After 3 days at sea it was nice to see land again. We got to Senegal on April 25. We weren`t sure initially on exactly what tour we wanted to go on in Senegal. It was between a City Drive that included a stop at a local village or to Goree Island. We decided to go to Goree Island due to its significance in the Slave Trade. Goree Island was used to hold the slaves before they were sent to the Americas. There has been some debate over just how many slaves went through the island but no matter the number the Island serves as an important reminder to the events that changed so many lives.
To get to the Island we had to take a ferry which was thankfully right were our ship docked. The ferry ride itself was also only about 20 minutes. When we got to the island we broke off into 4 different groups. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and no changes are allowed to be made on the island. There are about 1000 inhabitants and no vehicles are allowed on the island. It is not a very large island anyways and motor vehicles are not needed. The main source of income for the people on the island is fishing and tourism. Our tour guide first took us to a spot outside a church. He talked about this tree on the island and told us that when people died they were buried in the tree. He said that this was done so that their knowledge and wisdom could spread through the roots of the tree and spread throughout the community. We then went inside the church where our guide told us more of the history of the island and of Senegal.
After the church we headed over to one of the more powerful places we had visited so far. It was the House of Slaves. This was the building the slaves were kept. They usually had to stay here for 3 months as this is how long it took the ships to make the trip to and from the Americas. The cells were divided into different parts for the men, women and children. The cells usually only had one small window, if that and were not very large. We then went over to the Point of no Return. The Point of no Return is a hallway leading to an opening where you could see the ocean. It was one of the last views a slave would see of Africa before he was placed on the boats. We then had a speech from a guide from the House of Slaves. The guide mentioned at the end of the speech that it was good for people to remember what happened and for all cultures to open their arms to each other and to live in harmony. It was definitely nice to see different cultures being able to embrace each other even after all that has happened.
After the House of Slaves we headed over to a museum which at one time had been a fort. We had another speech there from a Senegalese professor who had studied in Italy. He told us a story about one of his first days in Italy. He went to a restaurant and ordered fish. After he got his bill he said that he was shocked to find out it cost him half his tuition. When he left the restaurant he noticed a carton advertisement telling the customer that the fish was from Senegal. He said he then realized after that it was easier to eat pasta. After his speech we had some free time to explore the museum but shortly after that it was time to head back to the ferry.
When we got back to the dock we were able to do some more bartering. Along the dock and across from our ship were many stalls that had been set up to sell souvenirs. Maybe it was because it was our last stop in Africa (besides Morocco) or because the stalls were right beside the ship but it seemed like everybody was going all out. Pretty much every person we saw was coming back on the ship with some kind of wood statue or carvings. Quite a few people purchased large statues. We later found out one passenger purchased two statues for $500. They had initially tried to sell him one statue for $1000. The vendors would usually tell you the price of the item four or five times what they would actually sell it to you for. One vendor initially told us he wanted $150 for the item we wanted. We told him not a chance and started to walk away. Immediately after we tried to walk away he dropped his price all the way to $50. In Senegal and many of the stops in Africa bartering is a way of life. After purchasing a few souvenirs we were back on the ship.
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| Easter on the ship |
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| Ile de Goree |
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| Ile de Goree |
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| House of Slaves |
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| Point of no return |
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