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Published: February 4th 2023
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Nation number two on the itinerary was much-anticipated, as it began to establish a trend which ran through the year periodically of adding to the 'overall countries visited to date' tally, this time around in the shape of Senegal, a quintessentially African nation with an identity all of its own. A transit stop in Lisbon made it almost look as though I was heading home-wards, but a late-night arrival at Dakar airport rectified that, and the Senegalese episode debuted more or less at the beach resort of Saly which, if I'm honest, I knew really nothing about prior to my arrival. The opening salvo was impressive, and it also went to prove that not knowing what to expect was going to yield experiences which were as fresh and unfamiliar as they could possibly be, perhaps one of the world tour's numerous aims. Saly has the makings of a resort town of considerable note, and some really exotic touches, such as the wildly African-natured Khelcom museum, with exhibits inside and out destined to illustrate what African artistic statements are all about. The beach itself was considerably above par, suggesting that there is something really exploitable about the topography and nature here, and
indeed, on a quad bike tour to a desert area with enormous baobab trees, the African vibes were creating a pulse unlike none other. This could not be compared culturally to Morocco which preceded it, and when the super-pleasant stay in Saly drew to a close, an ensuing stay in the capital city of Dakar had to reveal its charms in ways which brought out the best elements of the Senegalese travel experience. Thankfully though, despite some elements of urban chaos, this was a stay with elements involved which revealed their charms at each fresh juncture, and unearthed gems such as the African Renaissance monument, the city's main Mosque and cathedral, the charms of the railway station, and more besides, proving that even a flash tour of the city needn't even feel rushed or indeed underscore all that the nation's capital city has to offer. A visit to the outlying island of Goree, a former slave colony, was not even part of the itinerary, but it soon became apparent that the real appeal here came from just getting immersed in the atmosphere of it all, in ways which seemed to suggest that a DIY approach to tourism was proving to
be more than adequate. Going on the assumption that a visit to any one nation could always be the sole opportunity of its kind, a completist approach led me to visit the nation's third city of Thies on a day trip, to the overall discovery that this was a market town with a few appealing enough cultural features to boot, and photo opportunities in random places, perhaps matching the random nature of making random treks to random places purely at random. Dining options looked worryingly thin on the ground in Thies until, that is, a street full of eateries was encountered, and the prospect of enjoying another portion of a familiar national dish appeared yet again on the radar. If there is one day trip from Dakar which is sufficiently unique to be described as an absolute must, then it must surely be a trek to the pink lake, Senegal's tourist draw card which is evident in the attempt to capitalize on its popularity and sell handcrafted African goods, marketplace-style, in a lakeside setting. None of the commercial side to the setting could really detract from the surreal beauty of the lake itself though, and once you have managed to
strike up a deal with an oarsman to take you on some kind of boat journey, you'll no doubt get a feel for the area which yields a few priceless photo opportunities thanks to striking visuals and an ability to provide a 'dip into the ether' excursion. By the end of the stay in Senegal, the momentum generated by the opening salvo was beginning to make it look as though the plan of action was in no grave danger of falling flat or failing to live up to expectations. Golden rules and general guidelines had quite clearly emerged by now - in other words, travel light and resist those spontaneous purchase temptations, stick to the budget as much as possible, consider every moment as a photo opportunity, and do not under any circumstances let anything whatsoever stand in the way of a superb experience. This was, after all, destined to be the ultimate privilege in the life span of a traveller's mostly sporadic glut of travel experiences, so clearly having something of an expert handle on the situation just had to remain a part of the equation!
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