Goree

Today we went to Goree Island, 20 minutes from Dakar on a ferry. The architecture there is colonial - clapboard-style shutters on brick painted green and red/pink. There are no cars on the island, and only a few small boutiques to buy sodas and snacks, a few restaurants, and a market where merchants say things like, "Come to my store, good price!" and then proceed to try to seriously rip you off. This is because Goree is a big tourist destination, so most of the time, this probably works.

We also visited the National Museum of Women, or something, which had exhibits on "The Joy of Being a Mother" and tons of kinda scary-looking mannequins wearing traditional dress. I wanted to see exhibits concerning women's rights and history, but the exhibits were mainly objects, like baskets and stoves used by women in villages. Interesting, but not exactly what I was expecting to see (or wanting to see).

We visited an old fort that had some scary-looking human skeletons on display, and then spent the rest of the day in the sun, fighting off vendors trying to sell us bracelets and other stuff we didn't really want.

Now I'm back in Dakar, and excited for our 10-day trip that starts tomorrow. We're going to a village, Thies, and Saint Louis, and I'm excited to travel!

Also, I discovered a beach last week in Dakar that is beautiful. Once you get away from the traffic and the crowds, Dakar can be pretty gorgeous.