people there buy natural food, like vegetables and fruits, you must see the fruits, I've never seen so many colors together!