I was up quite early – about 8:30 but did not get out of bed until about 10:00 simply because a) I think I needed the rest (and I was going to make SURE I got it, even if my body wanted to be up) and b) I did not want to leave my stuff alone with my roommate from last night (this morning).

Eventually I headed off for a shower and sat at one of the tables in the small area on this upper floor set up under an awning – reading the National Geographic that Kate and I had picked up in Dakar. A lot cooler than sitting at the table below. I have run out of reading material since I finished the first Harry Potter during our visit to Dakar (in the first two days).

Steve and Chris were out late again so eventually I was joined by Steve and we headed off to visit the tourist information place to pick up tickets for tonight (well, I picked up a ticket, Steve & Chris did not go to the concert last night, but went to a bar/club instead). We wandered through a very nice clothing shop and then through the local CD store (nice to see since we could not find anyone in Dakar selling CDs). I picked up a CD by a Mali artist I had been told about – very nice. I also made sure I got him to put a sticker with the name and address of his store onto the CD case as well (have to prove I was here!).

Returning to the hostel we chatted for a few minutes before being joined by Chris when we again headed back to the clothing store where I left them and headed out for lunch. I keep meeting people in the street, this time it was Gemma who has just arrived via a plane to Dakar. She had news that a few other volunteers were not coming due to other things coming up – which is a bit disappointing and also meaning that we have reserved too many beds – oh dear.

Eventually I found a place selling Chawarma which was very good (and had a TV showing the news from Dakar as well including a clip from Star Wars II) and I sat down for a few minutes in their small eating area. The young man behind the counter was from Sierra Lione and spoke very good english. The Chawarma was very good (I had two) as was the meat pie I had on the side.

I headed back to the main square where I looked into a few of the stalls that were set up all around the outside of the stage area. There are a number of tourist information booths (for Senegal) as well as places selling various handicrafts and food off around the corner. The whole area is sectioned off from the city with people standing and checking who comes into the area (and only those with tickets at night).

I headed back for a bit of relaxation and read before the rest of the day.

I headed once again off to “Off” and once again they were very late to begin again. This time the group reminded me a lot of “elevator music” and I was not really all that thrilled with it (Saint Louis Blues Quartet). I eventually left the area at 8:00 to meet some of our group at the Marcos Jazz bar again for, I was told, drinks then dinner. I stayed around for a long time (about 45 minutes) before I gave up waiting and returned to the hostel to prepare for the evening. Steve was heading out to the bar so I tagged along to find that the group had decided to show up (an hour later than I had been told). A bit annoying since I wanted to go to the show so could not really join them for dinner now since the show was STATED to start in about 15 minutes. I left them about 20 minutes later and headed off to the stage for the evening.

I got the same seat as yesterday which is up on the curb of the street (on which the stage area sits) off to the left of the stage only about 10 rows back from the stage which means I have a great view over the first few rows and am VERY close to the stage. There are about 50 or 60 rows of individual seats in the arena and at the very back there is a structure with a series of about 10 rows of seats rising up towards the back of the area.

Of course, the group did not start on time. It was not too surprising to see that the first group was the one we had seen on Gorée – Paul Van Kemenade (from Holland). They played a number of the songs we had heard there but a few others that we had not heard. They were very good with one of their members playing a very interesting looking instrument that turned out to be an electronic bass consisting of just a set of strings that he used just like an ordinary bass but with no instrument body. Really neat.

I was wondering what was under a large tarpaulin that was off to the left of the stage that the first group worked around. My curiosity was elevated during the interval as the tarp was removed to reveal an impressive assortment of synthesizer keyboards arranged in a circle around (I would learn) a single performer. He had a number of computers as well as the profusion of syths.

The second group (the “Joe Zawinul Syndicate” from Austria) was another very technical jazz group that I found very hard to listen to but it was quite interesting to listen to. I talked to Chris (another Chris, not Christine) on the way out of the concert (he was sitting just in front of me) and he really enjoyed it, finding it a bit different than the other groups – which was very true.

We headed out to a local patisserie which is open 24 hours (!) and had a doughnut and chatted for a few minutes before I, once again, reneged on the evening and headed back to the hotel, with Chris accompanying me up north as he was continuing to the far north and the casino where there was an act playing tonight that he wanted to see.

It was a bit distressing at the hostel tonight as the custodian's brother turned up at my door just after I got into bed, obviously drunk, and attempted to break in to stay another night. I had not agreed to this so I politely but firmly turned him away. I could swear I can hear him ranting and raving on the street outside of my window as I pack for our return to Dakar tomorrow.

⇒ Continue to Saturday, May 18th, 2002 - Dakar, Senegal