Senegal- Saly-Joal- Ile de Goree- Dakar

Our last days in senegal... we are quite sad to leave, its reallynice here. Warm beautiful and the people are friendly, relaxed and laid back.
We will try to post a short film tomorrow when we have a stronger internet connection.
These pictures are of our last days visiting some really interesting sites in Senegal like the Island of Joal made entirely from sea-shels. Formed over hundreds by locals who each almost only eat shelfishsimply throwing out the shelses after eating. The Island is still growning slowly, its also famous for its cemetary were Muslims and Christians are burried (in shels again as there is no soil) side by side. The Mosque and Church are also minuets appart. Every one gets along fine, christians marry muslims and vice verse. Wouldn't it be nice if we could get along this well in the rest of the Wolrd! But this is a very Senegalian mentality, they are laid back, not into agression or confrontation. There president fills his pockets with money, there are constant power cuts people are starving he simply taxes them more and becomes richer and the people poorer. Instead of paying to fix the power station or sending food or have safe running water he builds a massive 17million euro statue out of bronze, he doenst even pay people here the 17 million to have it made. Its made in North Korea of all places. Despite all this they do not revolt or resort to violence.  They are to gentle and peaceful for this, perhap to extremely gentle but I think we can all take a page out of there book when it comes to getting along with different religions.

Then today we went to the Island of Goree, a strategically vital Island outpost for the slave trade fought over and occupied at different times but the Dutch, British but mainly by the French. More than 8 Million slaves passed through the Island, most going to the America's with nearly 3 million alone to Brasil. But also Europe and Asia. We visited the tiny dark cels were they were cramed into, as well as the fattening room. To get a good price for slaves any one under 60kg was chained so the could not move and fed until they were heavy enough to be sold for a good price. We saw the door of no return and the alley way that would be filled with soldier who would force the slaves through onto the boats any one who tried to escape or not go through the door was beaten to death, shot or thrown in the water (most locals can't swim) after they went throught that door they left Africa for the last time never to return. When you stand there and think about how many people had passed through that door it was eary you can feel it in the pit of your stomach its quite moving...

xxx
D&S

L'ile de Joal

Ile de Goree