We are lucky enough to be invited by our Swiss friend Melody, tour organiser ‘extraordinaire’ to join her and other Mercy Ship friends for a long weekend away from the ship, heading south from Dakar to visit the Delta Saloum region, a watery wilderness of creeks, snaking rivers, mangrove forests, salt flats and small islands.
We set off early and head south, leaving the busy-ness of Dakar behind. Our first stop is the town of Joal-Fadiouth, famous for being where the first Senegalese president (1960-1980) Leopold Sedar Senghor was born. It’s actually 2 towns, the village of Jaol is on the mainland and the village of Fadiouth is one of the largest islands made up uniquely of shells and is reached by taking a 500m wooden bridge to the village.
From Joal we take the small pirogue to visit the millet granaries preserved from older times, now a series of huts selling local wares.
We travel to a second shell island known mainly for its cemetery. Although its simple and barren landscape could easily be ignored, the island is in fact very special. 90% of people in Senegal adhere to Islam, yet this entire island is Christian. Attached to Fadiouth is a cemetery of simple graves, marked by white Christian crosses and plain Muslim gravestones. The cemetery is a strange monument to the co-habitation of both Christians and Muslims in the area.
We visit the ancient Boabab tree, close to 800 years old, known as the ‘Tree of Life’. It’s an icon of the African continent due to its indigenous remedies, traditions and folklore, providing shelter, food and water to all life forms. We are invited to go in the tree and to make a wish as we emerge from the tree and are ‘reborn’. What we weren’t expecting were the bats living inside the tree.
Our night’s accommodation is at a place called Nouvelle Vague at Mar Lodj, a great spot right on the water. We rest up and take advantage of the hammocks, while others go for a swim. The evening meal is delicious and we look forward to tomorrows outing.
We head inland on a horse and cart to visit several of the local villages, try some Baobab fruit, admire some of the local art and even visit the local Christian church.
To finish off our morning, we head back into the pirogues and wind our way through the waterways, enjoying the music and performance of our African friends and stop for lunch… right in the middle water…. seriously… right IN the water.
What an awesome couple of days; great company and amazing sights. We really feel relaxed and batteries are recharged. Now back to the ship!
Wow, what a fab trio. Love reading about your adventures. We have applied to go on The African Mercy early 2024. Waiting for news. Miss you guys & think of you often.