Island of Goreia, Senegal

A Slave Island of Slavery


on this side of the Atlantic
Inhabitants of Goreia bathe in the translucent waters around the island.
Non-return door I
Visitors create silhouettes in front of the staircase, now old-pink, of the Casa dos Escravos.
Nassau or Orange Fort,
The main symbol and instrument of power on the island of Goreia, once held by the French and the Dutch.
life of goreia
Children walk along a semi-paved, semi-leafed street on the island of Goreia.
University of Mutants
Resident walks along the island's coastal street, shadow of the University of Mutantes, an international meeting and conference center based in Goreia, founded by Léopold Sédar Senghor.
diving pontoon
A small cement recess is used by the island's youth for socializing, diving and bathing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Non-return door II
The opening by which the protagonism defenders of the island Goreia and the House of Slaves assure that they passed several million slaves on their way to the Americas.
under the palm trees
Passerby walks along the long walled avenue that runs through the island of Goreia.
colonial architecture
Detail of one of the buildings built by the French and the Dutch, after the initial presence of Portuguese settlers on the island, in the XNUMXth century.
a bathing gorée
Children bathe in the island's tranquil waters, just a few kilometers from the western end of the African continent.
Maison des Esclaves
Visitors descend one of the curved stairs that take them back to the ground floor of the Casa dos Escravos.
Gorée in sight
Townhouse on the island of Goreia a few kilometers into the Atlantic, opposite the Senegalese capital Dakar.
colonial forms
Architectural fragments of the slave house, as seen from a window on its first floor.

Were several millions or just thousands of slaves passing through Goreia on their way to the Americas? Whatever the truth, this small Senegalese island will never be freed from the yoke of its symbolism.”

Two findings continue to surprise and intimidate us shortly after we leave Léopold Sédhar Senghar airport, located in the province of Cap-Vert that it shares with the capital Dakar: it has been a long time since we felt such an oppressive heat-humidity pair. It had been at least as long as we hadn't seen so many men over six feet together. We soon confirmed that one of the attributes of the predominant Wolof and Fula ethnic groups – or even the Mandingos – was an enviable athletic build.

We avoid the annoying “sole proprietors” who approach almost all newcomers with imaginative schemes to subtract francs from the African financial community, aka CFAs, or forced payments in other far more famous currencies.

From the airport, we traveled a few kilometers overland and settled in one of the bathing areas on the outskirts of the city. Inside the hotel we ended up in, the air is so thick and musty that it forces us to take deep breaths. Night doesn't take long to fall and even heavier sleep relieves us of the conscious effort to breathe.

We wake up much later than we wanted, peeking at the beach in front of us, already under an excruciating heat that grays the sky and the Atlantic Ocean below, dotted with blackened silhouettes of brats partying in the water and busy fishermen.

As happens almost without exception in these parts of Africa, it was a Portuguese navigator who was the first to disembark there.

It was 1444. Dinis Dias skirted the mouth of the river that now forms the border between Mauritania and Senegal. It continued on to the westernmost point of Africa, which it named Cape Verde and reached what is now the island of Goeia, which it called Ilha de Palma. The Portuguese were quick to use it as a trading post for the region. Almost forty years later, they provided it with a chapel – recently converted into a police post – but the image conquered by the place was far from Catholic. It is another reason why we make a point of visiting it.

The route takes us to the Soumbédioune area, at the other end of the irregular peninsula filled by Dakar and its surroundings. From there, with some of the most modern buildings in the capital behind, we board a catamaran and complete the short crossing. In the immediate vicinity of the final destination, there is the sight of a rounded fort that the Dutch and French resorted to to defend the island from incursions of others and which preserves the double name of Nassau-Saint Françoise.

We disembark to a small jetty, overcrowded with local kids and teenagers who use it as a diving platform. "Look, look, whiter!" shoots one of the bathers at a Frenchman dispatched from the former colony. “The photos on the island are all to pay!” they warn us with the insolence that the group legitimates. Contrary to what we thought, the conversation was anything but small talk. Thereafter, with every image we try to frame someone, that resident avoids their presence, protests unceremoniously against the registration, or gives them a discouraging price, even if it is little more than a passing price.

We walk unhurriedly through alleys of earth or sand, between colonial buildings colored by bricks, paintings, by bougainvillea and other leafy vines. The tour stops at the Casa dos Escravos, a monument preserved in order to perpetuate the memory of Africans imprisoned, raped, sold and allegedly shipped from there to the Americas in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, an infamous traffic represented by the famous “Doors without Return” , with direct access from the dismal dungeons to the Atlantic Ocean.

The colonial building was erected in 1786, used as a mansion by Ana Colas Pépin, a wealthy French-Senegalese mestizo who kept domestic slaves and, it is said, even trafficked a few others, kept on the ground floor of the house.

We examine a mural that illustrates how slaves were captured in the bush, whipped and transported to the coast, trapped by the neck and feet in long human convoys, victims of despotism and cruelty.

