Muslim Christmas in Senegal

Hundreds of young men decked with tinsel wander outside Senegal's mosques, hawking plastic Christmas trees. Women pray to Allah on a sidewalk where an inflatable Santa Claus happens to be hanging.

Senegal may be 95 percent Muslim, but it certainly knows it's Christmas. In fact, for this nation of 12 million it's a national holiday.

Blame it on globalization, which has turned the West's yuletide icons into a worldwide commodity. Or the Internet, or Hollywood, or the availability of travel that allows new generations of Senegalese to sample Christmas at close quarters. But mainly, Senegalese revel in the trappings of Christmas because they can and want to.

Muslims recognize Jesus Christ as a prophet, but don't generally celebrate the date of his birth. Many Muslim societies discourage Christmas hoopla. But Senegalese say they have a long history of tolerance and coexistence with Christians, so why not share Christmas?

"Officially, we Muslims don't celebrate Christmas. But the Catholics are our neighbors. So, we all celebrate all the religious holidays," said El Hadj Diop, 60, sitting in front of his African antique store.

"We share the same houses, even graveyards," Diop said. "It has been the same for years."

Islam arrived at this western tip of Africa hundreds of years ago, borne across the Sahara by slave and spice traders from the north. French colonialists with Bibles came afterward. Now, many practitioners of both faiths have adapted their religions to local mores.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179678,00.html#ixzz2EJ9uZRur

Bandia Wildlife Reserve -Senegal

The Bandia Wildlife Reserve

Guest Blogger - Hilary Goldman . "A Year in Dakar" 

Up Close and Personal 

The closest we could get to the essence of a safari here in West Africa was the Bandia Wildlife Reserve. On one of our previous mini vacations to the Petite Cote - we had the opportunity to visit the reserve. The reserve is a much shorter distance from Toubab Dialaw (where we stayed at Auberge de la Plage),than it would be as a day trip from Dakar. 

 So as usual we find a local taxi man to arrange for the transport. Once in the park, the way it works is 

that  you can either opt for a larger open air 4x4 vehicle that is way more costly or stay in your taxi with the windows rolled down. Windows rolled down works for us! Either way you are required to take on a hired guide.

Giraffes

You can tell once you get started why it is required. One is safety as their goal is to get you close to the animals within reason (which we did!)  and two the taxi driver's job is to drive and listen to the guides directions on where to go. This way the guide can focus on spotting the animals and sharing his knowledge. Many of them speak not just French and Wolof but English too as they cater more to an ex-pat and European visitor. Admittedly, it was helpful to have our guide speak English to enjoy the finer details he had to share that we may  not have understood in French. 

Monkeys..t.l. Patas, b.r. Vervet

These guides really know the reserve and I think it's small enough to manage the roughly 2 hours needed to see everything. They work together as a team communicating where the animals are as they pass each other along the way  -  let's face it  - you do pay to see the animals !!




Zebras

A little history from their website.

Ostriches and Abyssinian Roller

The Bandia reserve was established in 1990 on an economically exploited and markedly degraded baobab grove. In that year 460 ha were enclosed, later this was expanded to 750 ha and it is still expanding. The first stage of conservation was aimed at regenerating the damaged vegeta­tion and after that it was introducing the first animals. Introducing wild animals be­gan slowly in 1991 and reached its peak in January 1997 with the arrival of un­gulates from South Africa. Today a visitor to the 750 ha territory of Bandia can see 22 various species of African animals, of which 11 come directly from Sene­gal, the others coming from South Africa.

Today the Bandia wildlife makes up a total of 3,500 hectares of which about 1/3 of it is currently available for the animals to roam. They continue to either open up new sections of the park and redirect animals to move to those new sections while they close other sections for regeneration. Or as they introduce more animals they expand the perimeter of the park.

Parker and Addison had been to the reserve with their class earlier in the year so at first they seemed quite disinterested in returning except perhaps to try and feed the Green Vervet monkeys. Of which I preferred they not add to the monkeys already domesticated habits.

