I mentioned yesterday that lots of people stopped by our rental house during the day. Podor's a small and friendly town, and the festival seemed to attract outgoing, friendly people. One woman who dropped in was a Fulbright scholar teaching in Dakar, and she and her husband tipped us off to a parade that was planned for later in the day.
We headed into town, figuring we'd find the parade, and it worked. Hundreds of people were gathered along each side of the main drag. As we walked along the parade route, looking for an opening in the crowd, I kept wondering if people would be comfortable with me taking pictures. Many had asked me not to take pictures in the market the day before, and I thought that might happen again. I had brought a tiny lens -- 20mm -- to not only capture a wide angle, but to keep my camera small and less intimidating.
The event was hard to resist for a photographer -- hundreds of people were dressed in traditional clothing, celebrating their culture. Bright flowing scarves, headdresses, and robes adorned participants. All of a sudden, I saw a familiar face in the midst of the parade. It was an older gentleman who I'd met and chatted with in the market the day before, and when he recognized me, he flashed a big smile and motioned for me to come to him. I squeezed through the crowd, he gave me a big hug, and from then on, I was accepted, and welcome to take photos.
See more photos of the West African cultural parade here.
License (for editorial use) the above photo and others from the West Afican cultural parade here.
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