Yesterday, after Wolof class, a few friends and I decided to se profitent de la ville vide, and we went to Magic Land--the almost deserted, nearly decrepit theme park on Rue de la Corniche Ouest. It cost 2500 CFA (a little more than $5) to get in with 10 tickets to spend on the rides. Including the four of us, there were probably 10 people in the park, meaning that we got the personal attention of the operators there, who would turn on any machine that we wished to ride. We were eager and enthousiastes.
posing with the statues at the entrance to Magic Land
this is my Senegalese boyfriend, Jack
in addition to the rides, there was a mini-zoo, which contained
1 donkey, 2 camels, and a pen of geese, peacocks, and some more exotic-looking birds
cute, huh?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah bumper cars!
aaaaaaaaah mechanical bulls!
(my butt still hurts from falling off.)
and the sun set on us, low and orange over the ocean
(a side note: sadly, we did not ride the Bump Jump)
I can say that I am becoming more acclimatised, too--I've bargained harder for taxis and ignored panhandlers and chatted in Wolof and told a guy (who was en train de giving me his number) that I was married, which worked wonders. I have a gym membership and homework assignments and many possible adventures for the weekend. I am, as we all are, making a life here.
And finally, a video-view of Dakar from the top of the ferris wheel at Magic Land. If you can't watch it below, click here.
Great photos--looks as if it must have been a really fun, memorable outing, too. But I wonder who conceived Magic Land. It seems a little strange that, in Senegal, a themed amusement park should have appropriated its themes from another culture--pirates and wizards and knights and redskins and so on...
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