My Dakar Passport

*Source*

As of tomorrow, I will have lived in Dakar exactly 4 years and 3 months. And I still haven't explored all there is to explore in this city I call "home."

While home sick this morning, I did a little blog surfing and came across this post, by a super-cool-in-the-know fellow Dakarois (or is it Dakaroise?). Khady always seems to know everything about Dakar and all the cool places to go and the cool things to do.

Anyways, in her post, she listed 52 things she and her hubby plan to do while in Dakar. And in the spirit of fun-ness, I've decided to join the Dakar Passport bandwagon.

So since my new passport has 28 brand new, sparkling, clean pages, I've decided to list 28 things I'd like to do in Dakar...

1. Go to the Artisan Market and get to know some of the vendors, learn about their families. ...just hear their stories.
2. Go to Gorée Island and explore. I've been once with a guide who explained the story behind the island. But I'd like to go again and just explore the island, myself.
3. Take a trip to see the Malika Monkeys place. Learn about the guys' work. Have lunch. Swim.
4. Spend the weekend in a village doing ministry. Our school offers this opportunity to our students and staff, but I've never gone...
5. Go to Presse Café. Order a chai tea latte and maybe lunch. Have you seen their menu? ...so good! :) Anyways, back to the plan... Sit and read or work on my computer or something. But just relax and enjoy the ambience. 
6. Go to HLM Market and buy some fun fabric (that's out of my usual comfort zone of  colors or prints). Bargain for the fabric by myself. Then while there, buy shoes and maybe jewelry too to match.
7. Visit a tailor and have him/her make me a cool (and again out of my usual comfort zone of style) outfit made with that fabric.
8. Get a henna "tattoo." 
9. Go to Bandia and pose with an animal. (I'm going this weekend!)
10. Go to Hann Park for the afternoon. Have a picnic by the pond. Check out the birds, the flowers, and maybe even go to the zoo (which only costs a few cents...score!). 
11. Go to Lac Rose (Pink Lake) when the water's actually pink.
12. Go get an authentic Senegalese lunch from the lady down the street one day. ...preferably on a day when she's serving ceebu yapp. 
13. Visit the Monday Market at the stadium. I never get to do this when school's in session. Here's hoping I get the chance over Christmas Break.
14. Buy something, other than a phone card, from the comfort of my car while riding downtown. 
15. Celebrate Christmas in Dakar. This will happen this year!
16. Take public transport, other than a taxi. Although, I must admit that this totally scares me! So we'll see...
17. Visit the African Renaissance Monument and climb the zillion or so stairs to the top.
18. Visit Les Mamelles Lighthouse. 
19. Go buy a meat stick sandwich from the guys at the round point near where I live. I haven't done this in so long...
20. Go back to Les Jardin Thailandais and sit outside while eating dinner.
21. Make a Senegalese dish from scratch. Maybe use recipes from here.
22. Write a blog post about grocery shopping in Dakar.
23. Write a blog post about common sights in Dakar.
24. Finally do the Chopped (Dakar Version) dinner we've been planning for a couple years with some friends.
25. Drink all 3 rounds of attaya. I usually can't make it past 1 or 2.
26. Have a meal catered by Shady Shack (who makes the best Lebanese food EVER!). 
27. Finally get my carte d'identité. Although, I know some people that have lived here for years and years and still haven't gotten theirs. FYI to non-Senegal peeps... We're given a récépissé (temporary identity) card. But for whatever reason, it takes FOREVER (or so it seems) to get the main card.
28. Go back to the Hotel Savana. Spend the day at the pool and eat lunch there too.