November 4, 2024

City of Dakar, Senegal

We negotiated for guide and driver to take us a couple of sights in the city, after we returned from Goree Island on the 3pm ferry. We figured it was worth seeing more in one Day, then having to negotiate again the next day. The thing we most wanted to see was the controversial African Renaissance Monument (above photo Cindy Karen & I, with our Guide). This is the tallest monument in all of Africa!! It's huge, the photos don't do it justice. The statue is 171 feet tall, and it is 200 steps up to the base of the statue. The former   President, Abdoulaye Wade launched the project with Senegal Architect, Pierre Goudiaby. The president owns 35% of the copyright (Controversy C#1). Meaning he collects 35% of the profits from the tourism revenues. There is an elevator inside the man's torso that runs up to an observation lookout in the man's head.   Site preparation started in 2006 on top of a dormant volcano. It shows a family drawn up towards the sky, an Africa emerging from the bowels of the earth, leaving obscurantism to go toward the light. (C#2). It was completed in 2010 at a cost of $27 Million (C#3). The statue, built of pure copper, was built by a North Koreen company. (C#4). The statue was dedicated on April 4, 2010 the 50 year anniversary of Senegal's independence from France.

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Slide title

    Grande Mosquee de Dakar

    Button
  • Slide title

    Design came to prophet in a dream - built by workers labor free

    Button
  • Slide title

    President's house

    Button
By Pat Patrick April 23, 2026
We met up with the Ship in Timor Leste or East Timor, one of the youngest countries in the World . This sovereign state just gained their independence on May 20, 2002 from prior Portuguese rule (1515 until 1975) and Indonesian occupation (1975 until 1999). The Ship was anchored off the coastal town of Dili, the capital city with a population of roughly 1.4 million.
By Pat Patrick April 23, 2026
I know people laugh when I say we took a vacation from the Ship , they view this whole amazing voyage as a vacation! But the reality is the Ship is my home now, and almost everybody loves a vacation away from home, to unwind and recharge! So my life on the Odyssey, is not that different. I really appreciated my two weeks away at Eco Cove Resort , on Yeben Island in Raja Ampat, Indonesia !
By Pat Patrick April 19, 2026
I got to do 14 dives and 5 snorkel trips over our two weeks at Eco Cove Resort. I feel much more confident and comfortable diving, practice does truly help! Eco has these t-shirts that list all their Resort excursions - we made a nice dent in all of them and it's hard to pick a favorite!