Senegal from Dakar to Ziguinchor
Oh Dakar, sunny seaside city with such a clear sky,
Your reddish sun illuminates the plaster walls of your scorching city,
Your Presidential Palace impresses with the beauty of its white façade,
Watched over by the harnessed spahis of the Red Guard, rifles at their hips.
Off the coast of Dakar, Gorée Island is home to the history
of African slaves and their extremely harsh lives.
France seized the island in 1677, followed by the English
before it became French again in 1815.
Known for its dark past, the island housed the "captives"
who guarded slaves before their deportation.
The "House of Slaves" and its "Gate of No Return"
details the inhumane life of detention.
The "Trans-Gambian" road will take us along the small coast
to M'Bour, a large fishing village,
where the nearby seaside resort of Saly, with its beaches
beneath the coconut trees, attracts dreamy tourists.
On the Saloum Delta, Kaolak occupies a central position
for the cultivation of American peanuts.
In the vastness of the savannah, the Blue Mosque was erected
by the Tijani brotherhood of the Niassene.
On the banks of the Bandiala, one of the arms of the Saloum,
welcome to Toubacouta, the pearl of the delta.
A small village bordered by abundant mangroves
and its small green island, a "bird resting place."
Hundreds of pelicans, egrets, gulls, and herons vie
for a spot to spend the night, up above.
On other islands, you can see red and green monkeys, hyenas, turtles, and even dolphins celebrating.
Crossing the Gambia River
by the old, overcrowded Farafeni ferry is a unique and stressful experience.
The Gambia, the smallest country in West Africa, stretches 15 to 25 km
on either side of the river.
The former British colony, independent since 1965,
has a large, struggling Muslim population.
The capital, Banjul, is a place full of contrasts,
with dirty, unpaved streets and dilapidated housing.
It's in Casamance, near Oussouye, that we will discover
the "teranga" of the cordial Senegalese.
A very friendly hospitality that will allow us to share at the camp
a meal of "tiboudienne" with rice, vegetables, and fish.
For the night in Diola country, we will sleep on mats in a mud hut
closed by a simple curtain.
The morning bath will be carried out in the communal shower
with water stored high up in a large container.
Diembéring, "the beautiful village reflected in the clear stream
and perched in the foliage amidst the shade."
With its magnificent white sand beach and coconut palms,
the fishing village of Cap Skirring has welcomed
the Club Med of "bobos."
From Ziguinchor, multicolored canoes lead
to the island of Karabane, a living from haggling.
In this Gorée of Casamance, the former slave prison
brings to life the spirit of colonial vestiges.
Aboard a beautifully painted green, yellow, and red canoe,
with its "bët," a protective eye at the front,
we will set off into the jungle at water's edge, the "bolongs,"
river branches, and galleries of giant mangrove trees.
In this mangrove swamp where the Diola women pick oysters
in bunches from the deep roots.
Around the wood fire on the mangrove stumps,
we will eat them cooked in their steaming shells.
Guy PUJOL says l’ARIÉ….JOIE