They are saying you’ll be able to by no means return, however that’s solely true partly, and doesn’t apply to journey in any respect. Go to a spot a second time, and also you go along with a seasoned pair of eyes, and all of the buoyancy and confidence of familiarity. My second time in Saint-Louis, Senegal, I used to be higher at heading off the touts, higher at discovering the most effective grub, higher at coping with the warmth. I picked a greater resort—the La Résidence, with its vintage whiff of cigar smoke, its old-world comforts, and its rooftop views of the town. And this time, I might go additional—I’d be spending per week gliding up the Senegal River, 125 miles from Saint-Louis to the buying and selling city of Podor, on a river cruiser, the Bou el Mogdad.
Saint-Louis is legendary for its French Colonial model structure—with its symmetry, excessive ceilings, and balconies—however the pastel hues of these buildings are as light as their grandeur. In opposition to all of it, the Bou, freshly painted white as a sun-bleached bone, appears to be like positively model new. But the story of the Bou can be considered one of return; she is the prodigal daughter of Saint-Louis.
In-built a Dutch shipyard in 1950, the ship spent twenty years on the Senegal River, carrying folks, mail, and items forwards and backwards from Saint-Louis to the port-city of Kayes in Mali. When the increasing street community put an finish to that within the Seventies, the Bou left for greener waters, hauling items and passengers first on Senegal’s Sine Saloum delta, then on the Casamance River, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone. Native entrepreneurship introduced her again in 2005, refurbished her with 25 comfy cabins, a plunge pool, a restaurant, a rooftop bar, and a library—turning it into the nation’s unmatched luxurious vessel, sustaining a classic glow.
After a preliminary evening onboard—cocktails, dinner, and a welcome live performance by an area band, we set out within the early morning, pushing in opposition to the drift of the caramel-brown river. Senegal was to starboard, Mauritania to port. The land was so flat that after 4 hours, the dual spires of the Grand Mosque of Saint-Louis had been nonetheless seen.
We weren’t touring quick—at three knots, we had been going at little greater than a brisk strolling tempo, a pace conditioned for simplicity. And it was that simplicity that made this return to Senegal so candy. Gone was the bustle of Dakar, the crowds, noise, and smells of the town. There was solely the mushy thumping of the engine, and nowhere to be. I might spend hours studying my ebook and searching over the countryside in quiet serenity.
The river cruiser has been refurbished with a plunge pool, restaurant, rooftop bar, and library.
Picasa/Bou el Mogdad