Goree and G'Nor Islands

Every morning as we arrive at WARC the women are preparing our lunch of chicken, fish, rice fruits and delicious ginger, hibiscus, boabob juices. They also hand wash our clothes. We re treated so well.


Saturday, July 10
We have been here for over a week. Up at 6, breakfast at 7:00, 8:30 on the taxi to WARC, 9:00 lectures by professors on education (carry over from the French, Koranic schools), religion, women's issues, polygamy, rap music, Senegalese film, music, etc. 11:00 break and snack, 11:30 more lectures and discussions. 1:00 delicious lunches, field trips and back to the hotel. We have dined at a fancy Senegalese restaurant, an Ethiopian, and a Brazilian. I have been eating too well for my own good.

Friday night a Senegalese woman with the US embassy invited us to her lovely home near the Dakar airport. We could see the underside of the planes as they departed, very close to the rooftop from where we dined. They said that this was a very well to do area. Sand on the streets but immaculate inside. She was so gracious to have a catered meal for us but I needed to have a table to rest my plate. As a consequence I could not eat very much. We had grilled whole grouper, pork chops, large pawns, cassava couscous broiled chicken and quail. plantain, foufou (a type of ground flour starch, ataya, like empanadas, onion sauce and a multitude of other dishes. We had a lovely time with our directors all professors: Mbye Cham from Howard U, Samba Gadjigo from Mt. Holyoke, and Ousmane Sene from the university here. Now these men love to dance and so do the many Senegalese. They just flow with the music. We did not get back to the hotel until midnight.

What I have observed as we travel to WARC is that the Senegalese young adults are a group of very athletic and physically fit individual. They are working out early in the morning and late at night along the beaches, calisthenics, weight lifting with the inner parts of tires, push-ups, jogging. They are tall and lean. Kids are playing "football" on sandy playgrounds. Many of these individuals are trying to make it onto a "football" team, (soccer).

Lots and lots of vendors along the streets selling food, sandals, sim cards for telephones, lots of "garages" filled with demolished cars, old and beat-up. They also have so much trash along the streets no matter where we walk.

Saturday we took the ferry over to Goree Island first settled by the Portuguese where this was the point of no return for the slaves' departure to the Americas. I was reminded or how they traveled as we too were jammed on the boat with many of the locals and the school children pushing and shoving to make it on the boat. The island was packed with the locals. On Sunday it was to G'Nor another island and also crowded with the locals, just boat full of locals. They don't swim but soak in the water or lay on the sand.

So far we have been well and are enjoying the experience. I hope to upload some pictures.

This is the monument built by the North Koreans to celebrate the African Renaissance. The Senegalese Government is constructing a hotel within and the head of the man will have a 360° view. it is hard to believe.




This is WARC where my classes have been held. We are now on the road in St. Louis, a 5 hour bus ride north east of Dakar.