Wart Hog

Once we got rocking and rolling and spotted our first animal - interest on their part picked up again! Of course our first warthog sighting and I'm thinking "Phacochere, Phacochere" - our guide from Djoudj who got so excited about spotting them. Now that he's been spotted and out of the way - we can get on with the show. And what a show it was!!

 The White Rhinoceros......Why White? 

White Rhinoceros

From wikipedia - A popular theory of the origins of the name "white rhinoceros" is a mistranslation from Dutch to English. The English word "white" is said to have been derived by mistranslation of the Dutch word "wijd", which means "wide" in English. The word "wide" refers to the width of the rhinoceros' mouth. So early English-speaking settlers in South Africa misinterpreted the "wijd" for "white" and the rhino with the wide mouth ended up being called the white rhino (with nothing"white" about him or her!) 
 

Baobab Tree

Along with the animals we were shown an ancient Baobab tree within the reserve that marks the resting place for the human remains of celebrated local griots - storytellers - and burial mounds. 

My Husband, Taxi Driver and the Twins...

A completely memorable day had by all - including our taxi driver - as a Senegalese who had not been here nor likely could afford to come - it was a special treat for him - including his ice cream! (Please visit original posting "Up Close and Personal" for more and better pictures) 

Guest Blogger - Hilary Goldman . "A Year in Dakar" along with her husband and twin sons moved to Dakar Senegal for a year sabbatical. She gives a lot of practical advise about moving and living and experiencing Senegal from a different American point of view. The reason why I was attracted to her blog is because I have found her effort and interest to integrate as she describes it with the Senegalese culture, people and language so inviting. While Hilary and husband did voluntary work...the boys went to a local French/Senegalese school. Best of all the family has explored Senegal by means of walking, taxi, car rapide, dem dikk and sept-place because they don't have a car. They also hope to take the boat to Casamance before their year is up. The blog documents their travels in and around Dakar and to Saint Louis, Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Guembeul Nature Reserve and the Accro-Baobab Park to name just a few of the places visited.

Senegal Soul Home

Visit page for other Senegal Attractions, Parks and Events

 

Ceebu Jën - Senegal National Dish

Ceebu Jen

Ceebu Jën (cheh-boo jen) or thieboudienne is the perfect example of a Senegalese dish. A Wolof word meaning   “fish and rice.” It is one of the most popular dishes in Senegal, especially along the coast. Ceebu Jen is not just a basic or a staple, but an important aspect of the country’s cultural identity. Ceebu jën is also considered the national dish.Normally you eat from this common bowl, not from individual plates, with your hands. The hostess will divide up the fish and veggies on to each person's rice portion in front of them. Take a piece of fish or veggies and some rice in your right hand. Squeeze to make a ball and pop it into your mouth. Enjoy!

Recipe

Ingredients

• stuffing mixture (roof or roff):
  • one or two sweet peppers (or bell peppers) (green, yellow, or red); chopped
  • one onion or two leeks or several scallions, chopped
  • garlic, minced (optional)
  • a small bunch of parsley or a bay leaf (or some similar fresh herb)
  • salt
  • hot chile pepper, cleaned and chopped (optional)
• one cup peanut oil, or for an authentic red color: red palm oil
• two onions, chopped
• a piece of dried, salted, or smoked fish, such as cod or herring, (stockfish is often used); the piece should be about half the size of your hand
• two to three pounds of fish: whole, filets, or steaks; cleaned (sea bass, hake, haddock, sea bream, halibut, or any similar firm-fleshed fish)
• tomato paste
• three or four tomatoes (peeled if desired), whole
• one or more of the following root vegetables and tubers:
  • carrots, chopped
  • sweet cassava (also called manioc, yuca, or yucca) tuber; or potatoes, chopped
  • yams (sweet potatoes are not the same, but may be substituted), chopped
• hot chile pepper, such as habanero or serrano chile, whole, but pricked with a fork
• one or more of the following leaf and fruit vegetables:
  
  • cabbage, chopped
  • one or two sweet peppers (or bell peppers) (green, yellow, or red); left whole
  • one squash (any kind will do) or zucchini, cleaned and chopped
  • eggplant (aubergine, or guinea squash), peeled and chopped
  • okra, whole, but with ends removed
• several cups of rice.

