This is
Lake Retba (or Lac Rose), in Senegal. The colour is caused by
Dunaliella salina algae, which produces a pink pigment, and it changes depending on the seasons. It's more pronouncedly pink in the dry season (Nov - June) and duller in the rainy season (July - Oct). The lake is separated from the Atlantic Ocean only by a narrow corridor of dunes and has a very high salt content, up to 40% in places. Salt is exported across the region by up to 3,000 collectors, men and women from all over Western Africa, who work 6–7 hours a day and protect their skin with "Beurre de Karité" (shea butter), produced from Shea nuts, which is an emollient used to avoid tissue damage.
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Today I'm introducing a new way of celebrating readers' birthdays. There are only so many relevant cakes and cupcakes I can find for each person and I risk repeating myself, so on the first day of each month, I'll wish all readers, including lurkers, a very simple but heartfelt Happy Birthday! The bonus are the zodiac cookies...
