I’ve been playing tour guide over the past week and let me tell you that it has been fun! Senegal is kind of a crazy ass place to visit, but I mean that in the best possible sense. If your personality is not one that is up for uncertainty and a bit of chaos, then I’d say that you are best staying home. As for me, I’ve been playing host to three very fine and adventurous people, and while this is their first visit to Sub Saharan Africa, they have fit in quite nicely.
I always say that in order to really experience Senegal, you have got to get out of Dakar. Getting out of Dakar. Those four words alone conjure up so many images and sentiments…some of which I will capture in this entry.
First, let’s start off with the now old news of the toll booths. These are a real modern innovation for life here in Senegal, although in reality that are not all that exciting. You pay your 400F CFA and you are on your way. Senegal has made some great progress with its roads.
Making change causes all kinds of problems in this country. Remember how I said that the toll fee is 400F? Well most people pay with a 500F coin (us included). It should come as no shock that to you all that there is thus a shortage of 100F coins to be had. So there’s a lineup of cars, and someone is walking down each line with a backpack and stash of change. We pay before we get to the toll booth and are handed a fancy orange chip.
We give Willie our chip and then we attempt to divine the meaning of the electronic sign. Hey, at least the stoplight is working!
And before we know it, we are in traffic in Thiaroye. What? We aren’t even into the thick of things and there’s traffic. Oh well, good thing I love to see what’s for sale when there’s traffic. I loved this dude’s shirt.
Before departing Dakar, I had been told that the new Rufisque bypass was just opening up. I wasn’t sure what day it was, but this new road would reportedly cut out a lot of stop and go (mostly stop) time on the road. A good thing in that you save some time, but it does take some of the fun out of shopping the Walking Wal*Mart.
And when we are talking about things for sale, one thing that I have been on a perpetual hunt for is a Madonna (yes, the singer) sticker. You see them on the backs of the car rapides very frequently, and there are indeed many stickers for sale on the side of the road out here. I was describing the sticker to my guests while we were sitting in traffic, and one of them thought I was referring to the sticker you see here. “You mean that one there? The one of Madonna and Yoda?”
Um, no. Those are Muslim religious leaders, but thanks for playing! I didn’t get a sticker on our outbound journey, but we did enjoy a tasty bag of freshly roasted cashews purchased window-side for 1000F CFA. Mmm…I love how this country does cashews- and you can always get them while you are stopped in traffic. Behold the perks of West African gridlock.
We don’t get to take the Rufisque bypass on our way out of town, but we did pass the exit portion once we had cleared all the horrific traffic. We knew that something was going on because suddenly in the middle of nowhere we spied a helicopter hovering overhead. We passed loads of fancy cars with lights flashing on top, in addition to the police stationed at the tell-tale presidential interval. President Wade had to be on the scene, inaugurating his latest bit of handiwork (Get it? Inauguration? Presidential elections? Never mind). So as it turns out, the president was indeed there, and it would appear that the new bypass is now open for business.
Up above I told you how you must get out of Dakar in order to experience Senegal. Behold the payoff for your patience and very fatigued left foot throughout the stop and go embouteillages.
Let’s fast-forward away from my little holiday off the peninsula, and return to the road. You’ve got your usual suspects taking on the pavement. Apart from all of the great stuff you can buy, the best part about traffic in Senegal is….well, looking at the traffic. You see some real tragedies feats of innovation.
On our way back to Dakar, we seize the day and opt to take the new bypass. We’re making history here as we take on this new bit of roadwork magic. We’ve got another traffic-lined tollbooth (and an incredibly dusty day).
And a very official (or at least brand new) red and white painted traffic thing. This is a red letter day! I’m probably the most excited of everyone in the car to be trying out this snazzy new road.
Check it out- there are signs. No “just take a left when you see people selling mint in the streets” directions. No Kidding signs. One of my guests noted that one of the signs gave directions to the “Cape of Bitches”. Yes, it kinda does indeed. But if that’s the case, I don’t wanna go there.
It does my heart good to see that even on the new toll road, you’ve got some classic transportation taking advantage of the bypass. Traffic is just whizzing along for everyone!
Roadwork still continues as we drive along. I figured that this bypass would have no houses nearby, but as it turns out, they are still constructing houses right on the sidewalk area. It makes me wonder if this is just a Rufisque Part Deux in the making. Time will tell.
Spit back out on the other end of the bypass, we join up with traffic and are greeted with by the mint sellers. I have been living here long enough to know where these guys station themselves from a geographic standpoint, and what this means in relation to directions. Even though Senegal has a fancy new bypass road, I would still advise people to keep an eye out for the mint sellers when they want to head to Lac Rose.
Before we know it, we are back on the gritty peninsula and taking in the usual sights of taxis and people trying to get around however they can. This mattress, incidentally, looks pretty darn comfortable. I almost wanted to pull the guy over and ask how much he wanted for it.
Before turning in the rental car, we make one pit stop at the African Renaissance Monument to pay tribute to another grand idea of Maître Wade. This one is not as useful as the overpass- and since there aren’t any vendors roaming the stairs to offer you refreshment (like bags of juice or nuts), I’d have to say that I prefer the traffic pattern out of town.
So if you’re in town and are sick of all the marches, demonstrations, and burning tires- then I highly recommend you hit the road and check out the new bypass. My only complaint with the roadwork is the paucity of vendors standing ready as you cruise through the countryside. Specifically, the cashew vendors who are primarily located in Rufisque- they are now losing out since people are cutting this portion out of their trip. They will need to rethink their sales tactics- either that or I might be forced to take the old route the next time I am on the road….because they really are that tasty.
