Flavours of Senegal – A peek into West African cuisine
There is a famous saying “The way to the man’s heart is through his stomach” that statement describes me perfectly. Being an avid traveler I am a food lover too and I make it a point that wherever I go I do try out the local cuisine. When it comes to Senegal the cuisine is a true fusion of West African and French.
Being a costal country which faces the Atlantic fish is in plenty here and that’s the main dish preferred by all Senegalese people. Other than fish beef, lamb, chicken & vegetables grown locally are preferred by the locals. Surprisingly even though Senegal is a Muslim country still you do get Pork here, at least I have found them being served at five star hotel banquets.
I have been lucky enough to try almost all type of food that were
served to me or available at various banquets that I managed to go.
Senegalese are rice eaters which is something similar to me as a Bengali
and serve that along with fish and I am in heaven.
Senegal Street Food
If you are dining out you have the option of the main course being served with rice or with chips that is French fries. Along with that you will definitely get some basic green salads. The best way to enjoy them would be at a road side shack just across the beach where it’s cooked fresh in front of you on a charcoal oven. On one such outing had some wonderful freshly cooked fish with rice and salads. Usually in these shacks you have the options for fish, prawns or chicken. Be sure to ask them for the price as the price of the food varies according to the size of the fish or portion.
The fish was soft and tender cooked perfectly over the slow heat of charcoal fire. The herbs and spices were not
overpowering,
served with green salad with a slight sprinkle of olive oil and
steaming white rice. I paid around 600 CFA which is just 300 Indian
Rupees, you just can’t expect a better way to enjoy a dinner.
The traditional Senegalese have basic four type of main course, Thiébou Dienne (Fish & Rice), Thiébou Yapp (Meat & Rice), Thiébou Guinaar (Chicken & Rice) & Thiébou Guerté (Peanut Rice).
Thiébou Dienne (Fish & Rice)
Thiébou Dienne (Fish & Rice) is considered as the national dish of Senegal and usually consists of a reddish looking rice which is cooked with herbs and lemon grass. The fishes are marinated giving them a soft texture and a real smooth taste.
The rice has its own taste since it’s cooked with herbs and spices and the fish served which are primarily only sea fish is well cooked. It’s like the Indian Tahiri served with fried fish.
Thiébou Yapp (Meat & Rice)
Thiébou Yapp (Meat & Rice) is prepared similar to that of fish and rice but instead of fish lamb or beef is used. The meat is fried and later added to the rice. Mustard seeds are added to give a distinct flavour.
Thiébou Guinaar (Chicken & Rice)
Thiébou Guinaar (Chicken & Rice) is my personal favourite, prepared similar to that of Thiébou Yapp but the difference would be that big chunks of fried chicken are placed over the rice. I simply loved the wonderful taste of the fired chicken.
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Thiébou Guerté (Peanut Rice)
Thiébou Guerté (Peanut Rice) is basically rice cooked with peanut. Peanut butter is added to the rice giving it a distinct light brownish colour.
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Yassa
Apart from these traditional dishes Yassa is also preferred by the Senegalese. Instead of the red rice the meat is served with white rice. The meat that is served is marinated and is pan fried in low heat. Spices and herbs along with lemon juice is added to the meat creating a tasty sauce with is served along the dish.
Mafee
Then there is Mafee which is rice served with beef, chicken, lamb or fish. The difference is that it’s prepared in tomato and peanut sauce and served with fresh vegetables. The sauce makes the dish very creamy and smooth due to the presence of peanut paste and tomato just add up to the taste.
Thiakry
If you have a sweet tooth then there is Thiakry, this is a millet couscous which is prepared by mixing millet with sweetened milk. Some add raising and other dry fruits for taste. I found this very similar to the Indian Kheer/Payesh but instead of rice millet is used. If condensed milk is added then the taste becomes much milkier and thick.
Cinq Centimes
Then there is Cinq Centimes which are cookies with peanut. Children’s love these and they taste wonderful when served along with a dollop of ice cream. The biscuits are soft and crisp with a peanut cream topping and some occasional presence peanuts.
Capitaine à la Saint-Louisienne
If you travel to St. Louis in Senegal you will have a very unique experience in terms of cuisine. I got the opportunity to taste Capitaine à la Saint-Louisienne which is fish prepared with stuffed spices. You can have this with rice or chips as per your choice. It was a real mouth-watering treat which I enjoyed till the last bit.
Crevettes
Other than that you can try the Crevettes which is prawns in French, served in a gravy accompanied by green salad and boiled potatoes.
Chicken Kebab Platter
Another mouth-watering dish is the Chicken Kebab Platter which is served with plain rice and fresh vegetables.
Senegalese Mint Tea
I will finish off this blog with a special tea something which I had never tasted before and it’s unique to Western Africa. Senegalese usually drink tea after a meal and it’s always mint tea. To prepare a brew Green Tea along with Mint Leaves and sugar are boiled together in a tea pot over charcoal fire. Once boiled its usually poured into glass a couple of times to create a distinct froth. According to traditions the better the froth the better the taste.
It feels a bit bitter to drink initially but a couple of sips usually balances the taste. I liked it so much that usually used to have two to three glass after my lunch. This style of tea preparation can also be found in neighbouring Mauritania and The Gambia.
That’s it for now will be back with my next African food blog on Kenyan cuisine and its unique food tradition, keep watching this blog.
