After the safari, we headed all the way across the continent of Africa to Dakar, Senegal. It's a former French colony, right on the Atlantic Ocean, and while it has its charms (mainly being on the beach) it is not unlike every other African city. That is to say it is poorly run, overcrowded, and still stuck in a time warp. There are half-built building everywhere, many of which look like they were bombed out. It looks like the Beirut of West Africa (Beirut, of course, being the Paris of the Middle East.)
But if you keep your head facing due West, looking out over the ocean, you might just be able to convince yourself that you're in a tropical paradise.
The flight on South African Airways was outstanding. Great service. Lie flat business class seats. The only problem is the lung-searing bug killer they spray before takeoff. My guess is that they are under strict orders not to deliver any malarial mosquitoes back to the states, so passenger respiration is of secondary concern.
Upon returning I found this great column by my old editor at Red Herring, Jason Pontin. He's a fantastic writer and he hits the nail on the head with this piece. It's complex, Africa. And there is no single answer for how to spur its economic development (though many will tell you there is.) Apparently Jason was in Tanzania the same time I was in Kenya. And we witnessed many of the same things.
In other news, the Mets are KILLING me. They're like a different team since I left for Africa. Someone please make me feel better about this.
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