On Sunday, we had a group trip to Gorée Island. The island is well-known among tourists as a historical destination for the role it played in the Atlantic slave trade. Once reaching the island, we were taken to the Maison des Esclaves (the house of slaves). Along with hundreds of other tourists (I haven't seen so many tourists since I arrived in Senegal), we squeezed through the doors and went in. I was overwhelmed not by the significance of the site (there is a 'door of no return' which opens out right onto the ocean), but by the number of tourists. the place was overrun and past capacity. The moments i had to myself were pleasant but I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. The island itself is quite beautiful. The homes are brightly colored and there are a number of artists/merchants on the island. Everything is overpriced but we had a great time exploring on our own, walking up to the top of the dormant volcano on the island, climbing on the largest cannon in Africa and especially hanging out and diving off a pier near the beach. I also got to take some more photos which always makes me happy.
Also, to see more of my photos for those of you who don't have facebook, follow these links:
Gorée Island
Les Almandines
Île Ngor
La Corniche
Marché HLM
Mermoz et Ouakam
Orchestra Baobab et Centre-Ville
1 comment:
Such great photographs! Thank you for letting us see Senegal with you. Take care.
amiasuv
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