Ode to an Aviator – Review of Hotel De La Poste – St. Louis, Senegal
When once you have tasted flight,
you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been,
and there you will always long to return
Leonardo da Vinci
Sometimes in life dream does come true and it did for me when I was at St. Louis, Senegal. I read about this hotel on the Internet while researching about hotels in St. Louis and I fell in love with it just by looking at the photographs. This small hotel had that romantic charm tagged with it, after all the name itself tells a story. Hotel De La Poste which means The Postal Hotel tells a lot about it. But why on earth was a hotel name related to a postal service?
When I reached Senegal I just could not plan out a trip to St. Louis
since it was way far from Dakar and I needed to spend a night at St.
Louis if I wanted to visit it. It was by luck that I was able to go to a
field trip which was near St Louis and a night halt was planned at St.
Louis.
Hotel De La Poste
When I finally reached St. Louis at night we were supposed to stay at another hotel but that hotel got fully occupied so some of us had to shift to another hotel. It was then that by chance I was shifted to Hotel De La Poste.
As you enter the hotel reception you will be greeted by the gentleman behind the counter. This reception has a huge elephant tusk of pure high grade ivory built into the reception desk, this gives you a feel that you are really in Africa. Right beside the counter you have a small souvenir shop that sells African gem and jewellery. After the initial formalities the receptionist handed over the room key. Now I have been to many hotels around the world but never have seen a key ring as unique as this. The key ring had a small metal airplane where the room number was stamped. Then my attention was diverted to the wall behind the reception and all I could see were photographs, posters etc. of airplanes all framed up. By now I was convinced that this place has a history.
History of Hotel De La Poste
I could not stop my curiousness and asked the gentleman at the
reception as to why the whole hotel had a theme of an Airplane. The old
gentleman smiled and came out of the reception desk and started
explaining the reason behind it. What he told me was like a story worth
writing about. According to him early in the twenty century there used
to be a regular mail service from Pars to St. Louis, it is to be noted
that earlier St. Louis used to be the capital of French West Africa so
this city was an important destination for Air Mails. The pilot of the
aircraft with the air mails always used to come to this hotel to rest
for the night before departure back to France. The pilot fell in love
with this hotel and the hotel staff fell in love with him and thus grew a
friendship between them. Unfortunately the pilot died in a tragic
accident and the hotel owner decided to dedicate the hotel to his honour
and redecorated the entire hotel ambience into the theme of Air Mail
service.
Jean Mermoz
All this while I completely forgot to ask the name of the pilot and curiously I asked the gentleman as to who this pilot was. The gentleman gave a smile and told me that he was one of the greatest pilot and war veteran, his name was “Jean Mermoz”. My hands froze, this was the same Jean Mermoz who is considered as one of the pioneers of trans-Atlantic mail flights. He is considered as the very few who started flying their planes at night just by using flares and light signals. He created history by flying from St. Louis, Senegal to Natal, Brazil completing the France to South America route and finally reaching the Pacific Ocean in Santiago, Chile.
(Probably the reason why he chose to stay here due to the proximity)
On 7 December 1936 he was piloting a Latécoère 300 which developed some engine trouble and might have caused the plane to ditch in the ocean. The crew and the remains of the aircraft never recovered.
Jean Mermoz was immensely popular in West Africa and in South America specifically in Brazil. He helped the French to establish a direct route to South America via Morocco, Senegal, Brazil and Chile. He and his team were very few who flew over the Andes. Previously steam boats along with planes were used to connect mails, now direct route was established. He was also appointed as the Inspector General for Air France and was one of the key members in established the Argentinian national air carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas.
There are couple of books and memoirs were publishes in his honour which were mainly published after his death. There were also some stamps that were printed in France and Senegal to honour Jean Mermoz.
Interiors of the Hotel
It was nearly 10 PM and after a long journey I was dead tired but wanted to continue hearing the story. Reluctantly I bid goodbye to the gentleman and headed straight to the room to freshen up. When you go toward the room you need to go through the centre courtyard which is beautifully decorated in classical French Architecture style. Beautifully decorated with coconut tree and plants you feel as if you are one with nature.
I was provided a small and cosy room but there are other bigger rooms also available. Room was very comfortable with an attached bath, specially loved the soft and very comfortable bed which was sure to give a wonderful night’s sleep.
After a really needed warm and refreshing shower I decided to have a good St. Louis dinner and was lucky to have the wonderful company of few other friends of mine who also happen to be at the same hotel. This hotel also has wonderful lounge bar at the ground floor right next to the reception. So if you want to relax with some wonderful ambience this is the place to be.
The bar has a wonderful interiors made of bamboo and wood, the incandescent light gives this place a more rustic feel. The bar counter has a wonderful set to ivory tusk similar to that of the hotel reception, you will also find a beautiful painting hanging on the wall. The table lamp at the side of the bar counter is an art in itself, beautifully crafted out of an old hotel telecom exchange and an old wine bottle.
This hotel also has a wonderful restaurant called Flamingo, to reach this you need to take the right lane next to the hotel and walk another fifty meters. I and my colleagues decided to have or dinner here enjoying the windy Senegal River which flows just next to it. From this restaurant you can see the skyline of mainland of St. Louis district and a wonderful view of the Faidherbe Bridge.