Preparation

• Prepare the roof (or roff) by combining the stuffing mixture ingredients and grinding them into a paste, adding a little oil or water if needed. Many cooks include what seems to be an essential in Africa: a Maggi cube. Cut deep slits into the fish (but not all the way through) and stuff them with the roof mixture.
• Heat the oil in a large pot. Fry the onions and dried/salted/smoked fish for a few minutes. Then fry the fresh fish for a few minutes on each side. Remove the fish and set aside.
• Stir the tomato paste and a cup of water into the oil in the pot. Add the root vegetables and tubers and the hot chile pepper. Add water to partially cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or more.
• Add the leaf and fruit vegetables, place the fried fish on top of them, and continue to simmer for an additional twenty minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• The fish and all the vegetables and set them aside, keeping them warm. Remove a cup or two of the vegetable broth and set it aside. Add the rice to the vegetable broth. Add water or remove liquid as necessary to obtain two parts liquid to one part rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on very low heat until the rice is cooked--about twenty minutes. It should stick a little to the bottom of the pot.
• Find the hot chile among the vegetables. Combine it to the reserved vegetable broth in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Remove and discard the pepper and put the sauce into a dish or gravy boat.
• When the rice is done turn the pot over onto a large serving platter. Scrape the crust (the xooñ) from the bottom of the pot over the rice. Arrange the fish and vegetables over and around the rice. Garnish with parsley and sliced limes (to squeeze over fish) as desired.

Great served with Bissap Tea.

Visit page for Senegal Recipes

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Is Senegal Safe for Tourist?

Sineta George - SenegalStyle

Security Concerns for West Africa in General & Senegal in Particular!

(Guest Blogger Sineta George owner of Senegal Style. Original post Thorn Tree Travel Forum)

 Hello again and Greetings from Senegal!

It's as safe now in Senegal (and Casamance) as it ever was as long as you stay away from obvious hot spots, political rallies and/or protests.

I originally did a post this summer on another online travel forum when there were protests about power shortages (which we don't have anymore) and now, here we go again.

We've got another travel advisory flagged for Senegal (because of the elections), in big red letters, a 'Travel Alert' - Safety Concerns and you have raised an important issue to many people that have never been to West Africa and therefore pay a lot of attention to these types of warnings. I wish to put this issue into perspective however.

Having said that, let me state for the record that I am an America woman, single parent of 3 young American adults that spent 12 years of their lives here in Senegal, with me. 2 are back in the US and I have one 18 yr old still in school, here in Dakar.

I moved here in 1999 BECAUSE it is such a peaceful and tranquil country.

Most people have never heard of Senegal because there's not been any wars, famine, epidemics (HIV/AIDS rate is less that 0.7%!), capital punishment, child pornography rings, slavery or anything else that would normally get a country in the news.

The Senegalese people are guilty only of exercising their civil rights - the freedom to protest against their government and every time they do, Senegal gets slapped with a travel advisory by western embassies, namely the US and Canada and then everyone else follows suit.

HOWEVER, and this is really the crux of the matter, in light of all the 'Occupy' wherever protests going on in the US and other places - why aren't there travel warnings to Washington, DC? New York? Greece? The Italian people are always having a protest about something and so is France but there isn't any (serious) travel warnings about those countries.

Did you ever wonder why?

To make another point, the 10 cities with the highest murder rates in America are (and I just googled it and you can do your own research, the results may change but the point is the same):

Jacksonville, FL
Miami, FL
Memphis, TN
Orlando, FL
Birmingham, AL
St Petersburg, FL
Tampa, FL
Dallas, TX
Los Angeles, CA
Atlanta, GA

As I said previously, I'm American and my home state is Florida. If you do a google search for a list of the top ten cities with the highest murder rates like I just did, you will find that Florida has 5 of the top ten per capital , (and to me, that's a 'security concern' ). Has anyone ever seen a 'Travel Advisory' to the state where Disneyland is located? (Number 4!) Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX and Birmingham, AL are right next door and throw in Tennessee to the mix then it becomes 9 of the top 10 are in the south. That's sad.

