Dakar is a city of contrasts and each neighbourhood seems to have its own character, its own class.
Today I hiked around the downtown area of Dakar in hopes of finding that middle ground, what makes Dakar unique, what is there to do? The truth is that the downtown itself is a bit of a microcosm of the city as a whole.
Brand new Mercedes share the streets with rusted out k-cars, pushy vendors share the sidewalks with wealthy tourists, and ritzy hotels stand next to worn down apartment blocks. Dakar can be an attack on the senses to say the least. At all times the sights, sounds and scents of the Senegalese capital ride waves throughout the city.
For all it is worth, a simple wander around Dakar is almost like a walk around a thousand villages. However, no matter how great the disparities or rich the intentional presence, while in downtown Dakar, there is no doubting what city you are in; there could be no other.
