Dakar: the city that never stops moving
so dakar. it's a lot. i just got back from there and my brain is still processing the noise, the colors, the chaos. i just checked and it's 19.49°c there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the weather's mild most of the year but when the rainy season hits, it really hits. and the humidity in summer? forget it. it's like walking through soup.
anyway, let's talk about where it actually is. dakar sits on the very tip of africa, right on the atlantic coast. it's the westernmost city on the continent, which feels kinda cool until you realize that also means it gets a lot of wind. the city's built on a plateau with limestone cliffs, which is pretty dramatic if you're into that sort of thing. i kept thinking about how people must've felt arriving by boat centuries ago, seeing those cliffs rise up.
historically, it's got a complicated past. french colonial vibes are still everywhere-architecture, street names, even the way some people speak. it became the capital in '58, right before senegal gained independence. you can feel that mix of old and new everywhere. someone told me that the plateau district still looks like a french postcard, but with more honking.
geographically, it's flat and dry, sitting on a peninsula. the mamelles hills are the only real elevation, and they're more like gentle bumps. there's also lake retba nearby, which is this insane pink color because of algae. i didn't make it there, but i saw pictures and it looks like something from another planet. the climate? tropical, humid, and honestly a bit unpredictable. dry season is november to may, which is when most people visit. rainy season is june to october, and yeah, it pours.
if you get bored, pikine, guediawaye, and rufisque are just a short drive away. thiès is a bit further east, and saint-louis is up north if you're into coastal road trips. but honestly, dakar itself is so packed with stuff to do that you might not leave the city at all.
landmarks? oh man. gorée island is the big one-unescoworld heritage site, heavy history with the slave trade. the african renaissance monument is… something else. it's huge, kinda controversial, but you can't miss it. and the mamelles lighthouse? great views if you don't mind climbing. someone told me that the beaches along the petite côte are way better than the ones right in the city, less crowded and cleaner.
food-wise, i ate like a king. thieboudienne is the national dish-fish and rice with this rich tomato sauce. yassa is another favorite, usually chicken or fish marinated in lemon and onions. and the street food? fataya (little fried pastries) became my go-to snack. bissap, the hibiscus drink, is everywhere and so refreshing. just be careful with tap water-stick to bottled.
people in dakar are mostly wolof, and the culture is this wild mix of islamic traditions, french influence, and pure west african energy. music is everywhere. mbalax beats will get stuck in your head for days. markets like sandaga are sensory overload in the best way. and the hospitality? unreal. people will invite you to sit and chat, even if you don't share a language.
but it's not all sunshine. petty crime is a thing, especially in busy markets. traffic is brutal-like, bring-a-book-and-a-snack kind of brutal. malaria's a risk, so bring repellent. and if you're there during the rainy season, flooding can happen fast. also, always negotiate taxi fares before getting in. and yeah, dress modestly out of respect for local customs.
what makes dakar stand out? it's the westernmost city in africa, it's a major port, it's got that pink lake, those cliffs, and a skyline that's constantly changing. it's west africa's cultural capital, with art, music, and energy that's hard to match. it's messy, loud, beautiful, and exhausting all at once.
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