You get some of the most delicious and lip smacking food over here at Flamingo. You will have the option of having shrimps, fish, chicken, lamb or beef and the menu will have hundreds of options within these. Just order your food and relax, simply enjoy the cool breeze over Senegal River. After having our dinner we headed to the swimming pool which at nights turns into a Jazz bar. You will fall in love with the Afro Jazz which plays live by the house band. You can spend the entire night enjoying to the grooves.
Back at the hotel after dinner it was time for some much needed sleep, it was already early morning hours but could still see the guests of Flamingo dancing to the beat of the music. I guess the party never stops in St. Louis and I was not able to enjoy dancing all through night as I had to wake up next morning early for a walk around the town.
Woke up early next morning and went around St. Louis town, since I have already written a separate blog about it thus will not repeat here. If you want to see details of it then please read my earlier blog.
I was informed that the hotel serves complimentary breakfast in the dining room at the ground floor. The entrance is on the right from the main courtyard. You can however also enter it from another entrance at the front of the hotel.
Once you enter the dining area you will be taken back the beautifully thematically decorated dining room. All around the wall you had various sized photo frames all displaying wonderful colour photographs of air planes and other air carrier related poster. When you look up you get to see wonderful painting on the ceiling all with the same airplane theme.
If you like to sit in the outdoor then you can sit at the wonderful porch right at the entrance, from here you can see the bridge and see the people of the town slowly waking up to a lovely St. Louis morning.
After a wonderful servings of hot coffee, pastries, boiled eggs, fruit juice, bread, butter and of course Baobab Jam I was completely full enough to skip my lunch. Ready to return back to Dakar I quickly packed up and vacated my room, before handing over the key at the reception I shook hand with the gentleman at the reception thanking him for the wonderful service and hoping to return one day as I still had many things left to see at St. Louis. Goodbye for now, see you soon, ending this blog with few lines by Leonardo da Vinci which fits the life of Jean Mermoz.
Memories of Africa
The word “Dark Continent” struck me during my childhood, I kept wondering why Africa was called the Dark Continent. I imagined that the word dark was being referred to the colour of the skin of the people or may be that the colour of the soil was being referred to or may be that major part of the continent is not electrified which makes the night dark.
It was much later that I learnt that the word Dark Continent was being referred to the fact that most of the continent was unexplored till the late 19th century and there was a feeling of a mysterious aura around it.
I have been to the African continent twice, once in Kenya and recently to Senegal. I have found that the people of Africa are the most friendliest and welcoming. I have written quite a few blogs about Senegal and this will be dedicated to the lovely people that I met.
moment forever. Thanks to this lil boy and his mum.
Thank you for this million dollar smile, you made my day.
Thank you for allowing me to click your photograph.
Thank you for giving me this wonderful natural pose.
and was never refused. Thank you for allowing me to take your photograph.
this made this photograph a special one. Thank you for your permission.
and I managed to freeze this frame forever.
Memories of Africa cannot be completed with these few photographs, I believe that the real memory is in my head which I will cherish for the rest of my life. If you can then visit Senegal once, you will enjoy every moment. Goodbye for now, will meet again with my next blog.
Renaissance of Africa
Majestic, grandeur, humungous, huge…. These are some of the comments that you hear from people those who have visited Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine or African Renaissance Monument. I had something different in my mind when I saw this monument, it was “Ooh My God Woooooooooow”.
African Renaissance Monument – Dakar
This destination was not in my must visit list during my stay in Senegal since this place was not within a tourist trail but one needs to visit this separately and I could not plan this during the trip. I had struck this off my list till I got a surprise opportunity. After the opening ceremony of the conference it was announced that the Government of Senegal had invited all the participants to a cultural evening followed by a cocktail dinner at the African Renaissance Monument. This particular event was called “Africa sunset at Monument of African Renaissance”.
We boarded the bus that was arranged to take us to the African Renaissance Monument from the hotel. It was already 6 PM and the Sun was on its way beyond the horizon. During this particular season the sun sets around 7 – 8 PM thus we had enough time to see the sun set beyond the famous monument. It was a short ride through the city and within 15 – 20 minutes we reached African Renaissance Monument.
This monument is located in one of a twin hill locally known as Collines des Mamelles in the Cape-Vert peninsula. These hills are volcanic in nature and was created roughly around most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era. One of the hill has a light house and the other has the monument.
This monument was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby and it was promoted by then President of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade. Surprisingly this monument was constructed by North Korean construction firm Mansudae Overseas Projects. Made entirely of Bronze these are similar in construction style of the statue of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang – North Korea.
Construction started in 2006 and was finally completed in early 2010. This was inaugurated on 4th of April 2010 which is also Senegal’s National Day. This was attended by several dignitaries from various African countries. With this it became the tallest statue in Africa, it’s nearly 49 m (160ft) which is much taller than the Statue of Liberty.
The stage was set behind the monument and the evening mood was already high with beautiful Senegalese music. Equally wonderful were the starters, delicious and mouth-watering. This was slowly becoming an evening of fun, food and fabulous music. We were also in treat for some wonderful West African music and dance specially performed for all the visiting guests.
Video of the Entire Cultural Evening
We were lucky to get entertained by a wonderful group of energetic performers. Beautifully choreographed the audience were enthralled by the dedication of the young performers. We stayed there till around 10 PM and did not feel like returning to our hotel room. But had to leave since it was getting late and the busses were ready to take us back.
