Boat ride from Dakar to l'ile de Goree.
The vendors started their charming before we even stepped on the boat. I meet Fatima - she sells beautiful necklaces for a good price - and I was supposed to find her on the island. Not surprisingly, she ended up finding me. I didn't buy one of her necklaces, even though she wasn't lying - they were gorgeous, and cheap. I figure I have a few months to start my collection.
The building on the right edge of the island is the Musee Historique. The island has no cars, and is peaceful escape from the honking and shouting in the streets of Dakar.
I was overwhelmed by how much this island felt like a peaceful, Mediterranean resort town. Judging from all the European sunbathers, I'm not the only one.
I don't know whether this is a good thing or not. Clearly, the island is more of a tourist trap than some may like, but at the same time it is attracting visitors who are able to learn about the history of the slave trade and of Western Africa in general. I will admit it felt more like I was on a family vacation, than in a college class, but I did not just go there for the cheap jewelry.
This is the "porte pour un voyage sans retour" - the door of no return. Even this Maison des Esclavages is bathed in beautiful colors. This was one of the houses in which slaves were brought, compared and sold. Most of the houses along the coast were similar slave houses, although many have now been turned into restaurants, hotels, shops and homes for the local residents.
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