En Ville

Downtown Dakar is quite the happening place. The streets are much more packed than what you can see here on the left, especially when we're walking around. Merchants flock over and follow for what can end up being hours.

One thing i've noticed is a lot more hostility towards folks like us when we decline to buy anything. We were taking a walking tour of down town and when we came to the craft market, a number of artisans approached. When we said we were just looking but would be back in french, they responded in english "you're not going to buy anything?" "get out of here if you're not buying anything!" Not exactly welcoming. But understandible all the same - a bit of a tease when these guys are working so hard and very likely have to pay a bit of money to be on that street.

It's also funny to watch other folks' wanderings in markets. Some have never been in an environment anything like this and feel a need to apologize for not buying anything and others completely ignore everyone.

Anyway, markets are always a great time - such a reliably exhausting sensory explosion.