Senegal: From chaos to poetry

2 MN

Senegal: From chaos to poetry

The laughter and the completely crazy situations, that’s what I’ll forever remember about Senegal. I spent two weeks road tripping with my adorable wacky girlfriend, from Dakar to the Sine Saloum islands, by way of Saint-Louis and the Djoudj Park at the Mauritanian border. Of course, there were those magical sunrises over the baobab trees, those silent walks with the sole sound of the water over the mangrove, those respectful and joyful amblings with our thirtysomething children’s eyes contemplating the wild fauna made up of thousands of pelicans, monkeys, hyenas, warthogs, zebus, crocodiles, monitor lizards and many, many more… The change of scenery is truly out of this world.

In this topsy turvy country, strewn with heaps of rubbish, rundown buildings, and disarming poverty, reigns a profoundly dreamlike, surrealistic even, atmosphere. Nothing can ever really be planned in advance here. Time doesn’t hold the same importance. It ticks by to the rhythm of the sun, and waiting is part of the game. As an old Senegalese man we met in Saint-Louis once told us: “Here, we kill time, whereas where you live, time kills you.” I guess he wasn’t wrong. Economic growth rubs shoulders with paradoxes. Traffic jams mingle with carts and goats, television programs with marabouts’ mysticism, mobile phones with cob huts…

Out of this near-indescribable chaos springs a profound humanity. Life is lived outside, and communication is everywhere, all the time. Just like the thought-covered walls, a kind of philosophy, a true sense of humour and phrasing can be felt. You can come across broken down electricity generators due to “malaria”, little shops topped with names such as “Tesco” or “Sainsbury’s” that sell everything with 50% off or sometimes even “Cheaper than free”, French expats called “Senegaulese”…

Here, everything can be negotiated, talked about, patched together, salvaged… and the most beautiful souvenirs arise from the worst situations. Never-ending journeys in 7-seater taxis from another time, seeing the road running by underneath our feet with an old Bedouin singing behind us, electricity or water cuts in the shower with our bodies still covered in soap.

The street corners were speckled with people wearing our old printed t-shirts adorned with “Petanque Competition – La Tranche Sur Mer – 1988” or “Saint Clair Sur Epte Bingo Night 1992”, our very first phones or cars…

And in the evening, after having gazed at a starrier-than-ever sky, drunk a Flag or a Gazelle beer, and laughed until our bellies hurt, we light-heartedly fell asleep in embroidered “Health Unit” sheets…

IMG_4951

senegal 2

senegal 4

IMG_4760

IMG_5137

senegal 9

senegal 10

IMG_4872

IMG_4895

IMG_5050

IMG_5233

IMG_5933

IMG_6139

IMG_6154

IMG_6178

IMG_6188

IMG_4806

senegal 5

Story by Valentin Porcher.

Photo credits: Valentin Porcher and Cécile Chétif.

Interview réalisée par Valentin Porcher
Forgot your password ?
Need help?

Free delivery and exchange offered

For orders over €120, delivery in France is free.

Returns are free from France thanks to our prepaid label.

Prices and delivery times

Shipping cost

Collection points: €5

Home delivery with signature: 7.5€

Free delivery for orders over 120€

Delivery time

2-4 working days

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine. 

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €9.5

Free delivery for orders over €200.

Delivery time

4-7 working days

Andorra, Belarus, Croatia, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Switzerland. 

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €18

Free delivery for orders over €200

Delivery time

5-8 working days

Returns

You have received your order but the product does not suit you?

You can return your products within 15 days of receiving your package, for any order.

For the festive season, the deadlines are extended to 30 days.

The items must not have been worn, washed or damaged and must be returned in their original packaging, in perfect condition for resale.

How do I return my package from France?

Return shipping from France is free via Mondial Relay.

To return your parcel, it is very simple :

  1. Go to “My account”, in the “My purchases” section,

  2. In the list of your orders, select your order,

  3. If your order is eligible for return, please tick each product you wish to return. If a product has been ordered in several copies, you can indicate the quantity to be returned.

  4. Indicate the reason for the return at the bottom of the order details and click on “Request a return”. You can track your return request in the “Returns” section of the “My purchases” section.

  5. Once your return request has been validated by our team, all you have to do is stick your pre-paid label (provided at the time of delivery) on the package, insert the completed returns form in the parcel and drop it off at a Mondial Relay point.

How can I return my package (International online returns)

International return packages are at the customer’s expense (including cost of shipment by the chosen carrier, customs & duties, taxes, etc.)

