Île de Karabane

We caught the Tuesday night ferry from Dakar to Ziguinchor- complete with a live cabaret consisting os an electric organ and a sax, who were awful but quite fun. Spent an uncomfortable night on a plactic seat - very hot and sweaty. We disembarked at the Isle de Carabane near the mouth of the river (ed note - Why not stay on the ferry to Ziguinchor?). We took a Pirogue to the Island, and then another along the river in the company of some french service men and some fresh water dolphins. Tried and failed to catch some barracuda on the way to Elenkine on the mainland.

At Elenkine we stayed in an auberge run by Mamadou (around 3/4 of men seem to be called Mamadou) for 3000 CFA including dinner and breakfast. Bed with mossy net and shower. All in an unusual cicrular building with a big hole in the middle of the roof, running into a central pool where the rainwater is collected, with rooms radiating out from the centre. Went for a walk along the beach and through some paddy fields to some mud flats, Thousands of small crabs with one huge claw and one small one, all scuttling down their little holes.

And a great variety of birds, kingfishers (black and white, and blue and red) piwitts (?) night and white egrets,cranes, herons and others.

Duck stew ofr dinner (excellent) and a sit under the stars on the tumbledown quay with a berr and some Belgians before bed.

(Editors note - This ferry sank in 2002 with colossal loss of life - an estimated 1800 people died - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Le_Joola)Meer informatie