St. Louis Is Waiting For You
For me this place was like the New Orleans of Senegal or rather Africa. St. Louis is a go to destination if you like jazz, good food and lots of relaxation. When I got the opportunity to visit this city for an assignment while in Senegal I was ready the very next moment.
How to Reach St Louis – Senegal
You can travel either by a private taxi, shared taxi, mini bus or take a flight. It takes around 5 – 6 hours to cover around 320 kilometres of well paved road and if you take a flight then it’s just around 30 minutes. Since I was travelling with a group I did not have the luxury of travelling by any of these so I had to take a 10 hour long bus ride with multiple stops covering different villages during the trip.
By the time we reached St. Louis it was around 8 PM and the whole town was light up against the dark waters of the Senegal River. To reach St. Louis you need to cross Faidherbe Bridge which is like a landmark in itself. Once you cross this tiny two lane bridge you reach St. Louis.
Hotel De La Poste – St Louis
We were all supposed to check into a single hotel but unfortunately the hotel rooms were full and some of us could not be accommodated. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as we shifted to another hotel which in itself was a piece of history. We shifted to Hotel de la Poste which is a mini museum dedicated to an Airline Pilot who flew postal service planes during the early twentieth century to St. Louis and he always preferred this hotel. The entire hotel ambiance has been done according to air travel during the early twentieth century.
I got my key and the first thing that I did was to take a warm shower, all that long bus journey really needed to be washed off. Some of the other colleagues who were also staying at the same hotel decided to experiment for dinner and of course I agreed to join them on this culinary adventure.
St. Louis has a wonderful nightlife and being a Saturday night it was more evident. We went to a restaurant called Flamingo, this was like an eatery by the river. This place had a wonderful view of the Senegal River and Faidherbe Bridge. We were eight in number and all of us ordered varieties of fish, prawn etc. My dear friend Ardo Sow did his college degree from St. Louis so he was the de facto guide for all of us. Over dinner he gave a brief history of the place and its importance to the whole of West Africa.
History of St Louis – Senegal
St. Louis was once the capital of French Senegal during 1673 to 1902 thus this place has a rich influence of French architecture. This city was also the capital of French West Africa from 1895 to 1902. And surprisingly this city was also a temporary capital for the neighbouring Mauritania from 1920 to 1957.
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Illustration from Costumes civils actuels de tous les peuples connus, Paris
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Flamingo restaurant also have an extended pool with a bar which also doubles up as a live Jazz venue at night and this was the perfect way for us to end the evening. We spent some time enjoying the Afro Jazz which was a whole new genre to our ears.
It was way past midnight when I went to bed and from my room window I
could still see the Jazz team pumping up the crowd. This lasted till
early hours in the morning but I slept like a baby as I was really
tired.
Walking around St Louis
Woke up early next morning as I wanted to check the town before our departure. It was early in the morning and the whole town seem to have a handover from the last night’s party. Me and another friend of mine Jun took a short walk around the town. All around us we could see classic examples of French Colonial Architecture. I had seen similar styled architecture in Pondicherry with colourful building and verandas hanging over the street.
Some of the buildings were also in a very bad state of maintenance I wondered if the local administration is doing something to renovate them as these are piece of the local history.
St. Louis is also famous for their annual Jazz Festival and it was scheduled for next week and the preparation was already underway. Tents and Stages were being constructed for the mega event.
We came back to our hotel for our breakfast and we were in a visual treat. The ambience of the dining room was out of the world with planes and maps everywhere. The breakfast was good and filling with lots of tea, coffee, juice, egg, bread and Baobab jam. We were about to end when we were joined by Ardo. He promised to take us around the town once more on foot. This was something which I always wanted since having someone local will be an added advantage.
So Ardo, Jun and I set out to explore St. Louis one last time by foot, we took the small lanes and by lanes. We crossed a bridge where there were several small fishing boats locally know as Pirogues. These boats are very colourful and often have name of saints written on them. We spoke to the owner of one such boat which had just returned from a fishing trip. He proudly showed us the catch of the day.
By now the town had woken up and daily life had already started, we could see people lining up the bus and taxi stands. Also saw some opening up their shop for the day’s business.
We reached the shores of Atlantic Ocean where we were greeted by Seagulls with their signature shrieks. The emerald green and light blue transparent waters of the Atlantic were a sight which I could never forget. The Seagulls were constantly diving into the water to catch some fish and in the distance the villagers could be seen preparing their boats for the journey ahead.
We lost track of time and realized that we need to get back to the hotel and need to check out as our bus would be waiting for us to take us back to Dakar. The return journey was equally charming, saw some group of children playing football with something which actually did not resemble a football but still they enjoyed.
Reached hotel and quickly packed our bags, the busses were waiting and luckily we were not late. We took the back seat and though the trip was over but the discussion continued with Ardo and Jun.
Thanks for travelling along with me through this blog, but it’s not enough just to read my blog you need to visit St. Louis. Rather I should say St. Louis is waiting for you.
