Around Dakar

An early morning welcome with our ‘CEO’ Allioum (Aloom) started our day before we headed off in a 40 seater, leather seated bus. No where near the fun of our small, slightly rickety, job in Ethiopia. We all have a double seat to stretch out, plus some extras so its quite comfy but boring. 

Our city ‘tour’ took us for a drive through the city past some of the places I had already been. We stopped at the Cathedral where we had a good look inside and I noticed the amazingly modern organ. Stunning. Thats why the music I heard yesterday  was so beautiful. 

One place I hadn’t been was to the top of the highest hill to see the massive African Renaissance statue, taller than the Statue of Liberty and quite as grand. It was a good climb up about 200 steps but well worth it. Sadly the mist around the city is so thick that you could not see the city view clearly but the statue was awesome. 

Built of brass on a concrete plinth it towered over us. The statue is of a man, woman and child depictibg the coming together of Africa. The child is pointing out to sea to signify openess to a new start. 

Slowly we made our way to the city port where we waited to board the ferry to Goree Island. The ferry terminal was over flowing with beautifully dressed women and I couldn’t resist asking for a photo. 

Once we boarded the woman sitting next to me tells me she is the sister of the very lavishly dressed woman I had photographed and that everyone had been over to Dakar to attend a baptism. They were on their way home. 

She also told me that she had a shop and straight away I knew I would be hounded to buy something from her. Hiding was not at option as the restaurant where we had lunch was right outside her store. 

Lunch was divine. Seafood at last. Fried prawns for a starter and fish brochettes for a main. Both divine and super fresh but the fish had the consistency/texture of chicken and the flavour of neither so not sure what the story was there. 

The island is a UNESCO world heritage site which highlights the African slave trade.  It was gorgeous, very quirky and with lots of life. 

Lunch done we visited the Maison des Esclaves (Slave House) where people were held prior to being shipped out overseas as slaves. The tiny cells we saw would hold up to 8 men, barely standing room only and in terrible conditions. Women had a bit more space but even so the conditions were awful. The most poignant was the cutting in the rock where they would be led, shackled, to step through the cutting and into the boat which would take them to their new home. Once stepping through that cutting there was no going back and many didnt realise that was the case until it was too late. 

We had a bit of free time after that and I eventually got ground down by the woman I had met on the ferry and I ended up buying an ok necklace for a third of the price she had started off with. By that stage I was so sick of her hounding me I would have done most anything to get her out of my hair. 

Sitting at a cafe guzzling a cold drink was the best way to avoid the rest of the sellers so there we parked till it was time to board for the trip ‘home’. People watching is my forte and I was in my element here. This woman showed me in two seconds how to wrap a head dress I watched carefully but still have no idea. 

Before leaving we visited a wee studio where they make sand drawings. Had I not doubted them when they said the sand would not fall off I may have bought one but instead just too photos of the drawings and a few other things I would have liked. 

I think we were all shattered by the time we got back home, some of opted for food before drink, and others the reverse but most of us congregated in the hotel bar till sleep beckoned. 

A lovely day doing something a bit different. A far cry  from the long rough rides we had in Ethiopia.