Time flies when you're having fun

Two months!  TWO MONTHS!  I can't believe how much we've already done and our car hasn't even caught up to us yet.  Aaaah...our car...I never realized how much freedom there is in having a car.  A car is handy for spontaneity, independence or just plain I-forgot-to-get-frosting-at-the-store-and-I-don't-have-time-to haggle-for-a-taxi-so-hopefully-our-awesome-neighbor-will-let-me-borrow-some. (Thanks Susette)  **UPDATE**  Our car did arrive last week and the delicious taste of freedom has been sweet, as expected!

Chameleon caught at Ebbet's Field, a park for the US Embassy.  I imagine him screaming "FREEDOM!" Braveheart-style.

The taxis are always an adventure.  The haggling is fun for me, now that I know roughly how much it should cost to go places.  There's the Toubab price and the price for everyone else.  The Toubab (me)  pays quite a markup, but the haggling is part of the game.  So let's say I want to go to the Embassy.  From our house, it would probably be @ 1000 CFA, give or take, for locals.  So naturally the driver looks at me and says "deux mille sanq cent" (2500).  I smile and laugh a little and say "Mille franc"(1000).  He looks shocked and offended and says deux mille (2000) and I laugh and say" mille sanq cent" (1500) and he says deux mille again, to which I shrug and say "non merci" and start to leave.  He waves me back and we agree that 1500 is just fine, but that I'm a cheap American. (500 CFA is roughly $1, so it's not huge, but the principle of it.  It feels like Christmas if the one that stops has actual working seatbelts, but mostly they are missing and/or broken.  I mention that lack of a seatbelt only because riding in a taxi is taking your life in your hands.  One night we were driven home during a rainstorm with the guy hanging his head out the window, because his windshield wipers were missing.  We've been taken the wrong way and then handed off to another taxi after the first taxi got a better deal.  The second taxi took us through several back alleys and dirt lots and I was pretty sure we were going to end up as an international incident. (We made it)  Supposedly there are traffic laws, but much like the Pirate's code, they seem to be more like guidelines than actual rules.  Although, everyone drives very aggressively, I have not seen any road rage.  No screaming, No fingers. No tailgating.  Just the absolute certainty that that if you want to go somewhere you always have the right of way, no matter what and everyone else believes that too.

Of course there's always the bus, which is only 100-200 CFA to ride but, besides being strongly encouraged not to, there's always the fear of them tipping over or having your wallet go missing.

I have to admit it looks like fun!

The roads are filled with taxis, busses, cows, and horses pulling carts.  If it is a two lane road, expect 4 lanes of traffic.

The markets are some of my favorite places.  Aside from being mobbed by merchants (which is a little irritating)(NOTE TO SELF: Learn French/Wolof for "Leave me alone and let me look!"), the food markets are amazing.  More fresh food than I've ever seen in one place.

Fresh Herbs 

Magic fruit where the limes are yellow, the lemons are green and so are the oranges (and so delicious).

The biggest shrimp I've ever seen!

It doesn't get much fresher than this.  Pretty sure these are sheep.  The tails are long, so I think that means sheep.  Le Mouton anyone?

A cacophony of smells that are infinitely easier to handle in the morning than in the afternoon.  (David still won't go around the meat)

The girls are attending the International School of Dakar and we couldn't be happier.  The school has a very open policy on campus for the parents.  We can come use the library, the gym, the track and the pool during off hours.  

View of the track and field at ISD

The food vendor, Shady Shack, makes fresh bread and tortillas as well as the best hummus I've ever eaten. 

The girls are on the school swimming team and are improving by leaps and bounds. We taught them how to swim, but never stayed still long enough for them to learn the strokes. Having grown up swimming and competing on swim teams, my guilt is somewhat assuaged by their progress. 

Keegan swimming backstroke

Rowen couldn't resist a little wave as she pushed off the wall for the last length :)

The house is coming together.  We are waiting for Maintenance to come hang our pictures and then we can take a few pictures :) I can't wait to get out and sightsee a little bit and plan a couple of trips.  Still loving it, slow internet and all :)