My Senegal Journey in Review: Gates of N'Gor

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty
he is the King of glory.

I can't explain my affinity for gates and doorways, but so it is. This is my attempt at artistic expression through the art of photography.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

My Senegal Journey in Review: N'Gor Island

Tab*ski: November 17, 2010
While the Senegalese celebrated a religious holiday, my friends and I enjoyed a day at the beach. It is a brief boat ride across to the island. We toured around the island before finding a spot by the water.



The island is inhabited but does not have roads or any motorized vehicles. It boasts beautiful architecture, ocean views, and plant life.



My friend and neighbour, Cori. She's a fellow Canadian.





"It is certain that difficulty goes with us, but we will overcome it from one day to the next in goodwill for salvation and general well-being."







Kari attempts a barbed wire obstacle course.





Danielle, Kari and Cori.








The view from our spot on the beach.



My view from my beach mat.



A quaint little Italian restaurant where we enjoyed lunch.









After our day at the beach we came home to the Sandcastle. Danielle taught me how to make pie crust and we made a key lime pie and an apple pie. We spent the evening watching Pushing Daisies which happens to feature a pie maker and his shop. A delicious end to a lovely day.

My Senegal Journey in Review: Sightseeing in Dakar

This post is long overdue. These views are from a newcomers sightseeing tour back in September when I was still feeling brand new to Dakar.

This is the African Renaissance statue commissioned by the Senegalese president. It is very controversial for many reasons. The exorbitant cost should be invested into the well-being of the country and its people. The statue itself was built by North Koreans and is said to be larger than the Statue of Liberty.




The view from the base of the statue.



A message from the president. It reads: Young people of Africa and of the dispersion, if one day your steps bring you to the foot of this monument, think of those who sacrificed their freedom or their lives for the renaissance (rebirth) of Africa.



Kari and I at the base of the monument with the lighthouse and the ocean in the background.


The lighthouse and the statue rest on the peaks of twin hills, Les Mamelles which means breasts.



It's a narrow, winding road to the top of the hill. We had a brief tour and saw the old bulbs that were twice the size of a bowling ball. The new bulbs are halogen and about the size of a toonie. The light is reflected with magnifying lenses that have to be covered during the day to avoid catching fire. At night we can clearly see the light from our roof.



One of the views from the lighthouse.



We enjoyed crepes by the ocean at Les Almadies, the western most part of Africa.



A lunch guest.




A breath-taking ocean view.

Christmas in Dakar: A photo journal

My parents honoured our long-standing tradition of new pjs for Christmas Eve. They arrived with friends Dec 23, just in time!



We observed the Black family Christmas Day schedule: Opened stockings, special breakfast, read the Christmas Story, and opened gifts.





Kari included a Ford family Christmas tradition when she stuffed my stocking. She included a 500 cfa coin (usually a quarter at home), and an orange.




We enjoyed a delicious breakfast of French toast with North American-style bread (an expensive treat here) and homemade syrup from scratch. We also savoured the espresso Christmas blend coffee my brother sent as a gift.



We read the Christmas story together before opening gifts.

My parents and Michelle sent/brought a lot of food items from home including 11 boxes of Kraft Dinner (packed in ziplocks for easier packing). I also got a beautiful scarf from Kari that I look forward to wearing on our upcoming trip to Madrid.



Kari also gave me a certificate for a pedicure and a handmade leather bound book from the artisan's market.



Kari got a travel book to research our trip to Madrid. We leave tomorrow night for a week.



The table is set for Christmas dinner.



A delicious Christmas Dinner: Mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry stuffing (from scratch), corn casserole, and seasoned chicken breast.



It's not quite like being at home, but it's the next best thing.



Merry Christmas from Dakar!