All pictures CC-BY   Fabian M. Suchanek

My stay in Senegal 2011

University of Dakar

01uni
Welcome to the University of Dakar!
01mucad
People here take good care of me. This is where I live.
01residences
This is where the students live.
01arc
Local climate allows for an open architecture.
01teach
This is my class on Information Extraction. (Available only in low resolution for reasons of privacy. It is still pretty obvious which one is me.)
01bib
This is the new library.
01copy
It comes with brand new computers, books, and instructions how to use them.

Old City Center

02mosque
This is the grand Mosque of the city (with local shops).
02linge
Not everybody can afford a stone house.
02barracks
Some people live in barracks.
02street1
Dakar was heavily hit in World War 2 (or so it seems). This is next to the mosque.
02street2
Other streets look better.
02conflict
Local (noisy) conflict resolution procedures (of which I saw two) are rather scary.

City Center

05rue
Streets are in better condition in the city center.
05place
The Independence Place, the heart of Dakar.
05palace
The Presidential Palace.
05arrows
Local traffic can be confusing for foreigners.
05center
The center has still maintained its pittoresque corners.

West Coast

03coast
Dakar is the western-most part of Africa.
03hlm
These are probably the better-off parts of the city.
03monument
The Monument of African Renaissance. By an architect from North Korea.
03cars
A traffic jam. Note that no car would be allowed on the streets in Europe (which is probably why they're here).
03sun
Sun set at the ocean.

Shopping

04shop
For shopping, you can use the local facilities.
04tv
Dakar also sports a brand-new shopping mall. The TV in the picture costs what a student scholarship earns in two years.
04prods
In the local supermarket, nearly all products are European. Prices are like in Europe, too (+ shipping).
04milk
Every Franc spent on this milk goes directly to Greece (it is German milk).
04casino
The cheapest supermarket is actually entirely French.

Île de Gorée

06welcome
Welcome to Gorée! The island is right off the coast of Dakar.
06history
The Museum of History is well worth the visit (especially for the price of 0.80 EUR). Note the clothes drying on the cactus left.
06esclaves
The Gorée Island was used for the slave trade across the Atlantic. This is the “Maison d’esclaves”.
06church
The island has a colonial-style church...
06barracks
...but also some newer buildings. People on the island sell exclusively necklaces, and complain that too few tourists buy them. Nobody sells sunscreen, water, postcards, or maps of the island instead.
06street
Basically all streets are beautiful and calm like this one.

Les Almadies

07rock
This is the Point des Almadies, the western-most tip of the continent of Africa.
07coast
Apart from a 5-star hotel, the place has still potential for touristic development.
07me
Me at the tip. People tell me a lot about the “Senegalese hospitality”.
07peace
Yet, in the end, every single person who talked to me in the street (and said they just wanted a chat, or even offered gifts), just wanted money. I refuse.
07bus
In contrast, the people I asked for directions were without exception extremely helpful and friendly. Without them, I would never have known which bus to take.
07break
The bus broke down on the way, and in the end I spent as much time going back by bus as I spent walking there (2 hours). But it was OK for the price (0.20 EUR).

Île de Gorée revisited

06welcome
This is still the Gorée Island. I want to visit again with a plan in mind.
08merc
I bought sunscreen and postcards, to propose to shopkeepers to sell these in addition to necklaces.
08maps
I also drew a map of the island and printed it 20 times. A copy costs 0.02 EUR to produce, but could be sold for 1 EUR.
08nix
The project dies at birth: The hotel receptionist (who worked at Goree) says that necklaces sell great. The sellers probably lied to me when they said they suffer. The map business is controlled by a mafia-like organization. Too dangerous to mess with.
08map
I put the map online and let them sort out their problems on their own.

École Supérieure Polytechnique

09entrance
I am teaching this week at the École Supérieure Polytechnique of Dakar.
09esp
I am having a great time with the students.
09elvis
People have even drawn me a summary of the class.

Saint Louis

11nice
Saint Louis is known for its colonial style houses.
11context
Yet, their beauty fades quickly if put in context (same place, zoomed out).
11center
In the entire city, the modern face of the city has successfully superseded the colonial style.
11river
Also the river has not been spared.
11beach
The beach offers the same olfactory experience as the entire city.
11street
But people seem to be OK with it.
11sub
At least, the suburbs are not disadvantaged with respect to the city center.

Gaston Berger University

12ngalel
I am staying in a small village called Ngalel.
12butcher
The local butcher wanted to be on the picture and asked me to put it on the Internet. He even put his white coat (for the hygiene!).
12campus
The campus of the university is rather rural.
12students
And, yes, I also work here.

Flora, Founa, and Environment

14tree
The local flora ranges from more desert-like...
14bush
... to more steppe-like environments.
14cockroach
Local fauna reaches impressive sizes. This is a cockroach [eine Kakerlake].
14hut
Local architecture ranges from more environmentally friendly...
14house
... to more modern.
14dots
The entire countryside is full of buildings in various stages of completion.
14street
The main streets are generally in good condition.

Food

13national
People ask me what I eat here. This is the Senegalese national dish (fish + rice, 3 EUR).
13fish
This is a more rustical variant. The fish is transferred directly from the sea to the grill with not too many intermediate steps (3 EUR).
13caf
This is food at the subsidised student restaurant (0.25 EUR)
13chicken
4.50 EUR get you chicken with fries and sauces so hot that a spoon load will kill you instantly.
13garb
This is the best you can get in the village. Costs like 2 EUR and tastes like 1 EUR.
13food
Magret de Canard. Costs 14 EUR and tastes like 14 EUR. (OK, you got me, I am back in Paris)
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