[Rt4-whois] Advice for Dakar

[kathy at kathykleiman.com]

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Hi All, 

	Welcome to all arriving in MDR; hi to those who met informally this
afternoon (Sharon, Emily, Omar, Bill, Susan and me). We were talking
about Senegal travel, and I promised to circulate some advice I found
about arriving in Dakar to the Team.  

	See you tomorrow (or tonight for dinner). Best, Kathy 

	‎(The following is from FLYERTALK about Dakar arrivals and shared
earlier among a list of regular ICANN attendees)
 When the plane arrives it parks on the tarmac, passengers descend
stairs and take a passenger bus to the terminal (which is nearby).
(Visit bathroom, get your airport necessities in order, etc. before
you land ) Visitors fill out the entry/exit /tourist forms and get
into the line to have health forms (especially Yellow Fever) checked.
Then ...you go to your right and after someone collects your "tourist"
form, you enter into the baggage area. Here you must be (and look)
alert for the rest of the airport process.
 Entry into the airport terminal from the Dakar side is pretty
tightly controlled, so usually the people in the baggage area have
some legitimate reason to be there - to help you and others. Get your
own cart. (It’s possible/likely that there will be some or many
legitimate porters who will give you a cart, help get you through
customs and get you transport. I try to do this stuff by myself. Use
your judgment, people may be genuinely helpful or up to "other"
business, in equally charming ways. You tip the person who helps you.
Collect your baggage (the sooner the better)).
 You'll bring your baggage to the scanners - lifting each piece on to
the conveyor belt or counter. Then the baggage goes through the
machine, you might have a chat with the customs person, and you are
done.
 At this point you are facing windows with people from hotels or
organizations holding up signs with the names of the people they are
meeting or the group who has sent someone to pick up people. If you
arrange for this service in advance (see below), your name/their
organization probably will appear. Or your pick up person will meet
you just outside the customs door which is to the right of the
windows (as you face the windows).
 If you are not being picked up, then here are your next steps: The
worst place in Dakar in my mind, is between the exit from the
baggage/customs area and the exit from the terminal just to the
right, and sitting down in a cab or van with all your luggage stowed.
Here among the usual crowd of people waiting, are slick, fast people
who are up to who -knows- what. People may push up against you, crowd
you, talk fast, etc. offering to change money (NO), get you a cab
(maybe). There will be crowds mainly behind some low barricades,
waiting for the arrival of their friends and relatives. There will be
others right outside the terminal door who are likely to be crowding
you, touching you; this is not what a normal polite Senegalese person
would do. And if/when it happens, be very alert and guard your stuff,
pockets, etc. Be alert, polite, quietly assertive, look like you have
your wits about you.
 So your job is to get that mode of transport and make sure you are
paying a fair fare to wherever you are going in Dakar -
downtown/Plateau, somewhere on the Corniche, outlying hotels? (Before
leaving home, ask someone on the Dakar end what that fare should be -
better yet, get them to pick you up ).
 Here is what I suggest doing if you are not having someone pick you
up: Ask your hotel, business, etc. to arrange pick up at airport for
you, providing you with the information you seek/need.
 Otherwise: You can check out the ACI Baobab Center. This is an
American nonprofit which does a variety of cross cultural and
educational programs for Senegalese/other West African and Americans,
Canadians, Europeans, etc. Google ACI Baobab to learn more.
 For a reasonable fee they will pick you up in their van or car or
one of their taxi partners and deposit you where you are going.
Someone will be at the airport (outside the baggage/customs area) to
meet you. You arrange this with ACI, ask them your questions in
advance, etc. Their service is especially helpful when it is time to
leave. If your flight is at 2 am, for example, you need to be at the
airport 2/3 hours in advance. Their van/taxi man will pick you up on
time (though I usually double check with ACI and the driver that you
are all squared away in advance) and get you to the departure area
easily.
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