Charet Wounds

A week ago, when taking the good ole’ charet ride home, I got into an accident. It had just rained so the terrain had gotten wet and re-solidified to a more rocky, bumpy topography. The charet drivers couldn’t have been a day over 12. Also, instead of a horse charet, it was a three-donkey charet. Those were the circumstances.

As we were racing along, unnecessarily fast, we hit a bump and I went flying/leaping off the back of the charet. I fell face first into the dirt. Thankfully, I didn’t fly into a thorn bush or one of the many little lakes that had formed. Nonetheless, I felt like an idiot. The mangoes Ashley and I had bought also fell onto me to make it that much more exciting.

I just lay there for a minute laughing and thinking, “I am in Africa. This stuff happens.” At first, I didn’t think I was hurt. I didn’t appear to be bleeding and no appendage seemed to be broken. So, I got back on and rode home into the sunset.

The next day, was a different story. My left knee was throbbing in pain every time I walked, sat down, bent, or extended my leg. In the Senegalese culture, you do a lot of sitting down on the ground and if you are a woman that means with your legs together in an uncomfortable position due to the skirt/pagne you wear. Rest assured Mom and Dad, I am fine now. It was just bruised badly.

I learned my lesson. From now on, Ashley and I will be biking the 8 km to the roadside village and only taking a charet when necessary