YOUR TICKET TO THE OLD AFRICA

“During the day you’ll see Islam, but at night you’ll find voodoo.”- Someone from Senegal

I have been to Africa few times but I have never been to Senegal. Nevertheless, my soul is aching for this mystical land on the West African coast, full of colours, different vibration and pulse of life. The country has about 16,5 million people but manages successfully to maintain the internal and external peace. Let´s say, it could be considered one of the safest in the Africa. Sometimes, we can hear that is not so safe as it used to be, but the times, we live in, are challenge themselves.

The Republic of Senegal is not just some tourist pearl but the ancient fairytale you can read in the modern age. It is a gateway to Africa, unique time machine that could launch you from now to the eternity and back all the way long. The heritage it could be found there, hidden behind natural wonders, beautiful wildlife zones and mesmerising landscape is the tiny connection to the first Homo sapiens.

The Senegalese have their own way of thinking and their belief is a kind of attractive collage of islam, christianity and local practice of esoteric cults. They believe that through the natural land, idols and people who are close to Divine, you can connect yourself to the real Divine and find and feel guidance. Here, we cant forget that the dominant religion is islam which means that Senegalese islam has some touch of Sufi tradition and spirituality. These spiritual beings, no matter if they are alive or dead, have so called baker or divine grace. If you keep follow this belief, you might note that the people of Senegal made a balance between a traditional islam, mystical voodoo and power of natural spirituality. When you talk with them, you cant get enough of their stories about natural world, its way to heal us and give us sustainability, everything what the new age people have forgotten.

Senegal has that charm of mixed contrasts, so you can experience honouring of Allah during the day and the fascination with darkness and energy of spirits, during the night. The land has place for all feelings and passions, you just need to go with the flow. Amadou is one of my very good friends from Dakar. He shared with me such an awesome stories from over there and told me that there is no country or society in this world that is more syncretic than Senegal. You see islamic thinkers with Qur´an and you also see the indigenous people that live in trance, trying to reconnect with goddess Mawu. They still keep running the old homeopathic rules and holistic approach in spite of fact that this kind of medicine has been prohibited long time ago. The people like to believe that universal Divine will heal them through the certain ceremony before the official medicine even knows the solution.:“Even from birth, West Africans are immersed in a cultural setting that values the authority and wisdom of elders. In the southern part of Senegal, for instance, the most important part of the education process is performed through a two to three month initiation period during which young people, generally boys, are gathered and hidden in sacred places in the forest and trained in different aspects of life. Training is the exclusive province of elders, who make sure younger generations know the history, secrets, values and skills of their community so as to ensure their perpetuity and that they carry on the wisdom and ancient practices that their community has been utilising for hundreds of years. Then, as boys turn into men it becomes apparent that some of them hold Divine knowledge and then train to become traditional healers. It is custom, almost second nature, in the etiquette to, following a greeting, enquire lengthily into another’s health and wellbeing, even of their family and friends before even thinking about mentioning the matter or business at hand.The interest given into the wellbeing of another is never underestimated and it means that the Senegalese have cultivated a rich community where people genuinely give a rat’s ass about each other! “

The spiritual side of vibrant Senegal is one magnet we need to place on our heart but the natural beauty is the second one. Did you know that there is a tiny car-free island that is made from seashells ? Joal-Fadiouth is a fishing village in Mbour, or petite island built from millions of clam shells accumulated over generations. Even the cemetery is made from shells. Turning the pages of the history, we can see that the largest slave trading centre on the African coast was the one in Senegal, island of Gorée, that has been used as slaves accumulation point from 15th to 19th century.

Beside it, has a pink lake, Lac Rose, that is located one hour drive from Dakar, the capital city. It is so thrilling to see screaming pink colour that seems like flamingo in dance mood but the fact is that the lake has a high concentration of salt, comparable almost to the Dead Sea and that attracted Dunaliella Salina Bacteria to live there and radiate nice pink variations of the water, from November to June.

I don’t know if you are a surfer, but don’t miss The Almadies peninsular in Dakar, which is simply surfing paradise and a filming location of The Endless Summer.

The diversity of wildlife is also something that cant be missed. The numerous animals enjoy the tranquility of the nature and It really looks like that Senegal nailed all. Amadou told me that once when I try Senegalese cuisine, wont think or enjoy any other gastronomy, but I also believe that once when I am in Senegal, I must live through the Senegalese spirit, welcoming Divine in every atom of my being. There is no right or wrong time to visit Senegal but I think the key to the Africa we need and love is found.