Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula, South Africa

Cape of Good Hope/ Kaap van Goeie Hoop/ Cabo da Boa Esperança

Banjul, Gambia

Nouakchott, Mauritania

Nouakchott, Mauritania

Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria

Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria

Mursi, Ethiopia

 

 Mursi, Ethiopia

5 Unexpected Things about Dakar, Senegal

By Rachael Cullins
Rachael Cullins of Girl, Guy, Globe shares some unexpected experiences while living in Dakar, Senegal as an expat.



Set on a hill overlooking the ocean, the huge African Renaissance Monument looms over the city

The city of Dakar, Senegal is often called the “Paris of West Africa.” But don’t let the (nick)name fool you – I’ve been to Paris and I live in Dakar, and Dakar is no Paris. This crazy, fun, loud, dirty burg perched on the Atlantic Ocean has plenty of excitement and surprises for travelers – but the City of Lights it ain’t. Here are five unexpected things about Dakar that make it a destination all unto its own.

1. The absolute giganticness of the African Renaissance Monument
The stats help tell the tale of its size – 160 feet tall, bigger than the Statue of Liberty, the tallest monument in Africa – but they still don’t compare with seeing the monstrosity in person. The statue is perched on top of steps on top of a hill, and in a city with virtually no other tall structures, it stands out, to say the least. Climb to the top to get some fantastic breezes.

(to be continued)

Trans Africa expedition 15

The people of Ghana seemed really friendly and laid back, they also spoke English which was quite a treat after so much time in ex-French colonies. Apart from the beaches, the real highlight of Ghana was visiting the infamous slaving forts of Fort Metal Cross, Elmina and Cape Coast. The slaving forts built over 300 years ago were interesting but saddening. The dungeons where hundreds of slaves would be crammed were inhumanely small and unventilated - the conditions must have been unimaginably squalid. The slaves were kept in these conditions to 'break' them before they were loaded onto the ships as cargo.
 From the Ghanaian coast we headed inland up to the Akosombo Dam which has formed one of the largest man made lakes in the world. We enjoyed an interesting tour of the dam and then traveled to Kpalimé in Togo. We entered Togo on 3rd April and after spending a pleasant day in Kpalimé headed down to Lomé, the capital. Togo is regarded as the heartland of voodooism, so we decided to visit the famous fetish market in Lomé. The market was packed with bones, dried pieces of animals and other talismans - quite eerie! Some of the skulls looked as though they could have been human! We both agreed it would not be a good idea to upset anyone around the market, we didn't fancy having a spell placed over us.

Next we crossed the border into Benin and traveled along the coast to the capital, Cotonou. From Cotonou we visited Ganvie, the largest and most beautiful of all lake villages in Africa. Inhabited by more than 10,000 people, it is built entirely on stilts in the middle of a lagoon. We caught a pirogue out to the village where we saw the people and their houses at close range. The colorful floating vegetable market was an interesting sight. Back in the capital we had a luxury day at the Sheraton and telexed the overland trip to arrange our rendezvous in Nigeria...