Fadiouth in Sea Shells

 The cemetery between the twin villages of Fadiouth and Joal, Senegal, is covered in sea shells

 Fadiouth

A small sea shell island between Joal and Fadiouth hosts the villages' cemetery
 To be buried on the island, the individual must be a resident or descendant of a resident of Joal or Fadiouth

The villages pride themselves on being religiously tolerant as it is the only cementery in Senegal
where both Muslims and Christians are buried

 a little game of football in Fadiouth

 A shrine to Mary in Fadiouth, a Christian village

 

the cemetery with a view over the bridge of Joal, a Muslim village

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Fadiouth, Senegal

 a little boy with Mali style baskets - Fadiouth, Senegal

 Fadiouth is reknown for the seashells in its walls, buildings, pathways

 Fadiouth, a Christian village on an island, is linked to Joal, a Muslim village on the mainland, 

by several bridges near these beautiful mangroves

 Fadiouth

  

The first glimpse of Fadiouth, from the one of the bridges [Note the mother and her piglets; 

Pigs are only seen when you happened upon a Christian village as Senegal is 96% Muslim]

 

Outside the Catholic Church on Fadiouth

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En route to Joal-Fadiouth with V

 V in the pirogue, leaving Joal, Senegal, to go to Fadiouth, Senegal

[Joal is the birth place of Senegal's first president Léopold Sédar Senghor]

 such slumber...near Mbour, Senegal

near Mbour

 the mangroves between Joal and Fadiouth, Petite Côte of Senegal

 the granaries on stilts between Joal and Fadiouth

the granaries

More on the twin villages of Joal-Fadiouth

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World Festival of Black Arts

These banners are all over Dakar (still!) advertising the

World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal

(or in French: le Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres)

The Presidential Palace's Banner for the Festival, it reads:

"The long walk from slavery to the renaissance"

from L-R: House of Slaves and the Door of No Return, Martin Luther King Jr, 

Nelson Mandela [who wrote The Long Walk to Freedom], Thabo Mbeki, Barack Obama, 

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, and the African Renaissance Monument

Banner welcoming Gambian President Jammeh on Rue de la République, Plateau, Dakar

Other banners welcomed other African heads of state like Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia), Qaddafi (Libya)

 Lights went up on trees, poles, corners, everything imaginable in preparation for the festival

Rue de la République, Plateau, Dakar

 French telecom company Orange erected this awesome tree for the festival

Place de l'Independence, Plateau, Dakar

Another view of the tree

If you look close, you can see the Festival's logo on the globe in the middle of the (empty) fountain

Place de l'Independence, Plateau, Dakar

I saw Baaba Maal as part of the Festival!

What is the Festival?!

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Baaba Maal

 Baaba Maal performing a duet

at the l'Institut Français Léopold Sédar Senghor, Dakar, Senegal

 

The Senegalese singer Baaba Maal!

 The stage, ready to rock

 A duet...with the paparazzi

Baaba Maal and Mbalax dancers

Check out the Mbalax...it's a Senegalese specialty in dance with rhythmic drumming:

A slice of what a 25 year career sounds like:

Baaba Maal's site (and in English!)

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Village des Arts de Dakar

Village des Arts de Dakar (Dakar, Senegal's Art Village) 

 preparations for the next art adventure

 art in prepartion, art in process, and finished art outside an artist's studio

The Senegalese artists show in galleries in places including Europe, the Middle East, and the United States

 

 art in action!

 the art often spills outside of the studios

 ready to be inspired

a tableau (painting) by Baba Ly whose studio is at the village

More information on the Village

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Le Village des Tortues

 a turtle at the Turtle Sanctuary in Sangalkam, Senegal

Le Village des Tortues de Sangalkam

 one of the coolest trees ever at the sanctuary

 Hello, turtle!

 turtles everywhere

the sanctuary

Some details on Le Village des Tortues de Sangalkam

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Thankful

for the blessings of a new year

for the blessings of my family with its new life, young life, and old(er) life

for the blessing of dear friends, in multiple corners of this beautiful world

(so patient while I stopped at every chance to have caramel apple ciders and hot chocolates)

 for the joy that is Christmas

for the snow that blessed me with seasons

for the blessing of fresh air, potable water, a roof over my head, 

an education, the chance to serve, and unbounded joy

for the quirks that remind me of why home is home

for the quirks that make Senegal my second home

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