Hanging in Dakar

French bread, emmental, roast beef, pain de chocolate and coffee started my day and a jolly good start it was too but even so as I wandered off past the many patisserie I was tempted to go in for some goodies. 

I was headed for the Medina, a township built for the locals and surrounding the Grande Mosque. It wasn’t long before I realised I had taken a wrong turn and was right outside the Cathedral, a beautiful white majestic building. There was a service on so I went for my holiday cleansing. Although I don’t do religion there are some places of worship that give me a huge sense of calmness. This was one of them. The service was in progress, the church full and the temperature was stifling. It was about 35degrees outside but this felt like 50 and so I did not stay long. 

Staying on the wrong road I soon came across the Presidential Palace. A huge white building surrounded by stunning gardens with a few peacocks hanging around. The front gates manned by a rather impressive looking dude, resplendent in red. 

Eventually I got to the Medina area. It wasn’t what I expected (a walled in old city) but still interesting to watch the people and their wares.  It was pretty shabby and old. The homes were better than the shacks I had seen in other places, but nothing like the beautiful apartment blocks in the area surrounding the hotel. I didn’t feel totally comfortable here and although Iwasn’t  being hassled by touts wanting to sell me stuff I did not feel safe enough to take my camera out and click. A french woman had actually stopped me earlier on and told me to keep my camera out of sight and that unnerved me a bit. 

The Mosque was rather stunning but I wasnt allowed too close so wandered back to my hood. 

Coffee eclair and an espresso were the order of the afternoon and boy were they good. It was hard to choose from the divine looking sweets on display. 

Later in the afternoon, after a super nap, I wandered out again looking for a kebab place I had seen, “Planet Kebab”.  Wrong direction again and I had turned into the main street full of very annoying men trying to sell stuff. Again I tried the ‘no francais, no englees’ trick and it seemed to work until some blighter told me he remembered me from yesterday and I spoke English then. They obviously dont get many rude grey haired, white skinned females through here.

I didn’t find the restaurant but I did find an ice cream shop. My first ice cream in weeks, banana something and I was not only wiping ice cream off my chin but the dribble as well. Super creamy, super soft, with chunks of banana and bits of chocolate. How lucky can a girl get??

Despite this being a predominantly Moslem country there are an awful lot of Christmas decorations around the place and a Christmas decoration store on the same street as the hotel. 

The local mosque sits on the street corner just along from the hotel. I hear the call to prayer from my room. Not quite as haunting as in the middle east as the language here sounds more abrupt. I’d love to go in but know that as a non-muslim I am not allowed. That aside I have not seen any women go in and there in no  side entrance so it may be a men’s only mosque.  

Through all my visits to other Moslem countries, and despite knowing it happens, I had never seen people praying in the street. Here I have seen it a number of times, with the rest of the world happily avoiding those in prayer and going about their business. 

Just as I was looking at a super slick apartment building and thinking how modern the city is I heard a sheep bleating. I was not quick enough to get the camera out but both the security guards next to where I stood had a good laugh with me when a sheep on a lead was dragged past by its owner. 

Dakar is definitely more modern than any of the other cities I have been on this trip. The infrastructure seems better but because it is surrounded by sea there is sand everywhere which makes the reasonably good footpaths quite treacherous and also makes everything look dusty. There are pockets of the city that are very clean and tidy but then today in the medina there was litter and junk everywhere. It all adds to the flavour of the place and I love it. 

Eventually Planet Kebab was found and I devoured a huge meal of chicken shawarma, fries and tomatoes. I could be back in the middle east. There is quite a large Lebanese population around this area and even a Lebanese market so it made sense to have some if their food as well. 

I have loved today just casually wandering, learned little and took in even less. After the pace of the previous few weeks it was nice to chill by myself. The tour starts tomorrow and so that will be the end of ‘me’ time except for a day on the beach right at the end before I head off to the next tour. 

Just as I was ready to post this I heard what I thought must’ve been a parade outside and being a nosey cow I went to investigate. No, it wasn’t  coming from outside but from in the restaurant which was now full of mainly female locals listening to a three piece band playing traditional music. One by one the girls would get up and dance to the music. Most were built ‘kardashian shape’ and had amazing control over their booty, twerking and moving to the music. It was fascinating. 

Whilst sitting there I met a guy who is on the tour tomorrow. Another old fart so I wont be the only one. Yay!

The music soon stopped and I came back to my room only to have the peace shattered by karaoke!  Super. A Sunday night special.