The Maison des Esclaves was renovated, starting in 1970, with French support. It holds strong spiritual significance for many visitors, particularly African Americans descended from slaves taken from West Africa. But the dimension of their role in the slave trade is a target of heated dispute.

On the one hand, apologists for Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye, who died in 2009, the Senegalese former curator of the museum and main defender that it is obvious that the house was built to house large numbers of slaves and that 15 million Africans will have passed through the its gates to the colonies of all colonial powers.

As we listen to them, guides their subjects preach the version of the mentor of the house: “after passing through the door, they said goodbye to Africa. Many tried to escape but those who tried died. The shackles that held them were so heavy that they caused almost immediate drowning in the deep waters around the island. And even if they resisted, they would still have to escape the sharks.”

On the other side of the dispute, Philip D. Curtain, professor emeritus of history, also deceased in 2009, who wrote, in 1969, “The Atlantic Slave Trade” and several other historians and investigators who guarantee that the most certain thing is that no slave has passed. through that door. That the real starting point was located 300 meters away and that the boats would never approach the back of the slave house, inaccessible due to the many rocks, even more so when the island had a jetty nearby.

They also defend that of the 10 to 15 million slaves taken from Africa, there are only unequivocal records that 26 have passed through the island, or even less. This is the case with the newspaper Le Monde, which infuriated Senegalese authorities and several of their personalities with an estimated 300 to 500 deportations a year.

The followers of Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye accuse this current of revisionism, of seeking to deny the role of the Isle of Gorea in the history of slavery.

We realized that Ndiaye had immortalized her accusing brand in the museum. Noteworthy is a photo of her in the company of John Paul II and an inscription in French that translates as “Sad and Moving Memory, Night of Times. How can it be erased from the memory of Men?”

John Paul II prayed in Goreia, in 1992. He took the opportunity to make faith in the words of historians and ask forgiveness for many of the Catholic missionaries having been involved in trafficking.

And, despite all the factual controversy around the island, personalities from the most diverse origins and countless heads of state have made and insist on renewing its memory. Nelson Mandela, already as South African president, visited her. Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were on the island. The last, just 20 minutes, is a foray into dispatch that the BBC and other influential media channels have accused of having had the sole purpose of winning votes from black voters to secure the US election. Barak and Michele Obama were also present.

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The Capital in the Cradle of the Gold Coast

Do From the landing of Portuguese navigators to the independence in 1957 several the powers dominated the Gulf of Guinea region. After the XNUMXth century, Accra, the present capital of Ghana, settled around three colonial forts built by Great Britain, Holland and Denmark. In that time, it grew from a mere suburb to one of the most vibrant megalopolises in Africa.
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The First Jackpot of the Portuguese Discoveries

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The Strange Life in the Black Caribbean Sun

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The Swampy Freedom of Quilombo do Remanso

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The Ijen Volcano Sulphur Slaves

Hundreds of Javanese surrender to the Ijen volcano where they are consumed by poisonous gases and loads that deform their shoulders. Each turn earns them less than €30 but everyone is grateful for their martyrdom.
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Freedom, Bipolarity and Tropicality

The capital of Martinique confirms a fascinating Caribbean extension of French territory. There, the relations between the colonists and the natives descended from slaves still give rise to small revolutions.
Amboseli National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Normatior Hill
Safari
Amboseli National Park, Kenya

A Gift from the Kilimanjaro

The first European to venture into these Masai haunts was stunned by what he found. And even today, large herds of elephants and other herbivores roam the pastures irrigated by the snow of Africa's biggest mountain.
Aurora lights up the Pisang Valley, Nepal.
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 3rd- Upper Banana, Nepal

An Unexpected Snowy Aurora

At the first glimmers of light, the sight of the white mantle that had covered the village during the night dazzles us. With one of the toughest walks on the Annapurna Circuit ahead of us, we postponed the match as much as possible. Annoyed, we left Upper Pisang towards Escort when the last snow faded.
Engravings, Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt
Architecture & Design
luxor, Egypt

From Luxor to Thebes: Journey to Ancient Egypt

Thebes was raised as the new supreme capital of the Egyptian Empire, the seat of Amon, the God of Gods. Modern Luxor inherited the Temple of Karnak and its sumptuousness. Between one and the other flow the sacred Nile and millennia of dazzling history.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Adventure
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
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Ceremonies and Festivities
Pirenópolis, Brazil

A Ride of Faith

Introduced in 1819 by Portuguese priests, the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo de Pirenópolis it aggregates a complex web of religious and pagan celebrations. It lasts more than 20 days, spent mostly on the saddle.
Lawless City, Transit of Hanoi, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam
Cities
Hanoi, Vietnam

Under the Order of Chaos

Hanoi has long ignored scant traffic lights, other traffic signs and decorative traffic lights. It lives in its own rhythm and in an order of chaos unattainable by the West.
Fogón de Lola, great food, Costa Rica, Guápiles
Meal
Fogón de Lola Costa Rica

