Day 63 Sat. Mar 18 Dakar, Senegal 8-6:00

 Day 62  Friday, Mar 17  Sea day Atlantic

Day 63  Sat. Mar 18  Dakar, Senegal  8-6:00   

We were warned that things do not always go smoothly in Africa.  The officials were not at the port when we arrived which delayed our tours starting.  When the officials arrived it took a while to clear the ship.  After the ship was cleared, I went to the Lounge where our tours depart from.  The room was packed with people waiting to be called to go on their tour.  We were taking a ferry to Goree Island and were the last group to be called.

The officials decided we could not board the ferry by our ship.  We would need to be transported to the ferry terminal which meant the tour operators needed to come up with buses to transport us.  The ferry terminal wasn't far away, but being an industrial port it was too dangerous for us to walk.  I am sure our ferry was overloaded, but luckily we made it safely to and from Goree Island.  

Unforgettable Goree Island (DKR-002)

March 18, 2023

Port: Dakar

Tour Length: Half-Day (Approximately 4 hours)

See where slaves were held before being shipped to the New World at Gorée Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hear about the poor conditions under which the captives were quartered at the House of Slaves.

Survey the 1830 Saint Charles Church and a fortress featuring a monument to African slaves.

Spend time on your own exploring the housing where slaves were kept and the Gate of No Return.

Sip on a refreshing soft drink at a welcoming Gorée Island restaurant.

Visit notorious Gorée Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site where countless captured Africans were held before being shipped to the New World as slaves. Board a chartered ferry and venture to Gorée Island, where the slave trade flourished for more than 350 years beginning in the 15th century. Upon arrival, you’ll discover the House of Slaves, where the curator will detail the cruelty of life during the dark days when man was a mere commodity. Learn that the upstairs of this infamous house was formerly occupied by slave traders and the downstairs reserved for slaves, who lived in abominable conditions.

You’ll take in sites such as the 1830 Saint Charles Church and a fortress with a towering monument memorializing Africans who were brutalized and dehumanized. Following your guided tour, spend time wandering about the stark island and exploring the buildings and cells once used to house the men, women and children, who were shackled around the neck and arms, and view the Gate of No Return, where they last glimpsed their homeland before being loaded on ships bound for the New World. Over a cooling soft drink at a local restaurant, contemplate this memorable and exceptionally moving experience.

Ile de Goree/Goree Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It was the center of a thriving slave trade 350 years ago.  Slave traders and their property lived in Maison des Esclaves prior to auctions.  Ships were boarded to take the slaves to the New World through the Gate of No Return

          The slaves left through this opening, "The Gate of No Return" and got on the ship that took them to a life of slavery.

There would be 10 to 15 slaves in a room that measured about ten feet by ten feet.  

The man in the red plaid told us about life in the slave house.  There was a room for men, a room for women, a room for children and a room for young girls.  The slave traders would choose a young girl to have sex with.  One guide said if she got pregnant, she could stay on the island.  Another guide said that the girl delivered the child, the child was thrown into the ocean.  The house of slaves was built by an Afro-French Metis family about 1780-1784.  It is one of the oldest houses on the island.  I read today that it may not be true that the slaves were sent to America from Goree Island.  Some believe the slaves were for local owners, not for international trade.  

This room was under the stairs and was the punishment room. 

                                                                1830 Saint Charles Church 

Goree Island Fortress 

                                            Goree Island Fort above and below

                                                    Goree Island

                                                Goree Island Fort

                                            Art created with sand.

                                            Children in the center square

                                                        Sand Art

                                            Former palace

                                            Women selling their wares in the square.  

The Mercy Ship is the hospital for Dakar.  There are operating rooms on board.  A woman I met on my ship was a volunteer for three month on this Mercy Ship.  

                                    Believe it or not, these girls were swimming in these outfits.  

                                            Goats after their bath in the ocean.

Fran is on the World Cruise with me.  She volunteered on this Mercy Ship recently.