As always I pulled out my to-do list and started asking the kids what we should do first, my recommendation was the Renaissance statue but Dude was insistent on the beach. No matter what we said he kept yelling "la playa, la playa!!"
Ok dude let me see if I can find a beach, if not then the statue. That was fair enough for him... I didn't know who to ask so I decided to kill two birds with one stone #1. Call the property owners mother whom I just met to make sure she knew how to contact me when I wasn't in the apartment AND to ask her what beach she would recommend. She was happy to have my number and also recommended intake a taxi to plage Monaco. I vaguely remembered reading something about that beach ontrip advisor and decided it was a go. She said the taxi should be $2500. (Approximately $5usd). I put the kids in their swim trucks and flip flops threw towels in an bag and we were off. We bounced down the steps and quickly let Francois know where we were going. Tacos are plentiful in front of our apartment and within seconds we had a driver. The drive was about 15-20 minutes. And we drove though so much traffic, lots of markets and ripple selling things in the street. We then cut down a back road filled with tucks and shipping containers. Before we knew it we were in front of a hotel like resort. We entered the property and had to pay $1000 for me and $500 each kid. The beach had little grass hut awnings and places to lounge in the shade.
The boys couldn't wait to jump in, I sat in the shade for a while and watched them play with the other swimmers. There were 3 life guards out there and what appeared to be a camp group or something. They looked like they were having so much fun I eventually got in too.
After swimming for HOURS I had to force them out of the water. The sun was dropping and I wanted us to eat before we left. We all reluctantly changed our clothes and waited ordered at the hotel restaurant. Zane and I ordered be fish and rice and Dide got the pizza.
After eating and getting to go boxes. We went back to the steet to get a taxi. I called Francois and the taxi driver wanted $4000 Francois told me to wait for another taxi and it should be the same $2500 I paid to get there. After a loooong 10 minutes another driver came also asking for $4000 but Francois talked him down to $3000, I didn't think it was worth waiting for a lower price, with it quickly getting dark. It took us about 35-40 minutes to get home in the traffic. I see why the first guy wanted more... However we had to the chance to see so much of Dakar. We drove past a nasty nasty shanty town near a rail road track. The boys looked horrified, I didn't hesitate to remind them of how thankful they should be for such comfortable lives because that is not a birth right. It seems that even though we passed through so many neighborhoods there was construction everywhere. Let me explain they are not just throwing up 4 walls for people to live in... The are building architectural beauty on display. Many of the newly constructed buildings are not paint (or tiled) yet.. Bet when they are done please remember me saying this will be one of the world's most beautiful cities!!
We made it home before dark and dude fell asleep Immediately. We spent the rest of the night chilling, the boys still had their on- line Spanish class with ms rosa and they couldn't wait to tell her about their first day in a new land. So far we are off to a great start, we are all excited for tomorrow.
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