L'île de Gorée

On Saturday, I went to L'île de Gorée with half of the CIEE students. We left Suffolk at 9:30 to take a 10am ferry over to the island. Gorée Island is just off the coast of Dakar and was a large slave port in the 1800s. It was the last stop for many slaves before departing for the United States, and many never even made it off the island. On Gorée there are 2 or 3 museums and La Maison des Esclaves. We started our day off at La Maison. La Maison des Esclaves is where slaves were held before being transported across the Atlantic Ocean. The rooms are small, cramped, and dark. Very little light enters through the tiny windows, and slaves were kept in rooms far too small for the numbers they held.

Being at La Maison des Esclaves really made me examine both my history and the history of Senegal. It is a really moving experience that gives you a tiny glimpse into the horror and suffering endured by so many at the hands of Europe and the United States. We also went to La Musée de la Femme, which provided a history of women in Senegal. Although the guided tour was pretty unbearable, it was interesting to learn about women in politics in Senegal. What I found most surprising, although it really shouldn't have surprised me at all, is 2 of the 3 presidents of Senegal had French wives instead of Senegalese wives. This really shows the desire for western women that is so present in modern Senegalese culture. Daily, we are stopped on the streets and told by strangers that they love us and want to marry us.

After we had finished in the museums, we were allowed to explore the island on our own. This was by far the best part of the day. My friend Matt and I went off by ourselves to avoid being a part of a huge group of Toubabs. Being with a bunch of white people always attracts unwanted attention from vendors and beggars. We met a guy who sells these maraca type instruments and he led us up to the top of the hill on the island, showing us great places to stop and take pictures along the way. Matt pretended to be my husband so as to stop the man from hitting on me. Then, he took us up a flight of stairs and through an underground space. He showed us ladder and told us to climb up. We came out in the middle of one of the huge cannon fortifications on the top of the island! It was really amazing. Then he showed us his family's art gallery, where they make paintings out of sand. They were beautiful and amazingly detailed. Had I had more money with me, I definitely would have bought some art on Gorée.

After exploring the top of the island for a while, we hiked down some rocky cliffs and met up with some other CIEE kids hanging out on the rocks by the ocean. It was so beautiful and the water felt so good on my feet. Unfortunately, I got massively sunburned. However, it is now beginning to turn into a lovely tan.

Pictures from Gorée and the wedding will be coming this afternoon!