If you look for the top ten LOWEST murder rates, Senegal comes in 2nd from the bottom. Iceland has the lowest murder rate, followed by a bunch of West African countries (6 all together out of 10) that ALWAYS get travel warnings issued against them!

This is where I got the info above from:
chacha.com/question/…comments

And again, using online states going from the bottom, being Iceland to #10, Oman:

Iceland
# SENEGAL
# BURKINO FASO
# CAMEROON
Finland
# GAMBIA
# MALI
Saudi Arabia
# MAURITANIA
Oman

Think about that. All these places (I put in caps for emphasis) are West African and have travel advisories against them. In some cases, yes a few people, adventure travelers in remote places and ngo people not following their security guidelines have died in some type of random violence in a year. Count them all up for 2011 and it's less than the body count over New Years in the US. Where I come from, a few people are murdered every weekend and random violence... let's not even go there! At least once a month someone goes 'postal' and shoots several people at once.

What's the difference but you're worried about safety over here?

Just because you have a visa to travel doesn't mean it's a safety shield from destiny or plain bad luck. Adventure travelers, people who meet a stranger, call him a friend and then go off in to remote locations with no plans, no local contacts, nothing, truly expect that nothing should happen to them BUT WHAT'S SURPRISING, is that nothing usually does.

Try doing this in your home country and see what happens to you. Africans are much more forgiving of western mentalities for 'thrill seeking' and adventure travel and put up with it every day.

This link:
mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with…

Senegal is number 2 in the world with the fewest murders and Orlando (Disneyland) is the 3rd highest in America. Those crime rates are never reported on CNN or BBC or even Aljazeera are they?

What's wrong with this picture?

Don't change your travel plans folks, stay away from political rallies and exercise the same judgment here that you would if you were at home in a large city and you'll be fine.

The places we come from in the western modern world are way more violent than Senegal or any other '3rd world country' in West Africa will ever be!

Do your homework online and feel free to email me at SenegalStyle@gmail.com.

Doin' it SenegalStyle!
Sineta George - Google me; I'm legit!
Website: http://senegalstyle.wordpress.com/http://senegalstyle.wordpress.com/

Pink Lake - Senegal

Pink Lake - Senegal

One of the most interesting, beautiful attractions and rare natural phenomena in all of Senegal lies just 30 minutes (about 32 kilometers) north of the capital city of Dakar and a few hundred meters off the Atlantic Ocean. Located in the middle of small villages in the midst of a baobab forest, the Pink Lake (also known as Retba in Wolof and Lac Rose in French) is a warm, large but shallow lake with a high salt level that makes it possible for virtually anything to float on it.

As its name implies, the Pink Lake has a stunning, mineral-rich, pink-to-reddish color caused by a unique combination of microorganisms and a high concentration of salt crystals. Time of day and position of the sun further determine periodic changes in its color. Perhaps the water’s most stunning colors are apparent at dusk or dawn, during which the interplay of sunlight with rock-forming mineral deposits (know as feldspar) produces a shimmering effect through the water, emitting a pervasive violet tinge. This staggering brilliance is intensified by the patches of white foam that gather at its borders.

A leading tourist attraction, the Pink Lake appeals greatly to locals and visitors who flock there to float in its calm waters, relax on its sand dunes, or explore its surrounding baobab forest and nearby villages. This way, they are able to have ample insight into local village life, lively vegetable markets, and traditional Fula culture. The lake also served as a standard terminal for the Dakar Rally, where some competitors swim and cool off after taking part in the race at breakneck speeds. (Formerly known as the Paris-Dakar Rally, the Dakar Rally is an annual off-road, automobile race that has traditionally taken place from France to Dakar since its inception in 1978. Due to a number of security concerns, however, other regional locations are now being considered for the race. In, 2009, for instance, the rally took place in South America.)

For a significant number of the indigenous men and women, the Pink Lake provides a means of livelihood as they extract, gather, and sell its abundant buildup of salts. Approximately five kilometers along its shoreline—known as Niaga-Peul—there is a booming, salt mining cottage industry. Women are typically the salters (or producers) while men are the wholesalers and transporters. Besides containing vast quantities of commercial salt, the lake is also a principal trading spot for seafood. In the afternoon, hundreds of fishermen return from the high sea where they usually spend the night, bringing in tons of fish, shrimp, and lobsters in their dugout canoes.

