Goree Island, Dakar

On Sunday we were up early and in a taxi for 7 o’clock to take us to Mbour to get a set plase to take us the hour and a half journey into Dakar. We arrived in Dakar just after 9 o’clock being a Sunday the traffic wasn’t as bad as on week days. We then had quite a walk to the centre to then get our bearings to see where the port was as we were going to take the ferry to Goree Island which is just a short thirty minute trip from the mainland. Once on the island we started to explore, there are no tarmac roads so no cars only narrow cobblestone alleyways. The buildings are very colonial in structure with little wrought iron balconies set in little courtyards. Although idilic the ancient buildings bear witness to the island’s role in the Atlantic slave trade. We walked along cobblestone pathways passing paintings and sculptures on display by local artists. Then we walked up a slight rise to the top of the island where we had an excellent view across the sea to the city of Dakar. Here there were the remains of a fortification and huge WW11 guns which had played a part in the sinking of a British warship in the bay of Dakar. As we were walking back down the cobblestones there was a huge pelican which we managed to get close enough to get a good picture of. We walked back to the bay and the French fortification and stopped for a drink in one of the many beachside restaurants.