Senegal: Lac Rose - Joal-Fadiouth - Ndangane-MarLothie - Toubacouta

Written by traveladdict

Last updated 2005-06-01 01:46:10

January 8, 2004: Lac Rose - Joal-Fadiouth We take the route through "baobab-country" to Rufisque and further along the "Petite Côte" to Joal. The road ends with a long wooden bridge. The bridge takes us to the island-village of Fadiouth. Fadiouth is entirely built on shells. The tiny car-free streets are made of shells, and on the other island (again connected to Fadiouth with a long wooden bridge, the cemetery is completely made of shells.

On a third island, the granaries are built on poles. If the village burns down, the crop is not ruined!

On Fadiouth, lots of people are catholic. That's why there are a lot of pigs here!


January 09, 2004: Joal - Ndangane-MarLothie The big sand piste to Ndangane is very good. Better than the potholed tar roads, although they are working on it.

In Ndangane we are "welcomed" by dozens of piroguiers who want to take us to the island of Mar Lothie. We are really surrounded by them, but we stay calm and ask mother Mbacke permission to park our car on the premises. No problem, and we arrange our pirogue trip with son Ibou Mbacke.

Together with his friend, also Ibou, he takes us to his pirogue. The plan was to take a 2 hour trip to the bird island and then to Mar Lothie, but we can agree on something far better:

First we go through the mangroves, where we see lots of herons, egrets,...and have our noon picnic on a dam, made of oyster shells.

Then we go to the island of Mar Lothie, were the two friends make us real strong Senegalese tea, followed by a stroll around the village.

In the middle of the village, there are three trees, strangled together, as a symbol of the three religions on the island. There are Muslims here, Catholics and animists.

And last but not least, we go see a wrestling match ("lutte"). Ibou's brother is also wrestling, and he wins every match! We bring good luck!

With lots of noise from drums and live singing, it's a fantastic spectacle!

The wrestling match is actually 70% show (-off), 20% superstition and performing rituals with charms and grigri's, and then there are also the real matches somewhere.

January 10, 2004: Ndangane - Toubacouta After another night with mosquitos in the car, we take the potholed route to Kaolack, and then to Toubacouta, a little village by the side of the Saloum river.

We are so tired that we get ourselves a bed at "Les coquillages" and sleep from 5 p.m. till the next morning.

Pictures with this story: www.traveladdict.be