To return your parcel, it is very simple :

  1. Go to “My account”, in the “My purchases” section,

  2. In the list of your orders, select your order,

  3. If your order is eligible for return, please tick each product you wish to return. If a product has been ordered in several copies, you can indicate the quantity to be returned.

  4. Indicate the reason for the return at the bottom of the order details and click on “Request a return”. You can track your return request in the “Returns” section of the “My purchases” section.

  5. Once your return request has been validated by our team, simply download the return form and place it in your package. 

  6. Send your package to the address indicated on the return form.

Want to make a return request with a guest account?

It's very simple : Send us a message via the “Contact us” link in the footer of the home page of the olow.fr website. Select “Customer Service” then indicate your order reference, the items you wish to return and whether you wish to request a refund, credit note or exchange.

How long does it take to get my money back once my package has been sent?

Refunds will be made within 10 days of receipt of your items and automatically to the account associated with the credit card used for payment or to the Paypal account used for payment.

Is it possible to return my item in the shop?

No, for all internet orders, returns can only be made to the address mentioned below.</p

Stock AZ-OLOW
Rue du Nauron,
79180 Chauray

>

What can I do if my item has a defect?

We take great care in the manufacture and finishing of our products. However, if you wish to report a manufacturing defect on a product, we invite you to contact our customer service by the "Contact us" link at the bottom of our site page.

Desperately Seeking Susan
Forgot your password ?
Need help?

Free delivery and exchange offered

For orders over €120, delivery in France is free.

Returns are free from France thanks to our prepaid label.

Prices and delivery times

Shipping cost

Collection points: €5

Home delivery with signature: 7.5€

Free delivery for orders over 120€

Delivery time

2-4 working days

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine. 

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €9.5

Free delivery for orders over €200.

Delivery time

4-7 working days

Andorra, Belarus, Croatia, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Switzerland. 

Shipping cost

Home delivery: €18

Free delivery for orders over €200

Delivery time

5-8 working days

Returns

You have received your order but the product does not suit you?

You can return your products within 15 days of receiving your package, for any order.

For the festive season, the deadlines are extended to 30 days.

The items must not have been worn, washed or damaged and must be returned in their original packaging, in perfect condition for resale.

How do I return my package from France?

Return shipping from France is free via Mondial Relay.

To return your parcel, it is very simple :

  1. Go to “My account”, in the “My purchases” section,

  2. In the list of your orders, select your order,

  3. If your order is eligible for return, please tick each product you wish to return. If a product has been ordered in several copies, you can indicate the quantity to be returned.

  4. Indicate the reason for the return at the bottom of the order details and click on “Request a return”. You can track your return request in the “Returns” section of the “My purchases” section.

  5. Once your return request has been validated by our team, all you have to do is stick your pre-paid label (provided at the time of delivery) on the package, insert the completed returns form in the parcel and drop it off at a Mondial Relay point.

How can I return my package (International online returns)

International return packages are at the customer’s expense (including cost of shipment by the chosen carrier, customs & duties, taxes, etc.)

To return your parcel, it is very simple :

  1. Go to “My account”, in the “My purchases” section,

  2. In the list of your orders, select your order,

  3. If your order is eligible for return, please tick each product you wish to return. If a product has been ordered in several copies, you can indicate the quantity to be returned.

  4. Indicate the reason for the return at the bottom of the order details and click on “Request a return”. You can track your return request in the “Returns” section of the “My purchases” section.

  5. Once your return request has been validated by our team, simply download the return form and place it in your package. 

  6. Send your package to the address indicated on the return form.

Want to make a return request with a guest account?

It's very simple : Send us a message via the “Contact us” link in the footer of the home page of the olow.fr website. Select “Customer Service” then indicate your order reference, the items you wish to return and whether you wish to request a refund, credit note or exchange.

How long does it take to get my money back once my package has been sent?

Refunds will be made within 10 days of receipt of your items and automatically to the account associated with the credit card used for payment or to the Paypal account used for payment.

Is it possible to return my item in the shop?

No, for all internet orders, returns can only be made to the address mentioned below.</p

Stock AZ-OLOW
Rue du Nauron,
79180 Chauray

>

What can I do if my item has a defect?

We take great care in the manufacture and finishing of our products. However, if you wish to report a manufacturing defect on a product, we invite you to contact our customer service by the "Contact us" link at the bottom of our site page.

Give me some news !

* Required fields
But where is Olow?