Bye from Me and Thanks to our Impromptu Guide Ardo
Baobab the African Giant
While travelling around Senegal all the locals were constantly trying to point out something out of the window and kept murmuring “Baobab….Baobab”. Since I don’t speak French or Wolof so I could not ask what exactly they were trying to tell me. During one such journey with my trusted taxi driver Pape, he stopped his taxi and pointed out of the window towards this humongous odd shaped tree and uttered “Baobab”. This is when I came to know that Baobab was like a national tree of Senegal. Baobab tree (Adansonia) grows in abundance around the whole country and with a little more research I came to know that this tree was quite common to Western Africa. Later some net searched revealed that this tree can also be found in and around Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula and to my surprise Australia also.
Baobab Tree – Senegal
On asking the locals I was told that Baobab trees produces are used in various edible products like Juice, Jam, Lalo (millet type porridge) etc. Leaves of some species of this tree can be eaten also as a vegetable while seeds of some species can be used for producing Vegetable Oil.
Products from Baobab Tree
Baobab is to the Senegalese what Coconut is to the Indians, its use can baffle you. This I learnt fist hand when I was offered a glass of while milky juice which I initially thought was made of yogurt but with a sip I knew it was something new and that I never tasted this before. This was a glass full of Baobab fruit juice. It tasted sour – sweet but nevertheless was enjoyable.
While having breakfast at a restaurant in St. Louis I also had the opportunity to taste Baobab Jam, it was bit sour but tasted good with freshly toasted bread.
About Baobab Tree
Baobab trees are unique in its look, a full grown tree usually has a humongous tree trunk up to 35 feet and very few branches and leaves on the top. Some of them grow up to 100 feet in height making them look like giant mushroom.
97% of the land in Senegal is owned by the state this in turn means that most of these tree actually grow on government land. I asked a Senegalese friend as to how the locals manage to collect the fruits without any dispute amongst each other since most of these tree do not actually belong to anyone as they are growing on government land. My friend answered that Senegalese people have an unwritten code of conduct, they will usually only collect the fruit and other produce of Baobab tree from their own vicinity and will only take what is needed from them and not in excess. This ensures that everyone had equal opportunity to enjoy the benefit of the Baobab tree. This was a real stunning revelation which I can never think of in India.
There is also a famous Baobab tree in Western Australia known as Baobab Prison Tree. In 1890’s this tree was used to impression Australian Aboriginals. This tree was used as a holding cell before the trial.
I wanted to bring a Baobab sapling back to India which was being sold for around 1000 CFA (approximately 100 INR) but I decided against it citing custom requirement to declare live plants on my way back. But I did bring back a packet of dried Baobab seed which I will use to make Baobab Juice and make my friends and family taste a slick of Africa, till then Cheers!!!.
The Slave House of Africa
House of Slaves or Maison des Esclaves is one of the prime attractions on Gorée Island, 3 km off the coast of the city of Dakar, Senegal. This is basically a small house which is set to be one of the main building used during the period of Atlantic Slave Trade. This according to locals was one of the prime locations from where the majority of African slaves were transported. However there were other such houses dotted around the Island which were also used for legal and illegal slave trades.
History of Slave Trade in Africa
Some historian believes that slave trade in Western Africa was rampant even before the arrival of the Europeans and the Americans. Usually Arab Merchants and local African Tribe Kings dealt in slave much before to the arrival of the Europeans. Some say that even though slavery is abolished it still continues in some form or the other in present times.
This page notes that there are 488 slaves on board
House of Slaves – Goree Island
House of Slaves has also been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1978. This house consists of a museum, quarters where men, women and children were kept and the famous Door of no Returns. The upper floor of the house has been converted into a museum which consists of artifacts from the slave trade era.
This house was approximately built around 1770’s and was almost in ruins until its reconstruction in the 1970’s. There has been a debate on the exact use of this house for slave trade and most historians shift the location northwards towards St. Louis. However Goree Island was still used as one of the ports for transportation of slaves to the Americas.
The Door of No Returns in the house was believed to be the last a slave saw of continent of Africa. They were made to walk on a plank of wood which lead them to the slave ships. Thus it’s called The Door of No Returns since once the slave crosses this door there is no turning back. This house also has different rooms specifically built to house different type of slaves like young men, young girls, children, men, women etc. There is also a room built specifically to punish the offenders. Other rooms include the main office where the slaved were measured and divided in groups accordingly.
in this October 12, 2012 file picture. (Reuters)
I was stunned for few moments once inside the house, I had heard about slave trade but this was my first experience of felling what slave life was really like. The sheer level of how humanity can stoop to a level where it slaves its own kind is beyond imagination. As I went from room to room I had a chill running down my spine just by imagining that the sheer number of families that were torn apart just for fulfilling the requirement of labors by the ruling class. Men, women, children etc. were all segregated and kept under locks in separate rooms. Even infants were separated from their parents and sold as a separate category.
The Door of No Return was an eerie experience altogether, just imagine that it would the last step you would ever take on your soil, your homeland and that you will never return. What was worse was that nearly thirty percent of the slaves never made it alive to the other shores. Either they were dead due to sickness or were flogged to death. And to make it much worse it still continues today somewhere or the other… just think about it.
The Colours of Goree
Goree or Île de Gorée is one of the major tourist attractions of Senegal. Its basically an island located two kilometers from the Dakar Port and one needs to take a short ride on a ferry to reach the island. Though this is relatively a small island but people do live here and there is a thriving local community who of course depend heavily on tourism for their survival. Goree is classified as one of the districts within Dakar city.
