Gorée, very small 28 ha island close to big Dakar harbor. Colorful houses, flowered streets, we can hardly imagine that his island was the departure point of the biggest deportation of human beings ever occurred.
12 to 15 millions of men, women, and children have left Goree to the « new world » for a one-way trip. One of the arrival points was Olinda / Recife in where I was staying a few days ago while I was riding in big sugar can fields where their descendants still work.

Weighing, separation of men/women/children/ in 6-7 m2 cells where they could be up to 50 in a single one, chained, exit through Infinite Door on the sea and boarding on small boats to reach tall ships. And above them, in very smart offices with sea view, traders were discussing the price of the product called … ebony.

Magic arrived yesterday night but the harm done is too bad for the bicycle to take the road strait away now. Alain will make a new piece urgently and Monique will send it by DHL in 3 or 4 days so everything should be ok again.   

Dakar is a city really touching, dusty and in disorder. It’s a bit like without the Taliban and the women … And as in other Muslim countries, plastic papers and young female goats wander everywhere. No need for a clock with the prayers at 5:15 am. All the Senegalese  shake hands and say “tu” to each other. Poverty is everywhere, my box has been taken to nourish the young goats, they love that after they’ve been soaked after a day.

To spare some time in an airport … A few weeks again, I asked the manager of a small restaurant what is the difference between a Motel and a hotel ? She looked at me, with a bit of anxiety: “but senior, an hotel it’s for sleeping and Motel it’s to have s…” (with gestes to imitate both … “Aah Comprendo ! that’s why I pay the motel by the hour and the hotel per night, with usually the breakfast included!”. The price of the motel varies depending on the hour (from 10 am to 18 pm) as for electricity but it is not the same hours. There are some Motel *** really upscale with a swimming pool an and a Jacuzzi and some which are really gloomy with a price of 2 euros per hour, for every wallet. The motel is really an invention of South America : there are some regular couples who want to indulge in a more intimate place and get an illusion of luxury and of course irregular couples. The great quality of a Motel it the discretion and it is built consequently. It’s Guantanamo in smaller with a wall of 2 meters high: necessary to avoid that the mayor comes face to face to the priest … the door to go out is always closed and opens only from inside … Have a great New Year’s Eve !