I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation

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Did Karen Carpenter have one of the most beautiful voices in the world, or what? I digress before I’ve even begun!
I am still enjoying life in Dakar…so much so that I haven’t updated this blog in over a month! This time I thought I’d share my neighborhood. I’m a city girl at heart but nowadays I find myself safely ensconced in the West African version of suburbia. My neighborhood is called Les Mamelles (that’s “breasts” for my non Francophone friends). Locals say the name for the quartier, located northeast of downtown Dakar, came from the actual lay of the land. Here, there are two large hills and people say that if Senegal were a woman then Les Mamelles would be her breasts.
Lighthouse enthusiasts are already well aware of this quiet little suburb as Les Mamelles is home to the famous Phare des Mamelles, said to be the strongest lighthouse in all of Africa responsible for safely guiding ships around the western tip of the continent.
I recently made the surprisingly pleasant hike to the top where breathtaking panoramic views of the Cap Verde Peninsula awaited me.

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Photos

another unobstructed view
That's downtown Dakar off in the distance on the left