Everyday, I walk between my place and the Girls’ Center. It is a little over a mile and a half round trip. Now that doesn’t sound like a big deal, and it isn’t really. However, this is not your ordinary stroll down the sidewalk of a city street. This is a full on sensory experience! Sight, sound, smell. I also appreciate the Biblical ritual of foot washing more now. Footwear consists of flip flops or open sandals. I rarely see shoes and even those won’t keep the sand out. There are also the various wet patches or puddles to avoid. I try not to think what might be on the bottom of my sandals!
I start out along the sandy, dusty streets. Some have concrete block paving but the sand still finds its way there. I use “sidewalks” when available but must avoid all the obstacles along the way. The sidewalks are the parking spots for cars. There are little vendors with mats or tables or stalls selling their wares – fruit, vegetables, candy, bread, and even fish occasionally. Life here is lived outside a great deal. I see women washing clothes in tubs outside their doors. The used water gets tossed onto the street. Little boys play pick up soccer games with underinflated balls and bare feet or sandals. Small children occasionally wave as they play with whatever is at hand – a dirt pile, another child. Rarely are toys seen at all. In the early morning, children head off to school with their backpacks, often sporting Elsa or Spider-Man. Goats roam the area and a few sheep are penned in small hutches. Men are often moving piles of sand and cement and putting it into molds to make blocks. Vehicles drive by with no concern whatsoever for pedestrians. They toot and just keep coming. The ubiquitous yellow taxis (more of those than regular cars), buses loaded with people hanging out the open back doors, the horse carts, the occasional motorcycle or bike. Small groups of men may gather outside a store front. And that means a building about 10-12 feet wide. I saw a man smoking one day and realized he is the only person I’ve seen do that! The women boast their colorful dresses. And people are always sweeping the sand away from their metal doors or even sweeping up the street. A never ending losing battle.
The air is full of the sounds of goats bleating, muezzins chanting, the occasional rooster crowing, dogs barking, conversations I don’t understand but I get the occasional Bonjour or ca va. The children especially like to speak and sometimes want a hand shake. I’m happy to oblige. Motors grumble by and horse hooves clop along.
And then there are the smells. I’ll leave it at that but there is the joy of passing a bakery and smelling the fresh bread.

So that is my walk – six turns all marked by my chosen landmarks. It is truly an opportunity to see life here and learn and pray.
thanks for joining me. Now go wash your feet!