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CWF Africa to the Americas

Last-minute prep

In a single conversation: “Hey where’s X?” “I don’t know, didn’t YOU pack it?” “I thought you did.” “I swear it was in here when the boat left the States.” “Well it’s not on the inventory and I can’t find it.” “Hhhhhmmmm.” …Muttering to convince each other it wasn’t important in the first place… “Well […]

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CWF Africa to the Americas

Bamboung

… That afternoon. Famara guides us through the mangroves. Pat shares a kayak with him. Markus and I follow them through the maze of mangroves. Roots reach into the water like fingers and we forgo the paddles to pull us along the roots. We emerge and scare a half dozen pelicans. The smell is fresh […]

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CWF Africa to the Americas

Journey to the mangrove in Bamboung

7:10am – Sun still not up. Catch first pirogue off N’Gor Island. 7:30– In a cab down the highway, to sept-taxi terminal (seven person taxi) 8:00-10:30ish –  A beat up Peugeot station wagon, lined within some apparent order at the terminal. Sand road is packed hard and oil-stained. Garbage litters the ground with an occasional waft […]

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CWF Africa to the Americas

Ten minutes in N’Gor Village

The tall man was right. We never really stopped to look around N’Gor village. I had just passed though their neighborhood without a cursory glance for the last three weeks. A quick look? I was just over here for a quick moment to meet James, the security head from IAMGOLD who had given us our […]

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CWF Africa to the Americas

Markus and a Plastic Bag Think I’m Less than Average

The sun was out. Waves off the right side of N’Gor Island were great, and I was  thoroughly enjoying being less than average at surfing when the following unpleasantness occurred: “Hey! Hey you!” I looked away. “HEY! HEY LOOK AT ME! I’m just floating here… juuuust floatin’.” If I ignored him maybe he would go […]