Saigon
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- #21
I've been to Dakar, Senegal before. If I was going to give the world an enema, that's where I'd stick the tube.
Really?
I'm surprised - so far I've only heard good things about it. Most African cities can be noisy, dirty and full of street kids, but there is also so much colour, life and music that I usually quite like them. On the other hand, some can just be ugly!
What didn't you like about Dakar?
I pulled into Dakar while in the Navy stationed aboard a FF. It was in the early 80's. The streets were filthy, the people were filthy, there were armed soldiers carrying machine guns walking the streets, the beaches were so full of garbage laying in the sand that nobody in their right mind would spend much time there. There was a very bad odor about the place. We went into a couple of bars and never ordered a drink. We turned around and walked right out. Just a really bad scene. Stuck our heads into a couple of small cafe type places. Wouldn't order anything to eat because it was so bad. The streets were full of beggers. I don't know why but I've never seen so many amputees in one place in my life and I've traveled a good part of the world. Came back to the ship and found out that none of the other sailors would even leave the ship. After being there for a couple of days there was a cookout at the American Ambassador's house. We all went over to his place and had some fun swimming in his pool and helping him drink his beer. I bought only one thing while I was in Dakar and it was a hand carved elephant that I watched some guy sitting on the pier carve out of what I believe is ebony wood. I still have it to this day. I spent a grand total of maybe $6.00 in Dakar, Senegal. Out of everywhere I have ever been to while in the Navy Dakar was the absolute worst.
Interesting...I'll be happy to report back in a couple of months!!
I suspect it has changed a lot - from what I understand these days Senegal is doing very well. It is supposed to be safe, stable and democratic, and quite a role model for Islamic states. Certainly it is having a real tourism boom.
But you never know until you arrive, and it may well be that it is somewhere I'll spend 2 nights and then head out of town. People had raved about Addis Ababa, and I just hated that for many of the reasons you hated Dakar!
But - positive thinking - I'm expecting it to be much like Ghana, which I absolutely loved.