Parks and Natural Spaces

One of my favorite places in Dakar has to be the forestal and zoological park in Hann. It was only a 15-30 minute bus ride away from where I lived and a wonderful place to take a walk or just get away from the city life. The first time I visited was on our field trip to the different suburbs of Dakar. Our professor wanted to show us this park since parks and natural spaces are an important part of a city. I didn't have a chance to revisit until June and this time, I found school children everywhere. It looked like the end of the school year field trip to the zoo. Feeling the need to get away from their noise, I continued to walk further into the park, only to discover a horse riding club. There was also a pond with a restaurant near-by if you were feeling hungry. This seemed like the perfect spot for walking, jogging or even reading. I went a final time in July and enjoyed visiting the Ethnobotanical Garden where they had a variety of plants and explanations of how these plants were used to treat illnesses. Outside of this garden,you could see children playing with their friends. There was even a game of cricket happening. Of course there was a zoo for those wanting to see animals. As for me, I was impressed that I could walk, sit down and read in peace and forget that I was in the busy city of Dakar. 

Photos from my visit to Parc Forestier et Zoologique de Hann: