A Guide around Senegal’s Capital

There is a bar in the Senegalese capital of Dakar that you can only find if someone has pointed the way. It sits on a thin strip of beach, with a wide view of the Atlantic Ocean and the young surfers who chase waves as the sun sets in the distance. It sits below the Mamelles Lighthouse, which offers tours during the day and turns into a nightclub after dark. None of the furniture in the open-air bar matches. The five-minute walk to the cove, down a thin dirt path that snakes from a chaotic intersection — horse-drawn carts and shiny S.U.V.s competing for space on packed roads — feels like passing through a portal between worlds. For an introduction to the city, Ms. Shryock recommends following Dakar Lives, which curates images of the city’s past and present. Finally, to feel like you are soaring above Dakar, she points to the work of Abdoulaye Ndao, who goes by Layepro on Instagram. “Layepro posts gorgeous aerials that make me fall in love with this city all over again each time I see them,” Ms. Shryock said.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES