Wednesday 22 April 2026
Dakar is easy to find on the world map. Just look for the little triangular shaped peninsula, Cape Vert, on the westernmost point of the African continent. That’s where you’ll find Dakar, the most populous city in Senegal and the country’s capital. We felt welcomed as soon as we pulled into port and saw not only the tugboat water salute but an area on the dock set up for a a welcoming ceremony later in the morning. In fact, unbeknownst to us, the arrival of Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 had been heralded by local newspaper articles. Lots of locals were out in colorful costumes to welcome us with music and dance and big smiles. Our own plan for the day was to visit Lac Rose, the Pink Lake of Retba, one of the saltiest lakes in the world. Along the way we visited Chez Salim Lac Rose, a tourist resort and spied visitors riding camels, not native to Senegal. We instead climbed into an open air 4×4 vehicle, and on the way out admired a Baobab tree, which is native to the area. We headed to the northern coast of Cape Vert. Our first stop was at a beautiful location along the north coast adjacent to a new neighborhood under construction. Like all the other construction projects we saw today, these are being built on a pay as you go basis since mortgages are not readily available to most people. In this case, according to Mbaye, our guide, the landowners here are seasonal pastoralists and are currently out with their livestock moving in search of grazing land. From there a short ride later took us to a Wolof village where the multitude of the kids, school aged and younger, were excited to see us. Mbaye introduced us to the village chief who conducted us on a short tour beginning with the village well equipped with a windlass, then on to the courtyard of the home that he shares with his four wives and their children. We enjoyed a demonstration the traditional mortar and pestle grinding of millet, the grain that serves as a part of most of their meals. We also were invited to peek into the sleeping quarters and the kitchen of his home before loading back into the 4x4s and enjoying a ride along the beach. There Mbaye got down and drew in the sand as he gave a us a local geography lesson. We also got a lesson in the art of negotiating in Senegal and came away with an awesome hand-carved Senegalese war canoe. Eventually we did make it to the shores of Lac Rose. Torrential rains in 2022 altered the lake so the intense pink is not currently visible but there is talk of restoration plans to alleviate the environmental damage as well as to the restore the salt industry and the tourism to the area. We enjoyed the views of the lake with its hints of a pink color and the colorful boats lined up on the shore. We walked across what looks like white sand but is indeed a salt beach, some of salt is piled high after being harvested from the lake bottom. Back at the resort we indulged in a quick liquid refreshment break and then it was time to board the bus for a return trip through the streets of Dakar. It’s a developing country with some amazing edifices and so many of buildings under construction. There’s a fair amount of transport via horse or donkey drawn carts, and lots of retail activity in open air markets. We saw so many genuine smiles and just a couple of gestures suggesting a few folks didn’t welcome our presence. Although we personally weren’t comfortable exploring this area on our own, we’re quite grateful that we had an opportunity for a guided tour. It was a great chance to witness a bit of the life in Dakar. Nonetheless it’s been an enriching adventure!
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