Friday Ferry

After our wonderful dinner with our brand new extended family in Dakar, we returned to the room and discussed whether we would return to the Village des Arts in the morning to buy the Alpha Sow ceramic pot and have it shipped home. In the process of agonizing over the decision, w looked up the history of the CFA exchange rate. A few years ago a dollar bought over 700 CFA's. As recently as last year the dollar bought over 520 CFA's. Today a dollar is worth only 446 CFA's. We decided to sleep on it.

It was not a restful sleep. I dreamed of George W Bush, wearing an old Texas Rangers baseball uniform, swinging a baseball bat in Alpha Sow's studio, smashing all of his beautiful ceramic work, only pausing between swings for a smug, smirking, shoulder-shrugging laugh “heh, heh, heh, heh.” I woke up in a cold sweat.

Our discussion resumed over coffee in the morning. Finally Sigrid said: “We are buying the pot. Lets go”

“Yes, of course...” I thought. “This is wise. If we do not buy the pot, it means that George W Bush has won.”

In front of the hotel we negotiate for a taxi among the dozens of cabs and drivers waiting. Mindful of the prior day's experience in Joff, I do a walk around inspection of the cabs, rejecting several for items like low tire inflation, overly cracked windshields, or insufficient duck tape holding on the bumper. We decide on a relatively clean and new looking cab and settle into the back seat. The driver inserts the key and we hear a familiar sound click-click-click-click. A dead battery. Sigrid and I reflexively jump for the door handles. The driver turns in his seat, waves his hand and says “No no no.” Three other drivers are behind the cab pushing. He drops the clutch and we are again careening through Dakar traffic. The driver says “My uncle drove you yesterday.”

“No” I think "This cannot be possible." I take a good look around the cab. We are riding in the exact same cab that stranded us in Joff the day before.

Long short. We bought the pot, arranged and paid for shipping, and will just hope for the best. The cab started immediately after closing the deal, and we got back to the hotel without incident.

For the afternoon we arranged with Malik N'Gor Faye to tour Goree Island – the slave island.

I'll include a few pictures here of the ferry ride over, but they do not do the tour justice. We have more pictures and video which will have to wait, probably until the end of the trip.

The ferry to Goree Island, and the Best Boat Name ever.

Our guide Malick, on the boat (on the left). Great guy. Speaks Japanese among many other languages.

The Goree Diaspora Festival was taking place while we were on the island. There is much more I would like to add, but time and internet access is running out. Someday.