Sleep at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, 28 May 2018

Al, Bass Lord.

First 'Black Moth' were I thought rather good, and in excellent sound, particularly the song about the Blackbird. The crowd though largely present on time, were strangely quiet. But they were indeed dwarfed by mighty bass rites of the Reptile Masters themselves, much more lively than last year at the Roundhouse. To tell the songs apart you would have to be a bit of a specialist, for instead of riffs they play repeated chords, with monotone chants as vocals. Though would benefit from some psychedelic back projections, methinks. Although most of the stuff is fairly slow we saw some energetic crowd movement and even a brown-robed, diving-cylinder-wearing crowd-surfer, which was extremely cool.

Katchikally Crocodile Pool, Bakau, Gambia

I walked over to the Katchikally Crocodile Pool, in Bakau, which is in the middle of the town and not easy to find. There is first a pleasant museum with some masks and information about Gambia in the war. The pool itself is small and has many crocodiles, none doing very much. I stroked one on the back and it didn't seem to mind.

La Cabane du Surfer, Almadies, Dakar

Surfers, surfing.

I visited several times the "Surfer Shack" which is a slightly upscale beach bar on the rocks by the Atlantic waves in Almadies, Dakar; where, as the name suggests, one can have a beer (about 1500 CFA) and watch the surfers. It is quite big and very tidy with a large clean bathroom block. The pizza (4500CFA) was fine and the cocktail (4000CFA) quite strong. Service was not very visible which at least means you can stay the afternoon without people forcing drinks on you. Though the Frenchies do not seem to drink much anyway. There are not many sun loungers, for which I think they charge 2000FCA. Be warned, on some the back does not adjust!

The Maimouna bar and pizzeria on Saint Louis Island, Senegal

The manager Karim invited me into his bar, the Maimouna on Saint Louis Island, with plastic chairs and bare tables, announcing that the Gazelle beer was only 1000CFA for 0.6l, which indeed it was. I sat opposite a nice fellow who said nothing except bonsoir, not even trying to sell me a tour, after suggesting that the manager was bothering me. A fellow after my own heart, I thought. The locals otherwise were neither very friendly nor hostile. The experience, generally, not unlike that one finds in the midparts of the United States. The gentleman in military fatigues at the door said he was indeed from the military and offering security, on a break from the army. I asked him if such security was really necessary, as it seemed quiet area, and he avowed that indeed that was why he was there, so the area would remain safe and quiet. And thus it was, for my stay.

La Detente Hotel, Saly, Senegal

I stayed a few days at the Detente, which is a dozen rooms by the pool in the fishing quarter of Saly, a few dozen metres from a rocky part of the beach and a walk to the sandy parts in front of the resort hotels. It was 17kCFA per night with beer at 1kCFA/50cl can in the bar; no food but only two hundred metres from the main drag, where a 3-course meal is about 5kCFA, though with a big supermarket also available. Although the locals and hawkers in the streets are mainly calm, the area is marred by a couple of persistent pests.  But here is a safe little place where no-one will bother you, managed by a charming French couple with several helpful waitresses, and Karla the dog. There were sometimes interruptions to wifi, power and water. Some may like to lie on the loungers and enjoy the chanting from the Koranic girls school next door. They arranged for me a taxi from here to the new airport, taking under an hour and 15,000CFA.