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Published: December 7th 2018
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I came across a new word recently; “bleisure”. It is the ugly conflation of the words business and leisure. To reveal the true ghastliness it should probably be pronounced in a Californian accent and should rhyme with seizure. It’s meaning is the combination of a leisure trip and a business trip.
I’ve often tacked on some leisure time to various business visits. More often than not this was due to my previous employers being too mean to fly me back on an expensive Friday night flights. Often marooned in various places e.g. Houston (massively underrated) or Jakarta (un-rateable) for an extra day or so. They’ve proved to be impromptu bonding sessions with colleagues that no amount of expensive team building nonsense would ever substitute.
More often there is some down time within the schedule for a cheeky excursion. So it was on a recent visit to Dakar, Senegal. My feet started to twitch during a conference session that was so unremitting in its level of boredom, it was impossible to resist the prospect of an early exit.
Lonely Planet dubbed Senegal “Africa for beginners”. Certainly, Dakar offers some tourist sights near the capital and everything is very doable.
It means that mild travellers inertia is easy to overcome. There is still the danger of being pricked by guilt that you will miss some salient insight whilst snoozing through the ultra-graveyard shift of the late afternoon conference session. However, a quick 5000 cfa cab ride down to the ferry port quickly dispels that type of thinking.
The isle of Gorée lies only around 20 minutes from the port with a regular ferry service.
Gorée is a very pretty island with a wicked and distasteful history, but more about that later. The island is now a peaceful back water away from the hustle of Dakar and the mainland. Its unsealed, sandy roads do not see any form of transportation. A few narrow streets bisect this small island, vivid bougainvilleas spilling over from back yards provide intense patches of colour. The colonial era houses with shuttered windows are painted in pastel colours and many have been restored to provide chic boutique accommodation. One or two buildings remain dilapidated adding a distressed charm to the place.
There is a subdued air to Gorée even with the chatter of small tourist groups. The only real noise is from the children
at the couple of schools located on the island. High pitched squeals and laughter carry far in the languid air.
The island was heavily fortified in WWII and some sizeable gun emplacements remain from this period. Situated at the high point of the island, gun turrets overlook cliffs of dull black basalt. Some of the fort buildings have been converted by artists into colourful workshops/show rooms. There is no real hard sell, with the purveyors of art or tourist merchandise being amiable and engaging.
The dark legacy of Gorée was its involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. This small island has a strategic position sheltered by the Cap-Vert peninsula. The Portuguese arrived in 1450 with the island subsequently changing hands between the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French over time.
The island is best known as the location of the House of the Slaves which was built in the latter part of the eighteenth century. The house became a holding center for African slaves to be exported. This two story structure with its characteristic curved horse shoe shaped stairs is painted in a incongruous pastel colour that seems at odds with its history.
In 1962 the building was opened as a memorial site. UNESCO World Heritage recognition came in 1978. Over the course of the years it has become a stopping point for various high ranking politicians, religious leaders and celebrities. It now houses a small museum on the first floor, with glass topped cabinets displaying shackles and other instruments of misery. Below on the ground floor are the reconstructed cells where the slaves were kept and most famously, the Door of No Return, through which the slaves were led onto waiting boats.
If you visit former Slave forts in West Africa in places like Gambia or Ghana you are struck by the forlorn air of these places. It is easy to imagine these ancient grimy forts encrusted black mold had a sinister past. Gorée presents a considerable contrast; its idyllic present day facade disguising a desperate phase in in our history.
It is argued that little truly remains of that period at Gorée and the significance of the island has been subject to controversy. In spite of this some 200,000 visitors arrive each year and it elicits a strong emotional response in many if not all.
Key Facts/logistics
The ferry cost is 5200 CFA for adults and 2700 CFA for kids. The ticket has a bar code which needs to be scanned at the turnstile. There is an ID check at the entrance - don’t forget your passport. Weekday departure times from Dakar port 0615, 0730, 10.00, 11.00, 12.30, 14.30, 16,00, 17.00, 18.30, 20.00, 22.30, 23.30, 00.45. Sunday’s and holidays 07.00, 09.00, 10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18.30, 19.30, 20.30, 22.30, 23.30. This is up to date at the time of writing. The return to Dakar port is 06.45, 08.00, 10.30, 12.00, 14.00, 15.00, 16.30, 18.00, 19.00, 20.30, 23.00 for weekdays. Return from Goree on Sundays and holidays is 07.30, 09.30, 10.30, 12.30, 16.30, 17.30, 19.00, 20.00, 21.00, 23.00. It takes around 20 minutes to reach the island.
On arrival a small tax of 500 CFA is payable at a blue painted small booth about 50m for the landing pier. Guides are common around the port and when reaching the island. They are administered through the Syndicate d’initiatives et de tourisme de Gorée. A ticket will cost 8000 CFA. Tips are expected. It is recommended that you take a guide in this instance. The Maison des Esclaves is open between 10 to 1 pm and 2.30 to 6 pm Tuesday to Saturday. The entrance costs 500 CFA.
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