A visit to this island was always in my list of must to do when visiting Senegal so from the very beginning I started looking out for opportunities to check it out. The day I reached Dakar I did not have any other activity planned so I just reached my hotel kept my luggage and was out to visit this tiny yet significant island.
How to Reach Goree Island
Just outside my hotel I met the first taxi driver and deployed all my best linguistic ability to explain to him that I wanted to go to Goree. Unfortunately he could not understand anything and after few minutes of explanation I gave up. It is then that I happen to meet Pape, a friendly French speaking Taxi driver who could understand few words of English. After initial rounds of negotiation I agreed to pay him 7,000 CFA (INR 700) for a pick and drop to the Dakar port. We used the calculator in our mobile phone to negotiate since we both could not understand the numerical.
As a suggestion I would always recommend any traveler to have a good rapport with your taxi driver since you never know he can be your biggest asset. I usually prefer to sit next to the taxi driver since I get a good view for photography and also can have a good conversation with the taxi driver.
It took around thirty minutes to reach Dakar port and to my surprise the roads were well paved and relatively empty.
Ferry to Goree Island
On reaching the port I could see the ferry ready for departure and hurried to the ticket counter. The ticket counter has clear signboard indicating the price for a return ticket. If you are a Senegalese citizen you pay around 2,700 CFA but if you are a tourist you need to pay 5,200 CFA for a return journey. I made a quick purchase of a return ticket and ran to the jetty to catch the ferry. The ferry had already started its departure and the last bit I had to jump to reach the decks.
I could see many school children on board and on inquiry I came to know that they were all going for a school trip to Goree. It seems that Goree is a very popular destination for school trips as it gives a rich history about the past.
Goree Island is situated behind to Cape Vert Peninsula which is the Western most point of the African continent. It’s relatively a small land mass measuring 900 metres/3,000 feet in length and 350 meter es/1,165 feet. You can easily walk around the entire island within few hours.
The ferry ride was smooth and the clean blue Atlantic water stole my heat. The water was so clear that I could see the fishes swimming around the ferry. All around I could see huge gigantic container ships emptying there cargo at Dakar Port. It took around twenty five minutes to reach the island, the ride was quite enjoyable as you can see the entire Dakar skyline at the distance.
Goree Island
On reach the Goree Island the local authorities guided us to the ticket counter where we had to pat 500 CFA as island tax. The money collected is used for maintenance of the old buildings in the island. There were swarms of guides ready to take you around but since I had already done my research so I skipped the guide part.
French Colonial Building of Goree
The beauty of Goree Island are its building which were constructed during the second half of the 18th Century. These buildings are a perfect example of French colonial style architecture and creates a patterns of color throughout the Island.
History of Goree Island
Goree Island was one of the centerpiece of the 17th century slave trade in Western Africa though there are some historians who debate this. Historians often claim St. Louis to be the main hub for slave trade in Africa. Goree was also used as a major port for exporting ivory, peanuts etc. thus even before the French the Portuguese and the Dutch were in these islands creating settlements.
Places to Visit Around Goree Island
This island however is most famous for House of Slaves (Maison des esclaves) which many claim to be one of the main building in the island used for salve trade. Other attractions include Cinquez House, Estrees Fort, Maritime Museum, Military Battery, Public Garden, St. Charles Church and Castet.
The main charm of the island are its buildings and these are best enjoyed by walking around so take enough time in your hand to look around. You can buy souvenirs but ensure you bargain a lot, usually its half of what they ask.
Keep the ferry timings in mind so that you need not wait much at the harbor. You can also relax in some of the restaurants that line the harbor with a grilled fish and can of soda.
Next I will be back with a blog on House of Slaves which is one of the prime attractions of Goree Island. Till then have fun and a happy reading…
The Pink Lake of Africa
Pink Lake of Dakar – Senegal
One of the places that I wanted to surely visit when I got the opportunity to visit Senegal was Lake Retba or Lac Rose which literary means “Pink Lake”. I really could not imagine that a lake would be pink and checked on Google search that indeed it was pink. I had a real tight schedule and the only time I got to go around the city was during the lunch breaks. I usually had a real heavy breakfast and skipped the lunch in order to utilize the time for some local sightseeing. Wolof and French are the two languages which are used in Senegal and unfortunately I could not speak any of them. Wolof is the local West African language which was impossible for me to figure out so the next best option was French. Well speaking of French I knew only two words Bon Voyage and Bon Appétit. Luckily I managed to get a cab driver who could understand few words of English and negotiate using the calculator in the mobile phone. He agreed for a round trip for 20,000 CFA which roughly translates to 2000 Indian Rupees. This was a good deal considering that I would travelling exclusively and he would be my unofficial guide.
Reaching Lac rose – Lake Retba
Though he would speak French as a guide but I would imagine and assume what he would say. I had informed Pape (the cab driver) to pick me up from the hotel at around 12.30 PM and strictly professional he was waiting outside. I usually seat in front next to the driver as that would give me the best view of the surroundings and also would let me break into some conversation with Pape about Senegal. Do not under estimate the roads and infrastructure of Africa, we were travelling 100 + KMPH on four lane high ways with the most dynamic view of the city. It took a little more than one hour to reach Pink Lake and from a distance it really did not look that pink. As we were driving next to the lake shore sometimes the lake really looked pink. I got down and looked at the lake waters carefully and found that the lake water looks pink if you look at it from a particular angle. It is also dependent on the position of the sun and the wind factor.
