….the rest of us go for a run.
This is not really a remarkable statement- considering that on the Myriah Intensity Scale she neglected to use any expletives. Me, I’m probably the most low-key of the Hallinan children- but I could still empathize with her emotion. The difference between the two of us is that I’m less likely to announce my frustration and more likely to head out the door in search of some quality zoning out time. I always feel better afterwards, and
no harm done.
That’s right, it’s time for another running blog entry. I’m dragging you on my usual morning trot around town- but this time I brought my camera along to show you the cool scenes that I take in along this route.
Running the corniche first thing in the morning is probably my favorite thing to do in Dakar. It’s still fairly quiet (and cool) outside, and catching the sun near the horizon allows you to see Dakar painted in its aesthetic best. The upside to covering this area by foot is that you can see things that are passed by completely unnoticed if you do your commute in any manner of four wheeled transport. By not having a car here (and thanks to all of you who cart my lame ass around), I have reaped a very different experience living in this city.
Behold Magicland. I was a bit
horrified impressed when I saw that Dakar had an amusement park situated along the water. I’m sufficiently suspicious of the midway rides that the carnis put up each year that the
Barnstable County Fair rolls into town- I can only wonder how maintenance fares on rides that sit out in African weather all year round…
After Magicland I pass the
Corniche Boulangerie (that’s a bakery, and it’s the best smelling thing on the corniche). The sun is usually just coming up as I get to this spot, and you get a panoramic view of Dakar’s main fishing cove, Soumbédioune. Here the pirogues (canoes) are all coming in with their pre-dawn catch. This is my favorite spot on my run.
In a city that is clearly unmarked, it’s kinda weird that there’s a sign welcoming you to the fish market. Judging by its size though, I think it’s only there because Maggi (the main seasoning in town) wanted some prime advertising real estate. Besides, we need to be reminded that With Maggi, each woman is a star!
I don’t think I need to be a star.
Even though there’s a fair amount of people here, I can take a lot of shots without being bothered. I think uninhibited photography is best attempted first thing in the morning; people are still sleepy and thus have less spunk to direct at you. Also, I’m pretty sure people thought that a toubab clad in PT gear and armed with a camera was likely just a morning mirage.
The catch comes off the boats, is sorted and then brought here for sale. This place gets packed, and clearly it’s the best place for fresh fish. I went once with a Senegalese friend, and the vendors told her that she should be charged more because her white friend could pay for it. Mostly joking, I’m sure.
Sunrise out here is really great, so you get another gratuitous posting of the pirogues stationed on the beach.
I’m going to end it here for now. I kind of have a short-attention span, and will therefore post pictures from the last two miles as my next blog entry. Those shots are not as colorful as what you see here, but I think that these two entries will show you a side of Dakar that I don’t sufficiently credit. I’m really grateful for this uninterrupted stretch of corniche sidewalk; without its easy access, I’m afraid I might transmogrify into my oldest sister and start acting on my violent cathartic tendencies. And that really wouldn’t be very Senegalese of me.
I’ll stick to running.
