Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Mission: Dakar

So
I am here in Dakar. I flew in two nights ago, and was quite assaulted by many taxi drivers at the airport, but I made it safe and sound. To be honest, part of me thought I would never make it to this place.
Still here I am at last, with just over a week of the holiday left. Mali was brilliant in retrospect, even if tough going at times. Bamako was not the most impressive of capital cities, but could hold interest for a day or two. Lots of markets and things to buy, if only I had some money left. Much more in Bamako than the rest of Mali - from restaurants to toilets being sold on the side of the road, but still poor; dusty and as polluted as any city I have been to before, excpet for perhaps Dhaka in Bangladesh.
And now, Dhaka to Dakar is complete. Dakar, Senegal is a pretty happening place. Easily the best of the African capitals that I have visited in terms or money - new buildings, obvious investment, new roads being built, even an over pass of sorts. Still there is a lot of hassle though. I visited the interesting and colonial Ile de Goree yesterday, which also has a slave trade history. Today its a nice place, people swim; there was a music festival too. Still; the past lingers in the Maison des Esclaves. Very popular (the island) on a Sunday, absolutely packed.
A little look around the city today, then to St Louis tomorrow....

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