The Reason For the Red Color
The colour pink is caused by Dunaliella Salina Algae which prefers salt water. This lake known for its high salt content, up to 40% in some areas. You can see men with boats going around the lake collecting salt and taking to the shore to dry. The salt content is considered higher than Dead Sea thus logically you won’t drown. I avoided the swimming part since I was travelling all alone and wanted to avoid leaving by backup unattended.
All around the lake there were huge salt mounds and men could be seen shovelling the wet salt to dry them under the sun. I tried tasting the water and it was extremely salty, so much so that my hand had become sticky with the salt. You can go for a boat ride on the lake if you please, also there were the provision for driving a 4X4 dune motorbike over the sand dunes. Pink Lake is separated from the Atlantic by a narrow strip of sandy desert so you can also feel the experience of mini desert.
Colour of the lake depends on the seasons, it is more prominent during November to June and is less visible during the rainy season July to October.
There are many hotels and restaurant around the lake, if you wish to you can spend a night or two enjoying its beauty for a longer time. This will also allow you to go for a quick swim in the lake as most of the hotels have showers installed outside to clean up the salt.
aces of Ndiael
The night before our departure I was super excited and had already finished up packing for the next day field trip. We were scheduled to depart at 05.00 AM thus I had set my alarm to 04.00. I went to bed early since I had to wake up early the next morning.
Disaster starts early
All of a sudden I wake up and I felt something wrong, somehow in the
dark I found my mobile phone to see the time. I was in for a shock it
was 4.45 AM and my alarm did not go off, by mistake I had set my alarm
to 4.00 PM. Luckily since the night before I had already packed up my
basic thus took just 10 minutes to head out.
At the reception lobby
the local organizers instructed us to have a quick bite as breakfast was
already served at the hotel itself. Somehow I managed to grab a piece
of bread and head to one of the three busses that had been arranged for
the trip.
Making new friends
Somehow field trips always help to make better friends. Mr. Zahid Hassan (Bangladesh), Mr. Jun Virola (Philipines) & Ms. Mirgul Amanalieva (Kyrgyzstan) were some of the few participants in the bus and became known from unknown within minutes. There were also Spanish speaking participants from Guatemala, Argentina & El Salvador. From Africa we had participants from Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Senegal. Mr. Ardo Sow was the guide for our bus and luckily he could speak Spanish, English, French and Wolof. Not only was he our guide but later he was like a translator of the history of the region.
The journey starts
The bus was scheduled to depart at 05.00 PM but ultimately started at 05.30 PM. Lunch was provided to us in brown lunch packets before the departure. It was still dark outside when the wheels started rolling and within minutes we reached Autoroute à péage which is a four lane toll high way across the country. It was nice to see Senegal developing an effective road infrastructure.
We get our first break after around two hours of drive at a Gas Station. Some of us took this opportunity to look around the country side and some headed straight to the diner to grab a bite.
Changes in landscape
By now the landscape outside the window has changed dramatically, sitting inside the air conditioned bus we could only see and not feel the heat outside. All we could see were sand and shrubs wherever we looked. Occasionally there were few huts and livestock around some green patches of land. I kept wondering how the local population in this region survive such harsh environment.
We make an unscheduled stop at a rural livestock market. This comes as a good opportunity for us to see the daily life of the local population. Even though we did not understand the language but we were welcomed as a visitor.
West Africa Farms
All of a sudden in the distance I see a green patch of land and the bus takes a left turn. At the entrance we could see the flags of Senegal and South Africa and this announced that we have arrived at our first destination of West Africa Farms.
The moment we stepped outside the bus we could feel the heat of the desert sand all around us. We quickly proceeded towards a large group of men and women who had gathered under a tent. We were guided inside one of the concrete house in-between the farm.
We were then shown a presentation about the development done by West Africa Farms, as the manager was busy attending the naming ceremony of his child. This was also the last harvest day which all the villagers celebrate together along with a grand feast.
The presentation showed how the land which was not much suited for agriculture was transformed by using modern technology and digging a 2.5 KM canal to bring in water for the vegetables that were being grown over there. Refrigeration and packaging stations were also installed which ensured the freshness of the produce. West Africa farms had also helped rebuild the local school with better infrastructure as a part of the community development initiative.
We were taken around the farm in a tractor carriage and we could see the first hand use of modern technology and the result it has shown in this arid desert region.
At the end we were taken to the canal which had helped to bring the much needed water to this farm changing the entire landscape.
The sun was at its peak but we enjoyed the ride around the farm, we could see the vastness of the total project and could only imagine how the entire landscape would look when the entire project area would be complete.
As we proceeded to board our bus to go to our next destination I kept
thinking about the future of West Africa Farms. If this project truly
delivers back to the local community then this project is a real success
in terms of a PPP model.
Municipality of Ngnith
We arrive at a village community hall of the Municipality of Ngnith where we were joined by the Mayor and the Manager of the Program. Some village elders also joined in for a discussion and a debate. This place was very near to Lac de Guiers and the lake could be clearly seen beyond the community hall.
Most of the conversation were in Wolof and were subsequently translated into English and Spanish. Things began to heat up as we could clearly see two groups of elders debating over the submission of land towards the project. While the moderators were trying to balance the discussion I could clearly see some opposition of the entire concept.
