Animals

by Peter

Animals aren’t hard to find in Senegal, even along the dusty streets of Dakar. On our first walk as a group down the VDN, Dakar’s biggest highway, we encountered a rather large, rather uninhibited cow running loose along the road. She didn’t seem to be planning to stop anytime soon, and made for a pretty surprising introduction to the human and animal traffic of Dakar’s streets.

Some students experience Senegal’s animal population a bit closer to their homes. I have a goat on the roof of my house who keeps me company when I read up there. Ben has a tired but friendly pit-bull that spends its time on his house’s balcony. Some families have dogs, but they’re not as popular as one might think, as dogs are one of many things that render Muslims unclean. Scrawny, dirty kittens can be found as well, struggling to maneuver among the trash and sand often present in much of the urban scene we’ve experienced so far.

Transportation

by Peter

Chaotic might be the best word to describe transportation in Dakar, at least on first glance. Taxis brush your arm if you’re too close to the road, cars and busses don’t even try to stay in their lanes (if lanes are even painted on the street), and car rapides stop in the middle of the road if the driver thinks he can pick up another passenger.

These car rapides are always painted blue on bottom, yellow on top, and are usually further customized with artwork often unique to each vehicle. Usually a boy of around 15 hangs off the back of the vehicle, scouting out potential passengers. Once found, he’ll bang a coin on the scratched glass of the speeding car, signaling to the driver to stop and make the pickup.

Considering how frenetic Senegalese transportation seems to be, we have been surprised by how few accidents occur. Drivers and pedestrians alike are fully used to a more aggressive approach to getting around, and know how to avoid accidents that to us seem inevitable. Plus, riding to class on the back of a speeding car rapide is a great way to wake up completely before three hours of French or Wolof each morning!

How to Drive Senegalese-Style

by Paul

1. Don’t waste space: The number of lanes is equal to the width of the road divided by the width of a car. If the road doesn’t offer enough room, drive with two wheels on the sidewalk. If you brush a pedestrian, you’ve judged your space perfectly.

2. Sidewalks are not sacred: Cars frequent wider sidewalks, as does the occasional horsecart. On narrower sidewalks, keep an eye out for motorcycles and mopeds.

3. Cows always have the right of way.

4. Assertiveness is a virtue: If timid Senegalese drivers exist, they probably don’t get far. Most driving maneuvers are founded on others’ desire to avoid accidents.

5. Use your horn: It’s at least as important as the brake pedal. As an added bonus, it can be used by taxi drivers to solicit business.