The Flavor of Costa Rica of El Fogón de Lola

As the name suggests, the Fogón de Lola de Guapiles serves dishes prepared on the stove and in the oven, according to Costa Rican family tradition. In particular, Tia Lola's.
full cabin
Culture
Saariselka, Finland

The Delightful Arctic Heat

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Sport
Philippines

When Only Cock Fights Wake Up the Philippines

Banned in much of the First World, cockfighting thrives in the Philippines where they move millions of people and pesos. Despite its eternal problems, it is the sabong that most stimulates the nation.
Hikers on the Ice Lake Trail, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Traveling
Annapurna Circuit: 7th - Braga - Ice Lake, Nepal

Annapurna Circuit – The Painful Acclimatization of the Ice Lake

On the way up to the Ghyaru village, we had a first and unexpected show of how ecstatic the Annapurna Circuit can be tasted. Nine kilometers later, in Braga, due to the need to acclimatize, we climbed from 3.470m from Braga to 4.600m from Lake Kicho Tal. We only felt some expected tiredness and the increase in the wonder of the Annapurna Mountains.
Network launch, Ouvéa Island-Lealdade Islands, New Caledonia
Ethnic
Ouvéa, New Caledonia

Between Loyalty and Freedom

New Caledonia has always questioned integration into faraway France. On the island of Ouvéa, Loyalty Archipelago, we find an history of resistance but also natives who prefer French-speaking citizenship and privileges.
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Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Exotic Signs of Life

little subject
History

Hampi, India

Voyage to the Ancient Kingdom of Bisnaga

In 1565, the Hindu empire of Vijayanagar succumbed to enemy attacks. 45 years before, he had already been the victim of the Portugueseization of his name by two Portuguese adventurers who revealed him to the West.

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Islands
Guadalupe, French Antilles

Guadeloupe: a Delicious Caribbean, in a Counter Butterfly-Effect

Guadeloupe is shaped like a moth. A trip around this Antille is enough to understand why the population is governed by the motto Pas Ni Problem and raises the minimum of waves, despite the many setbacks.
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Winter White
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Under the Arctic's Icy Spell

We are at 66º North and at the gates of Lapland. In these parts, the white landscape belongs to everyone and to no one like the snow-covered trees, the atrocious cold and the endless night.
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Literature
Saint Petersburg, Russia

On the Trail of "Crime and Punishment"

In St. Petersburg, we cannot resist investigating the inspiration for the base characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky's most famous novel: his own pities and the miseries of certain fellow citizens.
Suspension Bridge, Cabro Muco, Miravalles volcano
Nature
miravalles, Costa Rica

The volcano that Miravalles

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Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Windward Side, Saba, Dutch Caribbean, Netherlands
Natural Parks
Saba, The Netherlands

The Mysterious Dutch Queen of Saba

With a mere 13km2, Saba goes unnoticed even by the most traveled. Little by little, above and below its countless slopes, we unveil this luxuriant Little Antille, tropical border, mountainous and volcanic roof of the shallowest european nation.
Acre, Templar Stronghold, Israel, Crispy Sweets
UNESCO World Heritage
Saint John of Acre, Israel

The Fortress That Withstood Everything

It was a frequent target of the Crusades and taken over and over again. Today, Israeli, Acre is shared by Arabs and Jews. He lives much more peaceful and stable times than the ones he went through.
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Characters
Christchurch, New Zealand

New Zealand's Cursed Wizard

Despite his notoriety in the antipodes, Ian Channell, the New Zealand sorcerer, failed to predict or prevent several earthquakes that struck Christchurch. At the age of 88, after 23 years of contract with the city, he made very controversial statements and ended up fired.
Bay Watch cabin, Miami beach, beach, Florida, United States,
Beaches
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The Beach of All Vanities

Few coasts concentrate, at the same time, so much heat and displays of fame, wealth and glory. Located in the extreme southeast of the USA, Miami Beach is accessible via six bridges that connect it to the rest of Florida. It is meager for the number of souls who desire it.
Religion
Lhasa, Tibet

When Buddhism Tires of Meditation

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Flam Railway composition below a waterfall, Norway.
On Rails
Nesbyen to Flam, Norway

Flam Railway: Sublime Norway from the First to the Last Station

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Creepy Goddess Graffiti, Haight Ashbury, San Francisco, USA, United States America
Society
The Haight, San Francisco, USA

Orphans of the Summer of Love

Nonconformity and creativity are still present in the old Flower Power district. But almost 50 years later, the hippie generation has given way to a homeless, uncontrolled and even aggressive youth.
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Daily life
Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna's Alaska-Style Life

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ice tunnel, black gold route, Valdez, Alaska, USA
Wildlife
Valdez, Alaska

On the Black Gold Route

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker caused a massive environmental disaster. The vessel stopped plying the seas, but the victim city that gave it its name continues on the path of crude oil from the Arctic Ocean.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.