Going on a run around Conakry is like taking your nose on a safari of bad to neutral, with VERY OCCASIONAL refreshing (more just, not bad, not refreshing compared to neutral smells) nose assaults. The humidity mixes with the…particulate… in the air which creates pockets of think, dense, overwhelmingly-I-don’t-think-I-should-breathe-this-but-I-have-to-breathe areas. When I leave my apartment, it’s not so bad, and I head straight to the ocean. There are always at least a few of these pockets on the way. Then you get to the water (the “beach” near me is pretty small, maybe ½ a football field if I had to take a wildly inaccurate guess), and the air is somewhat clear, not so dense, and generally doesn’t smell so bad. But the beach is covered in trash, particularly when the tide is out, making running challenging, and it is very short, so soon you have to turn back to the road. This is where you run more into town and people cooking and selling random things. There is a guy who sells what I might describe as kettle corn popcorn in little red and blue sacks with elephants on them. Smelling that popcorn stand is like finding a flock of lions holding paws and singing, if it were a lion safari.
The market has smells all its own. I saw the heart of what I assume was once a cow today, with a surprising low fly concentration in marchée Niger. I also managed to buy a large quantity of produce (although my stove/oven is still DNR). Last night I made brownies with friends and licked the batter. I did not get violently ill! I am going to make chocolate cake in a mug in the microwave today. It’s good to have goals.
The market has smells all its own. I saw the heart of what I assume was once a cow today, with a surprising low fly concentration in marchée Niger. I also managed to buy a large quantity of produce (although my stove/oven is still DNR). Last night I made brownies with friends and licked the batter. I did not get violently ill! I am going to make chocolate cake in a mug in the microwave today. It’s good to have goals.