It was clear that some of them were clearly against the program while others were inspired from the West Africa Farms project and wanted to join up. It was clear to me that the local community were not taken into confidence while this project was being rolled out. While some saw the benefit of it, others saw the negative impact that it will have on the local community.
Some of the village members were discussing about the old contract between West Farm Africa and the local community. It was clear that some of them did not respect that contract. There was an intense argument about this between the opposing groups.
The moderator requested the village elders to limit the arguing in
front of the visitors to which they all agreed and we were thanked for
the visit. By now it was 03.00 PM and we were very tired by the constant
travelling since early morning. We ate our packed lunches which we were
handed over in the morning inside the bus. We were told that next we
were going to see the villages directly affected by the land grab.
Road to nowhere
After travelling for a while the bus leaves the paved road and starts the journey in the desert sands. We could feel every bump on the surface and felt as if we were in some cross country rally. All we could see were sand and shrubs all around us. After few minutes of driving we came across the land which was a part of the local land grab process.
Niouroukhlene Village
We reached Niouroukhlene Village which mostly comprised of semi-nomadic herders. We could see goats, cows and other livestock surrounding basic mud style houses. The entire land was very dry and all around I could only see sand and shrubs. Life for these people must be very hard since with very less vegetation managing livestock can be a real challenge. Another challenge for them was the availability of drinking water which I assumed was scarce.
Members of the local village as well as from nearby villages had all gathered up along with the village elders to welcome us. We were introduced to the community leaders and they one by one started to tell us their daily difficulties.
We were told how private security guards prevent them from grazing
their goats and often they get injured with the razor wires that
surround the vast land that they have taken under their control. Also
they have difficulty in accessing water for daily use.
We were told
that this land that was in question was a protected land and how
lobbyist managed to get the signature of the President declaring this
protected land out of the forest area thus making it available for
private use. We were told that on the day of the announcement of
election results the private firms managed to secure the necessary
signatures for this change.
It was very evident that the local community were very much against this land acquisition and this was more like a land grab from the local community. This project was never in favour of the development of the local community and its only main interest was to increase profitability with minimum contribution to the local community.
We were offered milk to drink which was real touching for me since
amidst this difficulty and hardship the villagers were very welcoming.
Senhuile-Senethanol
By the time we finish up it was evening and the sun was about to go below the horizon. All of us were really tired so we all wanted to quickly reach Saint Louis so that we can take a fresh shower and relax. We could hardly imagine how these people in the village could survive for days and months with so little water.
As we were going past the desert roads we came across the acquired land by Senhuile-Senethanol we had to take a short cut to reach the main road leading to Saint Louis but we were stopped by the armed guards. The local team tried to rationalize with the security guards to let us through but they did not allow. They were visibly attentive and could be seen raising their automatic weapons as a sign of domination. Some of us got down from our bus to see what the real issue was but were requested to get back on the bus by the local team just to avoid any direct confrontation.
With no other option we turned back and the bus had to take the long
route back to the high way. On our way we passed in front of the Senhuile-Senethanol project site which was visibly large with a substantial presence of security personnel.
St. Louis
By the time we reached St. Louis it was 09.30 PM and all of us just wanted to take some good night’s rest. As luck would have it the hotel which we were supposed to stay was full and not all could be accommodated. I was amongst the lucky eight who did not find a room so we set off to another hotel which was just beside the Senegal River with the most fantastic view of the bridge. I guess this last minute change was a blessings in disguise after all.
After a quick shower we headed for a quick dinner at a restaurant nearby and at the dinner table it was like as if the world had assembled there since we had representation from almost all part of the globe. This was also an opportunity for all of us to discuss over dinner the day’s event. It was good to hear different perspective about the whole experience. We were lucky to have Mr. Ardo with us who happen to do his college from St. Louis and gave us the history of the town.
St. Louis was originally the capital of French West Africa and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I requested Ardo to join some of us for a quick walk around the town next day morning before we depart for Dakar.
Time to head back to Dakar
Some of us got up early since we wanted to see around St. Louis thus after an early breakfast we went for short walk. We saw up close the local fishing community and the marvellous breath-taking French style buildings.
We left for Dakar at around 9.30 AM from St. Louis and on our way back we stopped at a rural market where we were able to purchase some authentic village souvenirs.
While returning we decided to have some fun and keeping in mind the
diversity of the occupants in the bus we decided to sing our national
anthem individually. It was real nice feeling to hear national anthems
from Bangladesh, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Guatemala, Argentina, Burkina
Faso, Senegal, Madagascar, Chile and Peru.
Wrapping it all up
For me this outbound trip was a sort of an eye opener. We were out in the open for may be few hours and we had real difficulty in adjusting to the harsh climate whereas the locals were facing the same hardship every single day. They don’t have any high inspirations they just want a piece of land for the livestock to graze and perhaps a few drops of water to drink. State and the society is unable to provide even this basic necessity and we must ensure that.
Since most of the discussions were in Wolof thus I had to rely on the translator to interpret thus there may be some discrepancy since many important facts can be lost in translation. If you see any incorrect facts then please get in touch with me which I shall change accordingly.
Subhadip Mukherjee represented Swadhina (www.swadhina.org.in) as volunteer coordinator at ILC – Global Land Forum 2015 – Dakar, Senegal.
Get in touch with me at subhadipindia@gmail.com
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