Friday, March 28, 2025 - Dakar, Senegal

Dakar is an incredibly chaotic urban environment which is bursting with energy.  The cacophony of colors, sights and sounds create a pulsating sensory overload.  Stepping into this frenzied environment can be slightly claustrophobic.  Dakar is the closest western point in Africa to the Americas.  The population is 18 million in this country which is the combined size of England and Scotland.  A huge majority the population is Muslim (97%) but the official language is French.

 

The port city of Dakar has a population of 4 million, but has the physical space or one-half that number.  The dense population may contribute to the high number of con artists talking to passengers who disembark cruise ships. We received a stern warning from our destination consultant as well as our cruise director about leaving all valuables on the ship.  Both of them told us to remain skeptical about all street hawkers.  They told us that there is a harder edge to street life in Senegal, as opposed to some of the other African countries we have visited.  Friendly, welcoming vendors are unrelenting in their offers of help and guidance services.  We were told not to trust anyone on the street since most of them are expert con artists.  It's tough to ignore them when we realize that this is a group of people struggling to get themselves out of abject poverty. 

European exploration of Senegal began in 1443 when the Portuguese arrived at Goree Island designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site a number of years ago  The island became an important trading post for slaves, as well as ivory and gold.  The Senegal and Gambia Rivers were of interest to other Europeans, such as the French and British who were now rivals.  The French established a trading station at the mouth of the Senegal River in 1638.  In 1677 they seized the island of Goree, little more than a large rock of Cape Verde but of great value as a defensible trading station at this pivotal point on the coast.  Slaves were stolen from interior Africa, taken to Goree Island to be put on a ship and transported to the Caribbean islands and to the Americas to work in the plantations.  While an estimated 20 million slaves were transported across the Atlantic, only about one-half of them survived the journey.

Houses were built on Goree Island to hold the slaves until the ship arrived to load them through the "Door of No Return" and transport them to the Americas.  The island has been visited by both President Obama and Bush.  Although the small houses remain they are in a state of disrepair with some of the walls rumbling and the rich pastel paint peeling off the outside walls.  In 1815 slave trade was banned by France.  At that time the economic emphasis converted to growing ground nuts (peanuts).

The town of Dakar was founded in 1857.  The railroad arrived in Dakar which made it easier to transport goods from the interior.  By 1902 Dakar was the capital of French West Africa.  Although slave trade was abolished, the Europeans continued to view themselves as superior to the Africans.  The French built Medinas away from the downtown areas to house the Africans.  In 1887, the Senegalese people were finally granted French citizenship.  Independence for Senegal was finally obtained in 1960.  Until the 2000's Senegal remained a one-party state and democracy was a struggle.  In 2012 Macky Sall was the democratically elected president of a healthy, multi-party system.  Although at first it was a model of democracy there is some fear that the country is heading toward an autocracy.

There are still major problems in this West African Country.  Government corruption and extreme poverty among the people continues to run rampant.  There is a population explosion, with 50% of the population under 14 years of age.  The life expectancy in the country is 63 years.  There is a 58% literacy rate and 48% of the people are unemployed.  Senegal remains one of the poorest countries in the world.  The city is in a dilapidated state of disrepair with crumbling pavement, paint peeling on buildings, and garbage everywhere on the streets.  Still, women proudly wear their bright turbans and long flowing robes while they carry baskets loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables on their heads with ease.

The last few days were the end of Ramadan so the crowds in town were massive as the locals left their homes and began  visiting the markets and stores to make purchases they had put off during the last several weeks.  Our tours were significantly delayed because of traffic in the city so we spent well over two hours of a five hour tour bogged down in traffic.

During the early part of the tour we drove around the city center while the guide pointed out various government buildings including the President's Palace with its impressive red spahi guards, the House of Parliament and the popular district of Medina.

We then drove along the scenic coastline to the new "Monument of the African Renaissance" and the tallest statue in Africa.   At 49 meters, the bronze structure on the second Mamelles Hill was inaugurated in 2010.  The African Renaissance Monument is taller than the Statue of Liberty, and is on top of a 100-meter high hill, and is an impressive figure of a man, woman and child pointing out towards the Atlantic Ocean.  A few of us decided to walk up the 198 steps where we were treated to overall views of the city of Dakar and the adjacent coastline.

 

After the visit to the monument, the tour group headed into town for visits and demonstrations in the Sand Painting and Kermel Market.  The market is located near the recently-built Grand Theater of Dakar.  In the market, a jazz musician played on his saxophone (very weird in this venue) while the tourists watched a demonstration on the production of sand paintings.  After the demonstration, we were provided with an opportunity to purchase a sand painting for $20 each.

We then boarded the bus to journey to a non-descript house located outside the city center.  Located down a dirt path was the Maison Ousmane Sow which has been visited by many people since its opening in 2018. In order to create his sculptures, Ousmane Sow remained locked in his studio house in Dakar for long hours, a place where he lived from 1999 until the end of his life. This house, in itself is a work of art. Its floor is still covered with tiles made by the artist himself and the walls remain painted with "his material". Definitely contemporary, this building now shelters about thirty original pieces of artwork created by the artist made of bronze or what appeared to be paper-mache.  Visitors walk around freely around a maze of rooms with verandas, and discover the artworks, memories and the workshop maintained as it was when the artist left.  We were left on  our own to visit the multiple floors, although a guide was needed to explain the significance of each of the crafts by the artist.

We made a brief visit to the vegetable, fish and beef market which is circular and adorned with French architecture at the entrances.  Our guide did not want us walking around the inner areas where the fish and beef products are prepared because of the darkness, wet floors, noise and the crowds in those areas.  A few souvenirs were available outside the market but no one shopped in the areas.

Our final stop was at the Museum of Black Civilizations, opened in 2018.The massive structure is a repository for African art, culture and history.  The museum has space for 18,000 artworks,  but many of the galleries are not filled yet and the upper floor is not accessible.  An interesting display on the ground floor is the skulls of early man/woman, including the original Twiggy skull more than 2 million years old.  On the second floor area there are a series of displays of modern sculptures.  With its architecture, inspired by traditional homes typical of southern Senegal and its circular shape, the museum has changed the landscape of downtown Dakar.

 

We have now finished our last port in Africa.  We have experienced a range of emotions during our visit up the west coast.  There is a blend of European buildings standing next to rundown shanty structures.  There are vibrant colors and intoxicating rhythmic African music. It is a place where there are a multitude of lessons to be learned. It is a time for us to reflect on what we have seen and to be thankful for what we have in our lives.  I thought I understood poverty but once I had the opportunity to see, smell, hear, and touch the extreme poverty conditions on this coast, I realized I didn't understand it at all.  I pray that I can use the lessons I have learned here to be more sensitive to people in need and do what I can to help.  Now, after a couple of relaxing sea days, we will visit the Canary Islands, and then head for Lisbon, which will be the final stop on this segment of the world cruise.  I have a friend boarding in Lisbon so it will be wonderful to see her again.