Senegal (1) - Dakar

So, I’m back from my trip to Senegal. Of course I can’t resist … I have to make a new exception to what normally here should concentrate on Paris.

First some general comments about the country: Some 13 million inhabitants. Independent since 1960. Beautiful country, fantastic climate during the dry winter months, smiling and friendly people... Islam is the dominating religion, but in a “soft” version and Muslims and Christians live peacefully together. French is the official language, but several other languages are present, the dominating one being Wolof.

A first post will be about Dakar, capital of French West Africa since 1902 and of the independent Senegal since 1960, with some 2.5 million inhabitants.

Of course, the city has also some modern areas with calmer streets, but as a tourist you are of course attracted by the tumultuous street life in the older parts of the city, e.g. in the “Plateau”, where I stayed in a nice little hotel. You have a feeling to be on a market place wherever you go. We shall not forget that the city faces the Atlantic Ocean; you are never far from a beach.