Senegal is a fascinating country with breathtaking natural beauty, rich cultural fusion, and warm-hearted people.

I introduce Senegal from the photos of my memories.

I went to Senegal in February 2020. The cities we visited were Dakar, the capital, and Tambacounda, a confluence city of transportation. The language is French and the currency is the CFA franc.

Cityscape of the capital Dakar. Depending on the time of day it can be crowded. The inside of the car will probably be crowded as well. Buses were always over 150% occupied.

Even if you go out, it takes a lot of time to get through Dakar. Even though it is a short distance, it may take 5 hours if you are not good at it.

For some reason, the buildings that I could see while driving on the road were often under construction.

Senegal is known for its beautiful sea. Chilled beer is the best in the relaxing air in front of the sea.

Speaking of Gorée Island, it is a negative asset that prospered as a base for the slave trade. When you actually go to the island, you can feel the value of the island that makes you doubt whether it was so.

Artworks were sold everywhere, and the island was just like Senegal, except for some buildings and facilities.

It’s a long distance bus. This is a bus that connects three cities, but I didn’t know how it works, so I ended up in an unbelievable place.

With advance tickets, seats are reserved, the departure time is on time, and the arrival time seems to vary from time to time. There is a break time on the way, and it does not mean that you arrive at the site while sleeping.

So-called “road meal” to eat in the blue sky. This shop was a French bread sandwiched with a mountain of ingredients. My mother is a so-called chef, and the people around me are customers, but no one said anything and waited for their sandwiches. It’s a little humorous, but somehow it felt like Senegal.

A scene that embodies eating rice from the same pot. I was able to make friends that I had never imagined, and we were able to eat together. It’s interesting to go to a city you don’t know by mistake.

People selling drinks on the street. I often see them overseas. And when I see it, I try to buy it.

I had no idea what was in it, how much it was, or what it tasted like until I ordered it. When I drank it, it tasted like black tea. It’s a unique taste that I can’t say anything about, but this was good.

A cheap guest house. The bed was too simple, the second floor was high and the walls were fragile and scary.

By the way, it was a time when the new coronavirus infection (COVID‑19) was about to spread, so I have a good memory of being kicked out for sanitizing.

The tropical island “Ile de Ngor” is called Little Okinawa. This is my best memory in Senegal.

Although it is a small island, there are wall paintings, block walls made of Ryukyu limestone, and palm trees. The blazing sun was hot and the surrounding sea was beautiful, like Hawaii and Okinawa.

The last is a really mysterious statue “Monument de la Renaissance Africaine”. It was too big anyway. The 52-meter-tall bronze and copper monument was built in 2010 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Senegal’s independence. It is located at the end of the stairs. The colossus looking up from there was quite spectacular.

2023-09-25

Senegal: Senegal is surrounded by vibrant colors and rhythms. Learn about Dakar’s gorgeous roads and the history of Gorée Island, and enjoy the coral reef sea