Dakar

We are already docked when I make it to the deck. It is 6AM and the sun is not yet up. We are backed into a dock alongside of two very large grey naval vessels. They are flying a red and white flag. There is another naval craft behind us. It has the drop front for landing wheeled vehicles on a beach. It is from the States. There are about a half dozen camouflaged GIs aboard. I could still make them out, as the boat is all grey.
Dakar is a vast metropolis with an enormous port.
The name comes from the Wolof “daxar” [da-kahahr], the tamarind tree that used to line the shores. They believe that this coastal region has been inhabited [by humans] for 150,000 years. Islam arrived as early as the 8th Century establishing the thriving Muslim trading industry. Europeans didn’t settle here until 1400 or so. The present population is about 3 million [Senegal has a total of over 11 million]. A remarkable statistic is that 42% of the population is under 15 years old! I will be spending my day at the Isle de Goree. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we will be there for about 3 hours. We have a private ferry to take us there. Attire is long trousers and long sleeve shirts to protect against mosquitoes and to allow for entrance to a mosque or other holy places.
We left the ship at 9:15AM and boarded a private ferry and headed out on our 20-minute ride. The Island is visible from the ship but as we approach it appears very different than what one might expect considering its horrible history. My first impression is that it looks like it should be in Mediterranean, maybe Italy. There is a doughnut shaped fort at one end and there is a rise at the other topped by some sort of tower. As the buildings come into focus you see soft terracotta, rich russets, yellow ochre, and white accented with aqua, turquoise and multiple shades of green. There are many trees and small sandy beaches. The ferry rounds the fort and comes to a stop on one of the two piers that serve the small cove. Our first visit is the Maison des Esclaves [Slave House]. The Exterior is a bright butter yellow with a sea green accent [the doors and shutters]. The door is opened to a pinkish-rust interior with the same blue-green doors and shutters. The architectural fascination falls away when you realize where you are actually standing. This is a small building with maybe 10 rooms on the ground floor. Most of them are cells approximately 10 feet square. As many as 200 slaves were kept here at any given time allowed outside once a day to relieve themselves and once a day to eat. If the males weighed less than 60 kilos they were fattened like cattle. The New World traders would not accept anyone that weighed less. The women were rated by the size and firmness of their breasts. The children were kept with the women who were separated from the men especially if they appeared to be coupled. Many died there and were thrown into the sea. The merchant families lived on the upper floor, which is accessed by a rather elegant curved staircase. The curator of the building gave us a very impassioned account [in French] of what went on at the Maison des Esclaves over the centuries. Our guide, Amadou, gave an English translation. There was a donation box for the maintenance of the facility. I watched as most ignored it as they left.
The town is filled with secluded allies and homes, some so charming that you again forget where you are. The beach by the pier is lined with restaurants and bars and I understand there are several hotels. There are many merchants selling jewelry, art, crafts and clothing. When we are about to leave we encounter an Islamic wedding ceremony where everyone is dressed in white and singing. I was left with a bizarre comfort. You can’t help but find the island charming but knowing what went on there…
We are leaving port now; it is 4:30PM and the sea is quite calm. We are headed for the Canary Islands but will be one day at sea before we arrive. Our clocks are to be advanced one last time. Tomorrow morning I will be 8 hours ahead of you, in the same time zone as London and Paris.