Senegal - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 95

made me a cup of coffee. After chatting for a while, I bid good-night and went to my room
to sleep.
I woke up rather early to the sounds of the birds busily chatting and catching up
on the day's gossip. I was invited to breakfast and having learned my lesson in Dakar, I
decided to eat very conservatively. The rector was astonished on how little I ate and en-
couraged me to eat more (which I did). Before I left, I gave the housekeeper two Canadian
lapel pins and thanked the priest for his kindness. I then set off for the day's adventures.
I stopped just after 10:00 a.m. to take a break at a beautiful church about 90 kilo-
metres from Kaolack. I met a priest there who told me about his work and about his con-
gregation which numbered over 3,000. He also explained that my arrival in Senegal coin-
cided with the rainy season and hence why the area was so green.
With the help of a strong tailwind, I pushed on into Kaolack and arrived by 3:30
p.m. I stopped at a gas station and bought a bottle of lemonade from the owner who struck
upaconversationwithme.HewascuriousastowhyIwascyclingthroughandIexplained
what my intentions were. He then gave me a second bottle of lemonade for free which I
drank quickly and thanked him for. Overdosed in sugar, I left and cycled to the cathedral
to ask the pastor if I could set up my tent on the grounds. He wasn't very supportive but
allowed me to sleep under the overhang of the church's roof. That was fine by me. I left
my bike and went on foot to the market to buy dinner from a small eatery. The owner was
about to close but was kind enough to allow me to eat there. I unceremoniously ate my
meal, thanked the owner and returned to my place to sleep.
I woke up early the next morning with the intention to thank the priest for his kind-
ness. As I approached the rectory, the housekeeper said that he was still sleeping. I asked if
itwaspossibletogetsomewaterandalittlebreakfast.Shesaiditwaspossibleandallowed
me in. After eating in silence, I quickly washed up and left.
As soon as I pushed off, I felt as if I entered the Garden of Eden. As the sun slowly
brokethehorizon,naturebegantostir.Theskybecamealighterblueandthetreessparkled
as the morning's sunlight struck their dampened branches. The tall grass which was moist
withdewglistened inthesunlightasthewindmovedthroughthegrassinwaves.Themost
spectacular wildlife I have ever seen came into view. Dozens of species of birds in the
trees greeted me as I passed them. Their unique songs combined to form a chorus that ac-
companied me throughout the day. As soon as I heard a song, I would try to spot the bird.
In addition, their vibrant colours amazed me. Some were almost pure red and others had
sky-blue velvet coats. The butterflies were even more impressive. I have never seen such a