I was in Dakar for work, but I had a chance to look around one day. My colleague, Emily, and I went to Goree Island, a short ferry ride from Dakar. It's a pretty spot without cars, pleasant lanes to stroll along, and colonial-style buildings.
Sadly, Goree is also known as a spot from which slaves were sent across the Atlantic. Far fewer passed through here than through the slave forts of Ghana, however. (See previous blog post about Ghana's Cape Coast Castle.)
Back in the city of Dakar, it was nice to walk around. Unlike Accra, Dakar has lots of sidewalks, shops full of enticing merchandise, and French cafes and bakeries. It seems more urban than Accra, with taller buildings and wider avenues. Not wanting to appear too conspicuous, I didn't take photos while meandering the busy streets.
Instead, I took photos from the inside of a car, so many turned out fuzzy. Live and learn. Here is a shot of a streetside mural:
Dakar's beach is much nicer looking than Accra's. I didn't get that close, but from the road it looks pretty great. The water is turquoise blue, rather than the gray Atlantic off Accra, and I don't see a sea of plastic bags lying around. (There is actually a Club Med resort just outside of Dakar.)
Dakar is known for its lively music scene. Someone told us about an outdoor club/restaurant called Just 4 You, where live bands perform nightly. Lucky for us, Amadou and Mariam were performing during our visit. I already knew their music thanks to our friend Jules, who provided us with a plethora of African music CDs before we moved to Ghana. Little did I know I'd eventually be sitting 5 feet from the stage, watching these amazing musicians.
Amadou and Mariam are a blind married couple from Mali with an incredible band. They had most of the audience dancing, including old and young, African and European. One African man who must've been at least 60 was the most energetic booty-wiggler I've ever seen. Amadou and Mariam's two on-stage female dancers got a big kick out of him. They descended from the stage to dance with him. I tried to take a mini-video with a digital camera, but apparently I used the wrong setting, so you'll have to imagine the scene in your heads. Trust me, it was highly entertaining.