Experts say that the Pink Lake was formed after the seas retreated many thousands of years ago, thus leaving the body of saltwater behind. It is truly a natural oddity and compares with the likes of the Dead Sea, which is also known to contain extraordinarily huge amounts of salt. The Pink Lake thus forms part of the Senegalese national heritage. For biologists, this body of water is in the category of ecological extremes because of its strong salt concentration, which is one of the highest worldwide—(approximately 380 grams per liter).

Dakar Day Trips

African American Woman Moves Family to Senegal

Sineta George  I’m ‘Doin’ it SenegalStyle

Go West Young Woman (with your children!) to West Africa!

(Guest Blogger Sineta George  owner of Senegal Style)

Greetings from the ‘Dark Continent,’ ‘The Motherland,’ my own personal paradise!
I’m a single woman, Southern Belle by birth, born and reared in the Gulf Coast of America and have lived in my adopted home town of Dakar Senegal for about 12 years now. I moved over in 1999 with my 3 children (13, 9 & 5 at the time) to educate my kids in the excellent international baccalaureate program that is standard, throughout the entire country!

Two are now grown and back in the US and the youngest is 17 and still in school here. When your children graduate from any Senegalese High School, they start college in the US and Europe as a junior (check out IB for yourself)! We didn’t even have IB when I was growing up, within 500 miles of our home (and even if we did, because of the school district laws in the US, I wouldn't have been able to attend anyway).

Throw in the safety and security of living in a Muslim country, (2nd from the bottom of the world for murders), drug, alcohol & gang-free environment, and beautiful weather every single day (nice beaches, cosmopolitan population of every nationality...Dakar reminds me of Atlanta actually).

I came originally as a tourist and just loved it! Watching thousands of men & women go to Friday Prayer with their children, both girls and boys, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I wanted my children to grow up around strong, black, religiously motivated (but free to cover or not cover, and be Christian, Muslim, or agnostic!) so moving here was a no brainer and a lot easier than you think!

Many people are hesitant about visiting Francophone West Africa, even though this part of Africa is where Black Americans come from. Not South Africa! We have absolutely zero cultural connection to South Africa, but we go there by the thousands every year! It's like an Irish man going to Italy to find his roots - same continent, wrong area. West Africa, particularly Senegal & Gambia, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea & Ivory Coast (remember hearing your grandparents using the words 'geetchie' talk or black people from South Carolina being called 'geetchies'? They came from Guinea!). These places are our roots and we need to come here with our children and show them a different, better life. In my opinion, South Africa is more violent than South Central, and the people of South Africa are not even 'us.'

So young women (and men), don’t be 'skeered.' If you are thinking of adventure travel, Senegal is your place. Volunteer tourism  to get your feet wet? They are always looking for English teachers here!
If you want to learn French, Senegal is cheaper than France and 

Sineta @African Renaissance Statue

friendlier, too! Want to perfect your African drumming? Learn with the best of the best, Senegalese Drummaker and Master Percussionist, Ibou Sene (google him!)

There are many places to go and things to do: tours, by motorscooter and car, both inside and outside of Dakar, as well. Animal wildlife reserves, the tallest statue in the world is located here in the city (The African Renaissance Statue shown in the picture), a Pink Lake, village life, zip-lining and bungee jumping at Accrobaobab park, the beautiful beaches, African markets & Goree Island, Senegales wrestling, cheap hair weave & braiding(smile), upscale restaurants, clubs and nightlife and so much more!

If you want to import/export African textiles, gold or silver jewelry, art, drums and baskets, herbal products like Shea Butter & African black soap, or other items, Senegal has a professionally run flat rate port system so importing or exporting by container or air is not problematic.

Do additional homework online and feel free to email me at SenegalStyle@gmail.com.

Doin' it SenegalStyle!
Sineta George - Google me; I'm legit!
Website: http://senegalstyle.wordpress.com/

Visit page for other Senegal Destinations

Senegals New culture and tourism minister Youssou Ndour. What can he do to promote tourism?