Dakar, Senegal

We were here in 2023 but there were political riots and we were not allowed off the ship.  So we were looking forward to Dakar this trip.  We decided to take a tour so our friend Dianna found us a van (7 of us) and we had a wonderful day. There was a mix up about where our guide van was going to pick us up. So we had a very interesting half hour watching early morning rush hour. All kinds of vehicles rushing by doing all kinds of crazy maneuvers in the streets.  Once we hooked up with our van our driver made a u-turn through 4 lanes of traffic. 

First we went central square where the Catholic Church is. Kyle was amazed to see a sign for Deloitte (the accounting firm he worked for out of college).  

Cathedral of Dakar

Local Bookstore

Waiting for the bus

We then took a ferry to the Ill Gore. This is where Africans were brought after their capture and put into the slave trade.

 

Wow ! Stuffed on the ferry. Entertained by a man trying to sell these little balls that wrap around your fingers.

This guy was trying to see these clicking maracas. Passengers were sing and trying them out which was very entertaining.

The island is quite large and has been used over the centuries for various reasons by Portuguese, English and French.

We were not supposed to take picture of the children because they have such a problem with trafficking. But I forgot and these cuties were irresistible. Our guide, Quirt, promptly reminded me that it was a no-no.

Millions of people were crammed into these cells over a 300 yr.time period.

The slot in the back of the room is for ventilation.

The first buildings were built out of black volcanic rock.

This was the door of no return.  Once you went through this door which led to a ship, there was no return to your family or the life you once knew.

 

The French used this an outpost during WW2.

 1400 people still live on the island. There are restaurants and shops. Most people live in Dakar and go back and forth on the ferry every day. Sometimes one spouse lives on the island and the other spouse lives in Dakar.

The guide told us many horrific stories, but the internet site said some of this information was created for the guides. There is no clear record of how things were done. There must have been brutalities. But, does it matter? It is horrific to be torn from your home and family and sold into slavery where we know life was brutal.

We spent about 2 hours there and returned on the ferry to Dakar. 

We stopped and the  monument de la Renaissance Africaine.

It was built in recognition of the rebirth of Africa.

This is a electrical station powered by propane.

Hundreds of fishing boats returning for the day,

The Mosque of Dakar