I first want to start by thanking my wife Angeli for guest writing the last couple of weeks while I have been hoofing it around West Africa. No surprise that her posts seem to already be some of the most popular on the website in terms of views and comments. I really appreciate her viewpoint and look to have her contribute more in the future as we continue to settle into this new lifestyle.

This past week I was afforded a fairly rare opportunity for a first tour officer and went on a temporary duty assignment (TDY) to Dakar, Senegal. This all came about thanks to a willing boss and larger regional embassy having a brief coverage gap. When my boss offered me a chance to check out things in a much larger embassy and see a different health unit, how could I refuse?

Dakar is only an hour plane ride from Nouakchott (or 350 miles by road) and despite the proximity between both cities, they are very different places. Where Nouakchott has a much more North Africa/Arab vibe to it, that completely disappears in Senegal. Dakar is also a much more developed international city, that has fully embraced its status as one of the largest transportation and maritime hubs in West Africa. Tourists can be seen everywhere, all inclusive resorts dot the coast, and beachside bars and restaurants are a dime a dozen on Cap Vert Peninsula. Also unlike Mauritania, Senegal is a secular state despite it having a larger Muslim Population. Our Embassy in Dakar serves as a regional hub for Peace Corp, USAID, CDC, and a plethora of other organizations, serving as something of a launching pad to West Africa and the greater Sahel region.

The start to my trip was interesting in that I waited at the Airport in Nouakchott longer than I was on the plane, and the car ride from Blaise Diagne International Airport outside of Dakar took longer than the actual flight. I ended up checking into my hotel, the very lovely Palms Boutique Hotel, a little after midnight, only to wake up 6 hours later and make the short half mile walk to the embassy. As I mentioned, Dakar is a city on the Cap Vert Peninsula, and the U.S. Embassy occupies some prime real estate on the Western most edge of the peninsula (which is the Western most point of continental Africa), featuring an ocean view from many parts of the Embassy. Here are some hotel room and commute shots:

Checking in and getting access to my temporary work assignment was a breeze, and I found myself quickly getting acclimated to the new Health Unit. The Embassy in Dakar is of a similar build style and age to the embassy in Nouakchott, so even though it is much larger, it felt familiar. Making things easier is Dakar is where my Regional Medical Officer is located (basically my MED boss), who already has visited me in Nouakchott. I also was familiar with some of the staff as they have assisted me with a few medical issues for services that can’t be reliably rendered in Nouakchott. All of these things combined to make getting settled in a quick and painless process. Before I arrived I was worried it would be this strange environment and I would be out of my comfort zone the whole time, but quickly got over that and realized the patients I see in Nouakchott are basically the same types of patients I saw in Dakar. Outside of an ocean view walk to work, I worked the same hours, with the same type of charting, seeing a similar volume to Nouakchott, and in the end my work week day to day wasn’t much different.

Ultimately though, what’s the point of a TDY trip if you don’t get a chance to check out the city? Thankfully, my RMO and his team were quite obliging, and I got a nice little taste of what Dakar had to offer. One of the biggest stand outs to me was the variety and volume of restaurants, greenery, and huge buildings. Nouakchott has a handful of places most expats head to, and a lot of that is largely dictated on their reputation or lack thereof of causing diarrheal illness. Dakar definitely had a much more international restaurant profile. My hotel had an Italian restaurant that exceed many places I’ve been in the States, I had fresh beachside seafood while tasting local beer, and managed to find a pizzeria with incredible brick oven pizza. Sushi, Korean, Indian, you name it, it’s in Dakar. Below are some fun photos I took, with nearly every place being less than a 5 minute walk from the Embassy.

I think my biggest takeaway from this trip is to expect the unexpected. I knew Senegal was a big regional hub, but I was still blown away by just how different it was, and how much more there is to do. I also was surprised how much the work is similar from place to place. I think knowing that Dakar still is a 25% hardship differential post, a mere 10% different from Nouakchott, is harder to wrap my head around. I would argue that Nouakchott is more than 10% harder to live in compared to Dakar, where the quality of life is quite frankly fantastic. Even a casual lunch in the Embassy affords you stunning ocean views.

In the end, I was glad to be done with my TDY and heading back to Nouakchott. Our home is finally decorated with all our HHE, our car finally arrived, I love my job, and overall the community in Nouakchott seems 2nd to none. It really does feel like home. That said, I’m thankful for the experience and opportunity to see how the sausage is made in another embassy, and am really looking forward to a relaxing vacation in Senegal in the next month.

Next week I’ll share some photos of the interior of Chez Moi, since many folks are quite interested with the look and quality of our housing. Until next time! –Nick