Allo Europa, here it’s Africa! It’s true that here we are in another planet. Dakar and Hann bay, so beautiful but so polluted, the old town which seems not to have changed since 50 years, and time do its work, surburbs with rutted streets, small shops like shanty town, crumbled taxis, the nonetheless crumbled “fast buses”, the inumerable lines of overloaded lorries…And there is life, small jobs, kids, extraordinairy birds. After 2 weeks doing the unavoidable repairs, formalities, curing the influenza, for sure we cought in the clear water, and enjoying the Cercle de la Voile de Dakar, we take the heading to the mouth of the river Saloum, in company of the pirogues, where the men seem to be standing out of the sea……We were told it could be difficult with our draft , but we went trough the 2 passages, in and out, without any problem. The same for the Casamance where we take taste in sailing with imprecise, if not false charts, with the help of the informations of residents and on the color of the water. It’s wonderful the Casamance, with villages as you could imagine, huts of palms roofs, well maintained folds and yards, the kids everywhere, leading us to visit their domain, hens that Dick try to catch, goats….There is Elinkine, with its pirogues being built, its fish market and shanties where you can always find what you are looking for.. Ziguinchor, demeaning city, where all goes to abandon, paradise for birds which grow in the trees, but where, here also, you can find everything. People are kind, especially in the villages. In towns life is harder, there is nearly none infrastructure, no cleaning up…It’s hot, between 35° and 38° C, we are sweating day and night, but we made the choice ! Soon it will be Tabaski (Aïd El Kebir), and all the sheep which are grazing and bleat will soon be butchered, we will hide somewhere….You can understand it, we love Africa, she bewitch us.
Soon Gambia, then Bijagos islands, and then it will be time in thinking of crossing.
