best day evahhhhhhh

Went to Bijilo Forest Park in the morning because the Ecology class had to do a lab there. Bijilo is known for its monkeys that come right up to you and basically search you for food because they are used to having tourists feed them. Which is bad. So don't do it. While the students were filling out their sheets I walked straight to the beach. As soon as I got to the sand this girl sees me from about 40 meters away and starts walking towards me. She sits down next to me and just stares and then talks about how pretty my hair and face are for about 10 minutes. She pet my head. Then she wrote "Megan is a pretty lady" in the sand. She gave me her Gambian name, Fatima, so that we would be twins. I was trying not to think about SWF so I was happy when some other students showed up. When they finished their lab they took off on the bus and the SMCM kids stayed behind. Christy and I got separated from them going to the beach which was probably the best thing that ever happened because we ended up in an African hotel oasis. We charmed our way...okay..we asked nicely, if we could go buy a drink from the restaurant inside this super swanky resort full of white people who think they are visiting Africa but really they just stay in this tourist bubble of palm trees and cabana boys.

I think I about died when I saw the poolS and fountains and cabanas and fruity drinks and delicious french fries. We had our fantas and then said "well....can we swim and then order lunch after........." And in this way we infiltrated the tubabs. We were so obviously not supposed to be there because 1. We were in field pants and sweating our asses off. 2. We were hauling a shit ton of stuff around 3. I kept squealing, Christy kept saying "this is AWESOME," and I took about 50 pictures of the pool. There was a swim up bar. If Jesus designed pools he would have designed this one. We just did a 5 hour rotation of read, tan, swim, (eat pineapple pizza) read, tan, swim. I also purchased many sweet craft items from a guy who also named me Fatu (short for Fatuma); I've been named Fatu three times now so I think it's official. On the way home I got a normally 75 dalasis taxi ride for 20 D's because I talked to the driver and his friend about clubbing at WOW. Win.

Us at the pool bar
The dead squid I found on the beach
This is class time. You are jealous of our classroom.

Fatima & me. She said "Awww black and white...it's so beautiful"