Woolly says – Another hot and humid day greeted us and having eaten breakfast we grabbed our bag and headed towards our guide, Mallik, for the days adventure. The lovely air con on the transport quickly dried me off as we headed out of downtown Dakar and along the coast road.
Our first stop of the day was easy to spot from a distance, the 45th highest monument in the world the African Renaissance is a 52 metre (171 ft) tall bronze statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside of Dakar. Built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean the statue was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after an idea presented by President Abdoulaye Wade, and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a monument construction company from North Korea.
Site preparation began in 2006, and construction of the bronze statue began in 2008. Originally scheduled for completion in December 2009, delays stretched into early 2010, and the formal dedication occurred on 4th April 2010, Senegal’s “National Day”, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence from France. It is the tallest statue in Africa. It wasn’t popular with the local population due to the expenditure but is proving a hit with tourists.
It was humongous, towering high above us as we started to climb up the 186 steps to the top. It was no mean feat with short legs like mine but well worth it once I staggered to the top.
Views of the city below us showed how extensive the city really is much bigger than it feels when you’re in the thick of it.
Climbing back down was far easier, and we headed off for a quick look at the Mosque of Divinity built in 1997 I loved its two minarets which looked somewhat like acorns.
Slightly further along the seafront we stopped again to take a closer look at the Gate of the Third Millennium a contemporary monument built at the beginning of the 21st century to symbolize the opening of the African continent to this new millennium. The statue is that of Mother Africa who sits above the gate of no return.
Heading back into the centre of the city our guide told us more about the history of the country whilst pointing out significant buildings along the route including the former governors house, an incredibly impressive baobab tree, the Presidents house and the chamber of commerce.
We jumped out of the van for the short walk across Independence square where he told us that ceremonies would take place, it wasn’t a huge area to host anything but had some nice shady trees.
Our next stop was at the ferry port and my stomach started to knot up at the thought of going back on the sea, Jo had already told me that it was only a short ferry ride and would be over before I knew it.
I just hoped that it would be calm, and I didn’t have a sick mammoth on my hands again.
Woolly says – Leaving the port behind us we headed across the 3km of water to our next destination. Gorée Island is one of the 19 districts of the city of Dakar, an 18.2-hectare (45 acre) island home to around 3000 residents. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was one of the first 12 locations in the world to be designated as such in 1978. The name is a corruption of its original Dutch name Goeree, named after the Dutch island of Goeree. The island was also known as Palma, or Bezeguiche in Portuguese.
As the island got ever closer my attention was taken by the large power ship at anchor between the mainland and the island. I’d never seen a power ship before and was fascinated to learn that it provided a good proportion of power for the city itself.
As we got closer to Goree I have to say it looked wonderful with its very French looking buildings I was desperate to get off the boat and take a proper look around.
The small harbour had boats bobbing around and people swimming and sitting in the sun enjoying the day.
We headed to the right and found ourselves surrounded by what looked like a village in France with greenery all around. A small statue paid respect to the Liberation from Slavery and shows two people embracing as their chains are. The statue was a gift from the people of Guadeloupe, which has a strong slave heritage, to their brothers back in the homeland of Africa.
Just behind the statue was the Historical Museum, situated in an old fortress at the northern end of the island, the IFAN Historical Museum gives an insight into island life since 5th century, including ancient cultures, the resistance against colonial rule, and of course the slave trade.
Inside the circular building was a number of doorways, we started at number 1 which gave us skulls and rocks found throughout Africa along with a French explanation on mammoths!
With the furry one preoccupied with the mammoths, I looked around at the pottery that had been found near to or on the island, skeletons, bracelets and trinkets before arriving in the section dedicated to the slave trade.
Woolly says – Pictures of those that had entrapped the slaves as well as pictures of slaves being tortured didn’t make for pretty viewing.
The last area was all about Islam arriving in Senegal and pictures of some of the wonderful mosques that had been built over the centuries.
Climbing the steps onto the battlements I stood admiring the huge cannons, Sion my besite would love them. It also gave us some views over the island and sea to gaze upon.
We set off into the streets of the island which just got prettier and prettier. Passing through the main square there were large baobab trees providing shade and a football pitch was ready and waiting for its players.
A quick peek into the former governor’s house gave us a small hint as to how grand it must have once been.
Mallik told us that it was up for sale and would make a lovely hotel which I could only agree with although I would keep the goats if I could have afforded to buy it.
Woolly says – We reached a point where if we looked left, we could see the sea on one side of the islands and the same if we looked to the right which really gave us an idea of how small a place it was.
A small but lovely looking church stood in its own square, the old church having been burned by soldiers during Christmas night 1799, at the time of the retaking of the island by the English, the Catholics of Gorée remained without a church until the completion of this new building in 1830, financed by the signares of Gorée. It was lovely and cool inside with its narrow columns and wooden pews and a lovely small altar area.
On we went passing more lovely streets and buildings until we arrived at a sand painting studio which we stood and watched for a while.
Finally, we arrived at the most famous place of all on the island. The House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) and its Door of No Return is a museum and memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade on Gorée Island. Following its construction in 1776, the House of Slaves became a holding centre for enslaved African people to be exported. The House was owned by an Afro-French woman (Anne Pépin), who owned several ships and participated in the slave trade. Conditions in the building were harrowing, with many of the imprisoned perishing before they reached the ships. Captured enslaved people were imprisoned in dark, airless cells, and spent days shackled to the floor, their backs against the walls, unable to move.
The room we entered through was crowded with people but had once been the weighing room where each person had been weighed before being offered for sale. Families were separated at the House, with men, women, and children being held in separate quarters, as well as after boarding the ships, since most of them were not sent to the same locations.
The building was a lovely red with two flights of steps going up to the governors’ quarters, it looked way to nice to have been home to such a place.
The first two cells we were shown had housed the men and the tiny space would have been occupied by up to twenty at a time.
Another slightly larger cell and corridor was where the children had been placed, crying for the parents that they would never see again.
We arrived at a bigger cell again and this was possibly even worse as it had been the place where the young females had been housed. Young girls, in particular, were held separately from the rest of the imprisoned, being paraded in the courtyard so that the traders and enslavers could choose them for sex; if they became pregnant, they were allowed to remain on the island until they gave birth.
Opposite this area were two minute cells which had been packed to overspill with the governor closing the iron gates and cramming in as many as possible, it really didn’t bear thinking about.
The door of no return was chilling, used to throw out any underweight slaves straight into the ocean where the circling sharks would have consumed them or to load the ships full to brimming with slaves headed for the America’s never to return.
Woolly says – We arrived back at the two sets of stairs and headed up to the former governor’s area which was now a museum area but would have provided spacious accommodation for him and his family.
The last area showed us photographs of the famous who had visited the island including Mandela following his release from his own prison cell.
It was time for lunch and having tucked into the local fish dish which proved to be very nice we set off to the highest part of the island where a fort had once stood. At the top stood the Gorée Memorial which depicts a sailing ship with its sails fully up, it was a lovely place to see the views as well.
Up a slight incline were two enormous cannons which were last fired in 1942, with a range of 14 kilometres, the cannons were capable of firing well beyond the Dakar city limits. After WW2, the ends of the barrels on both cannons were deliberately sabotaged to ensure that they couldn’t be fired again, and today the cannons point inland, in the opposite direction to their original position pointing out to sea. Even though they were covered in graffiti they looked very impressive.
As we set off back to the ferry port, we passed a small garden with some lovely, sculpted trees and rather a lot of goats. It had been a brilliant day and both of us had learnt so much, the island had such a sad history but one that needed to be seen so that the world knows what happened there even though it makes for sad viewing.