Bandia

Today we have a few pictures to share from our time together at Chez Goshen yesterday afternoon and today’s trip to Bandia, a wildlife preserve about an hour from Thiés.  Our Chez Goshen times are when we can share what we are all learning and observing and thinking and wondering about.  Some parts of Senegalese culture are a puzzle, some seem oddly familiar, some parts are amazing and some are difficult.  Often we are finding things out about ourselves as we try to understand what makes people tick here.  Each week different students lead singing, a reflection and a discussion topic.  And we enjoy a meal together.  This week Awa (Ardy’s host sister/aunt) was able to join us and prepared for us a lovely feast!  Awa’s son, Samuel, was born exactly one month ago!

Today we loaded up the bus for the shortish trip to Bandia.  This is a small (as these things go)  private game reserve that allowed us to see animals in more-or-less native habitat.  In a reserve this small animals are carefully managed and there are no large predators — all of which would require much larger areas in which to roam. Most of the animals were originally brought in from South Africa and have propagated since then but there are large herds of Roan antelope and Derby Eland among others that are native to Senegal.  It was a pleasant morning driving about with a guide, observing the animals and birds and, at the end, enjoying lunch in the restaurant by the river with the monkeys to keep us company.