From the island of Gorée to the Sine Saloum
It is after a few hours of lascivious navigation, from Goree, near Dakar in Senegal, that the anchor of our catamaran lands on the bottom of the beautiful bay of Sali.
This peaceful seaside resort, very popular with French vacationers, provides us with a charming stopover in the heart of the "Diola" territory, a language that is practiced in Senegal and in Gambia.
Mbodiène is our second stop before the "bolongs" of the Sine Saloum. This unusual stop, in the middle of a straight coast, without any shelter, is motivated by our desire to visit a friend who lives near the village of Mbodiène. Wet in two meters of water, under the wind of an interminable beach, after "beachage", we have only to cross, on foot, the brackish lagoon which gives access to her house.
In the middle of the night, the return on board is epic... After a relaxed and friendly evening, the "âeuroslangue de mer" reserved us a wet surprise. Indeed, the tide having considerably risen, the crossing of the liquid space was done not above the knee, but at the level of the bust this time... A good laugh all the same!
In the heart of Senegal, in the middle of the bush, the village of "âeurosN'Danganeâeuros"
Arrived just at open sea in the delta of the Siné-Saloum we are making nine knots, under reasonable sail, in a strong trade wind. The shallows of the mouth quickly crossed, we soon entered the N'Dangane swamp, being very careful not to run aground. A beautiful African atmosphere envelops us instantly! Several colorful pirogues are wisely placed on the shore.
Immersion in the real life of an African village
Some toubabs, regulars of the place, sip their foam while making philosophy of counter. A fisherman negotiates his catch of the day. The kids who come back from school come to shake our tongs, as if we were family... A crowd of craftsmen, carpenters, ironworkers, tailors, handymen and traders of all kinds, are busy in cramped and rudimentary stalls. The most modest ones are simply made of cardboard and recycled wood. Without being really in misery, the villagers seem all the same very poor.
The return of the pirogues from fishing gives rise to a colorful show that you should not miss.
Then, a dinghy ride through the small marshes, allows us to be close to the mangrove with feet full of oysters and populated with pelicans, egrets, kingfishers. The majestic baobabs, printed in black and white on the blue background of the sky, silently tell the story of Africa and the Saloum, which includes thousands of islands separated by bolongs.
Ascent to MAR lodj
We sail to Mar Lodj to visit Iba and Awa. This charming Senegalese couple has a "camp" on the island of Mar Lodj. Their delightful resort is called "Farakaba". The place is wonderful to rest in a total change of scenery. Visits to neighboring villages, pirogue or carriage rides, fishing, bird watching and baobab tree walks, there is no shortage of entertainment.
The surfers also find, in these places, exceptional spots. The south of Djifère is an ideal place to practice their favorite sport. Majestic waves break there, on the side of Sangomare Island, pushed by the trade winds or the harmattan.
The page "Ndangane" turns for us...
But, if you go further south, to the Fathala Reserve, it is possible to walk with the lions and also to meet other large mammals.
On our side, we drop the anchor early in the morning
At the end of a navigation of a few hours, it is very close to the exit of Saloum that we stop, in front of a beautiful beach, with a hamlet whose minaret can be seen in the background. Last stage before Casamance.
