Underwear in the bathroom

Slices of Senegal

Traveling alone is easy - really easy. You make whatever decisions suit you at any given time be they thoughtful whimsical logical or fanciful. At the same time when you turn to someone to say - "hey look at that"!!!!!" it's a stranger looking back at you like you're on drugs.

Travelling with others, given my past experiences is much more difficult and stressful. Decisions are negotiated -- you acquiesce -- you defer you work though decisions and this is indeed a more complicated process. In fact -- travelling together has been the undoing of many a friendship, marriage or other relationship. It's not east... at all.

Not so with my great friend Barry, it's just sweet -- as we work effortlessly through what is a very complicated though delicious travel plan. Despite underwear not belonging me festooning the various hotel rooms like some macabre decoration -- he's a fantastic travel partner. So -- with that, let me tell you about Senegal... and more specifically Dakar.







Well looking outward is a whole lot better than looking in. By that, I mean the Atlantic while cold and uninviting is wonderful to look over while enjoying a reasonably priced meal. Couscous and  fish are often in evidence and there's not a thing wrong with that. We found the food fresh healthy and delicious.

Dakar is perched right on the Atlantic and if you had a ruler and a map would see that it's more or less across from Nicaragua. Standing on the shore looking out over the Atlantic, it's clean cool and peaceful. Turn around and the city is not that at all. It's a busy dirty load frenzy of activity bordering on apocalyptic. 

Broken sidewalks and people litter the town as you wander throughout. A startling contradiction are the woman who grace the narrow streets brightly dressed and very beautiful. I'll share a few more shots later. The outfits are fantastic.

In search of the museum, we came across a building where Barry pointed out "that old burned out building" Well that was the museum. It was closed and in need of significant repair. That said we bravely continued through the streets to another historical site that was in great condition though a bit anemic in terms of material. Clearly there is very little resources devoted to capturing and sharing artifacts of the days before..

Here's a few shots.

Super funny when I pretended to sit on this chair ... the Museum folks were not amused.

Ariana Grande bemoans the loss of nearly 1 million followers .....

A cowrie shell mask .. cowrie shells being currency at that time.

Filming a remake of an Alfred Hitchcock movie

 

I'm accustomed to the sky darkening with crows in my native home of Canada but I've never seen so many birds (hawks) as I saw on the mean streets of Dakar. It's a bit disconcerting to be sure. They are menacing looking and in huge numbers. When we asked about them no one seemed to really notice but as Barry and I enjoyed a single malt on the roof at dusk it was an amazing and frightening sight....the stuff of nightmares. Hopefully they never get organized -- they'll take over that city.

Leaving Dakar in Da -car (hahahahahahhah)

 

We hired a taxi to drive us for a couple days which was WAY less expensive than renting a car and self driving. It would have been north of 400 USD for 2 days with a car. We paid about $200 USD and could sit back and enjoy the drive for a couple days. Our driver was a huge good-looking fella and an absolute delight to be around. He was a quiet unassuming chap and an excellent driver. Fortunately for me, he was also and excellent negotiator getting me out of a jam  that I'll describe later. Keeping Layno out of jail is an important though unstated objective of the trip.

So onwards to the French Colonial town of St. Louis, the one -time capital of the region. Below is a picture that shocked and surprised us the first time we saw it but soon became just part of the background as it is a normal part of life in Senegal. And yes - they all have seat belts.... you just can't see them cause the picture is not clear enough.

It's a few hours up to St. Louis and they passed pleasantly enough as we gazed out the window. You cross a bridge to get to the main city as the hooligans below are doing. I think they were celebrating a women's football win but they may want to keep their heads down as they pass over the bridge. Just sayin"....

The hotel was as eclectic and charming as anything I've visited previously. The rooms though small are decorated with a wonderful assortment of bits and pieces of a bygone era. While St. Louis was a town of means and substance at one time, it has fallen completely into ruin now.


 





It's unlikely in my mind that the town can be saved and as sad as that is, it was fascinating to wander the streets poking into once grand hotels and shops along the streets.
 Lunch of (once again) fresh fish was as delicious as it was entertaining. As we sat in a little hovel of a restaurant deviod of any other customers, we listened to the women in the kitchen gossiping and chatting as they prepared our lunch. and while it took forever, it was worth the wait as forever in such a setting is a blessing rather than a curse.




The amount of garbage is shocking -- and this coming from someone who has seen some nasty places. The entire city throws its garbage into the ocean where it simpy refuses to swallow and spits it all back up onto the shore. With our combined Canadian sensibilities we watched shocked and horrorified as two gals walked to the edge of the ocean and emptied the contents of a large garbage bin into the water .... chatting aimiaby as they did so ..









Some say environmentalism is a privilege of the wealthy, but still -- this is a shameful way to behave. N'est pas??

Remnants of a the past stand resolute stripped of the trappings of grandeur that must have been. In another time  it would have been quite the city though we were fortunate to have the opportinuty to be transported back in time for a glimpse of what was and at the same time witnessing the shocking destruction of what is.

Who says white men can't dance? A really nice moment as the kids spontaneouly dance with Barry

Thanks for reading .....Layno !!!