Dakar versus DC

If I could compare Dakar to any city in the United States I would say it is most comparable to Washington DC. The fact that they are both the capital city does play a role in my comparison as does use of space.

First and foremost in both cities the president lives in a big white house. In the US it’s the white house in Senegal it is called the Palais Presidentiel. In Dakar one of the few places you can find grass is in front of the Palais.

One of my favorite activities is watching the presidential motorcade leave the Palais. It is by far the most absurd thing. First there are a few police officers on motorcycles that lead the way, followed by huge Ford Expeditions with tinted windows and flashing blue lights, the is the presidents Mercedes with hearse-like curtains in the backseat, usually there is another Mercedes or two near his car, then there is always a not-as-nice car, followed by more Expeditions, and the bringing-up-the-back police officers on motorcycles. As he and his crew pass the gendarmerie who are called in to block traffic salute him. What makes the whole motorcade such a charade is that guns barely exist in Senegal so for anyone to do harm to the President they would have to knife him probably with a machete, which means entering his ‘Benz.

Since it is a capital city it, like DC, it is overrun with administrative buildings. Dakar is home to more ministers’ offices than you can imagine. There are also legislative buildings, as well as many government run institutions. The United Nations has a large presence in Dakar. Similarly to DC, Dakar is host to many embassies and ambassadors houses. They tend to stick out among the regular folks houses, as they are typically quite large and well manicured. Many of them are in a “suburb” called Fann near the university. Fann reminds me of the area near American University except that one part of the suburb borders the Atlantic Ocean.

The proximity to water is another similarities between the two cities. Dakar is as cosmopolitan as it is because of the presence of a port. DC has a nice port for people to park their yachts. In both cities because of the water you can find good seafood. I must say that DC is missing out on the fisherman culture. Typically Dakar fisherman fish at night from 8pm to 7am in pirogues (the boats that are also used to bring Senegalese to the Canary Islands), Watching the fishermen come back to shore in the morning is one of the most impressive sights (and smells) around. But to be fair, DC has a one-up on Dakar since it has the Smithsonians, Dakar is host to one official museum that my mother would refer to as “dinky” if she ever visited.

The people who live in Dakar have a similar pace as the people who live in DC. It is not the face pace always on the move pace of New York while it is not as laid back as other cities. You understand that people are the move but are willing to stop and talk if you engage them in conversation. Also, like in DC not many people call Dakar their home. Most people live on the outskirts of the city and commute in to work.

The traffic is comparably horrible in both places. You can easily be stuck on a crowded bus for an hour and a half when the trip should only take about ten minutes. Dakar has a serious pollution and over population problem so the commute is far more unpleasant. There have been times where I have noticed that I have arrived at my destination faster than a bus that traveled the same route. Urban planning for Dakar was minimal outside of the fact that the French administrators wanted to house all of the Africans in Dakar in an a township called Medina. Most roads have three lanes: one going, one coming, and one passing. This is supposed to be sufficient for 4 million people.

How can I write about Dakar with writing about poverty? Dakar has rough neighborhoods like DC does but I think that Dakar has more. In Dakar these neighborhoods are prime examples of abject poverty. However, I think that the poor parts of Dakar are much safer than those in DC. On the other hand there are middle-class and upper-middle-class neighborhoods nearby but farther from the city comparable to Alexandria. I live in one such neighborhood. Farther away from the city is where the huge mansions and Club Med is located. Paradoxically, Yoff, the village I lived in during October is also near there. Dakar is a city of extremes which is why it is so fascinating. In order to get to the chic areas you have to pass by shack villages and hundreds of begging children. I do not know how people could morally live in such enormous houses while their domestic help can barely afford a sack of rice.

Now if only Dakar could construct a metro system many of the urban planning traffic problems would be alleviated and I wouldn’t die of black lung from car pollution.