When I arrived in Dakar early on a Saturday morning, (7 a.m. their time, 3 a.m. my time), Sherrill and Kim met me at the airport and took me to the guesthouse.  The International Mission Board has a couple of houses available for use by our missionaries when they are away from home.  After getting a quick bite of breakfast, Sherrill, Amy, Kaitlin and I went to visit Goree Island, the slave trade island off the coast of Dakar.  It is now a visitor's site and museum place that you can visit and get an idea of what these slaves went through.  However, you also have to put up with the locals who have made it into a way of making money by having booths and selling things.  I have visited places where the sellers really want your business, but never have I been pestered like I was here. It starts off at the ferry dock where you wait for the ferry to arrive.  Someone will come sit beside you, introduce themselves, make conversation with you, and seem all friendly.  When you get on the ferry they again say hello, and talk a little to you.  Then, when you start to get off, they mention their "shop" and secure a promise from you that you will come buy their shop.  DON"T MAKE PROMISES!  They will come after you, looking for you, all over the island, and remind you that you promised to come to their shop! They will LEAD you to their shop.   Then they are merciless trying to sell you some of their wares.   I did buy a few things, but they don't take NO easily.  In fact, they rarely take NO for an answer.  You HAVE to be very firm in your NO. Otherwise, they are very friendly.
Following are a few pics.

We are on the ferry approaching Goree Island

 

As we arrive, these kids are in shallow water waiting for people to throw coins in for them to catch or dive for.

 

This is Mohammed, our guide.  He lives on the island, and speaks English quite well.  He was so nice and helpful.  I was so tired and hot (remember I have been up since 7 a.m. Friday morning, and it is now afternoon on Saturday) and he kept asking if I was okay, and he would find places for me to sit down and rest. The big cannon behind him, was used to sink a German ship during WWII.  The French then "cut" the ends of the barrels to render them useless, and turned the gun to face in toward the island and affixed it so it could never be used again.

This "palm tree" is really a cell tower -- love how they have disguised it.  Why can't we do something like this?

 

This is the Slave House where the slaves were brought and housed.  The upper level was for the "merchants" and the lower level had small rooms that housed hundreds of "slaves".  The men had to be a certain weight before they were sold.  Virgin girls could earn their freedom by mating with strong, healthy men, and thereby having potential strong healthy children who were then sold.

This long hallway led to the boats that picked up the slaves. This was the doorway to those boats.  The waters outside that door were infested with sharks because of bodies that didn't make it on the boat.  Either some jumped or some were thrown into the waters.

 

After touring around the island, the other girls wanted to see a few other things, but my feet were giving out, and Mohammed found a little outside cafe where Sherrill and I could take a break and have a Coke.  These two pelicans kept us company and entertained. They were 2 tables over from our table.