I love this city - Blogabond

Its amazing how a few favourable or unfavourable experiences can shape your view of a city, restuarant, clothing brand, nationality, race, car make, etc etc... We were all a bit dispondend of Dakar and Senegal as a whole having been hassled, bribed, lied too, and almost mugged. But today changed all of this. One positive experience made us appreciate this city all over again.

We had the same thing happen in Nouakchott, Mauritania. We were down out and discouraged with the way things were going. If it was not the lack of stuff to do, it was the feeling of being robbed for time (very selfish I know...) Then we went to the big fish market on the outskirts of the city and this was really nice sight. Colourful boats filled the beach for miles and the awesome comeradery among the local fishermen. Also all the kids being part of the family business and the involvement of everyone on that beach made it a festival of friendship and togetherness.

Dakar viewed from Goree Island

And here, in Dakar, this morning we took the ferry out to Goree Island, the very popular slave trading post just a few kilometers of the coast. This island life and relaxed vibe put us straight back into the mix. The buildings were beautiful pastel coloured and teeming with a different sort of outlook on life. Kids were playing football amongst these 100's year old buildings and couldn't care less. The island is only 300x900m so walkable in just a few hours. Swimming in the cristal clear water just made us realise again that we are on holiday and shouldn't be so bummed out!

Goree Island harbor

Back in the city I just realised that I really like this place. Its got a ape Town vibe to it, with the agro factor of downtown Jo'burg and the street markets of Durban; if I can compare it to what I know. The city is also teeming with life and will buzz till 3am this morning, guarenteed. Streets are filled with people pushing to make sales of sunglasses, Orange sim cards, jeans, t-shirts, etc etc - a normal African city in operation. The difference here is that this was once the Administrative capital of French West Africa back in the days of exploitation, so it seems that everything works well. The streets are filled with massive tour busses of Europeans and big hotels line the prominade facing the Atlantic. The influence of rich European banks are seen everywhere and the people drive their Audi Q7's, VW Tuareqs, BWM X5's etc. But yeah - all in all a pleasant city.

Jac and le Takeifa

Tonight we are going to a gig at the very posh French Institute and tomorrow we are heading out for Bamako, Mali which is something that I have been looking forward to for a long time. We then hope to travel upstream the Niger river for 3 days to a town called Mpti. If this is not possible we will just bus it. But at Mopti starts the Dogon country and this is sure to be one of the highlights of West Africa. We plan to hike among the mountains and Dogon people for a few days and then start making our way into Burkina Faso... all in good time!

written by

afrikawasbeer on October 22, 2009 from Dakar, Senegal

from the travel blog: Traveling Africa Overland

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