Senegal
November 2003

  

I adventured alone to Senegal on my first vacation from Sierra Leone. What a trip! I started in Dakar, which is a curious mix of French colonial elegance, North African architectural details, and West African wares and culture. Due to the dropping value of the dollar, I ran out of money far sooner than expected and was forced to find a cheaper locale. I made my way by bus to the small seaside village of Malika and stayed in what turned out to be a rather seedy auberge, where I enjoyed heart-pounding Senegalese jembe drumming and didn't enjoy harrassment and thefts... Fortunately, I met Damien, a Frenchman who had been in Senegal for a couple of months and looked out for me. Recommendation for ladies: find a friend, fast, and stick together.

 

Market place in Dakar.
 		  
Senegalese drumming adds life to Gregorian chant at this monestary
 

Billy guards the bar at Malika
 		  
The view from Ile Ngor, just off the coast of Dakar. My taxi driver, a young Sierra Leonean refugee, dropped me near this island when I said I was looking for a peaceful beach to spend the afternoon. I met a teenage boy selling necklaces who helped me catch the boat to the island. Fuscia and purple bougainvillea spilled over the walls of grand colonial villas. The boy showed me around and brought me to this spot, from where the ocean spreads like a disk in all directions
 

The White House of Senegal
 		  
Not the choicest of night spots in Dakar, this bar mainly attracts sailors and prostitutes. Damien and I didn't stay long...