Waking up at 5 in the morning is not my hobby at all. Not even at 7. I’m not a morning person and that’s it! I hardly wake up at 7.30 in my everyday life. However, during all the time spent in Gambia I woke up only at 5 and 7 a.m. without any trouble (the thirst for seeing new places and things! in addition, when it comes to travel the world, I was born ready to go).
After the waking up at 5 a.m. for the two days trip, the following trip on Gambian roads was towards Banjul, then Serekunda and finally Bakau.
Day 6 Kololi – Banjul – Serekunda – Bakau – Kololi
I ate my omelette during the breakfast on the restaurant’s terrace checking the route of the day, then dipped a small piece of the croissant in my coffee and thought for a second how lucky I am! I’m heading to the reception to change a few euro in dalasi (50 dalasis for 1 euro) and walk to the entrance where the car is. The guide is waiting in front sith a big smile. He speaks Dutch and English. He lived in Nederland for three and a half years, but when his father died, he returned to Gambia. I’m asking him why he didn’t stay to live in Europe and he answers that, from the moment his father died, he became the head of the family and it was his responsibility to take care of his family. The people living in the cities became during the last years more modern, yet, the majority remained attached to their traditions. Girls are still getting married from very young (sometimes at 16), some marriages are still arranged by the parents, boys take over their fathers’ responsibilities … Most of the people in Gambia live according to the Islamic traditions, 90% of the Gambians being Muslims and 10% Christians. Gambia is a peaceful country, having a low criminality rate, with relaxed and very optimistic people. Our guide told us smiling that the time in Gambia is according to GMT – Gambian Maybe Time! 🙂
From Kololi to the capital, Banjul, we drove 25 minutes. There is only one road having two lanes. On the way to the capital of Gambia (just like during all our trips), we must stop to a checkpoint almost every kilometre. Following the elections from the 1st of December 2016, Yahya Jammeh, the president of Gambia for the last 22 de years, lost. The newly elected president, Adama Barrow, will take over on the 19th of January 2017. The roads are guarded by the army and police to prevent any troubles during this intermediate period. From the same reason WhatsApp is partially blocked and the internet was very slow (although I believe the internet in Gambia is in general slow). The Gambians are contented with the perspective of a new president and they hope in great changes, as accepting foreign investors which would create more jobs, especially in tourism. Gambia lives mostly from tourism, agriculture, peanuts export and fishing. Due to all these security measures from this period, I could not take too many photos in the capital, in many places the army did not allow taking photos.
Banjul is a small town, with a population below 35 000 residents, located on a small island at the flowing of Gambia river into the Atlantic Ocean. What to visit in Banjul: Gambian National Museum, Albert Market, African Heritage Museum, the Arch 22 monument and a few mosques.
Located on Liberation Avenue, Albert Market is a very crowded market, filled with all kind of stuff, from fruits and vegetables to traditional clothes and African handmade art. It is advisable to ask permission before you photograph people who sell into the market, some of them do not want to be photographed! Don’t forget to bargain, it is their favourite game. If they ask 2 000 dalasis for a statue, offer 50% less. You can buy many things for half of the first offered price.
From the Albert Market, we went to the National Museum of Gambia. Dusty and somehow stuck in the shadow of the years, the National Museum exhibits cultural and historical artefacts, including musical instruments, agricultural tools and ethnographic objects. The entrance is 50 dalasis (1 euro). The museum is closed on Sundays.
We left Banjul passing the Arch 22 (the monument is on the 100 dalasis banknotes), a 35 meters high commemorating triumphal arch, driving towards Serekunda, where we visited a batik materials workshop. About the city of Serekunda, I wrote in Boss Lady – Gambia part I.
The last visit was in Bakau. The whole time I called it Bacău, as the town from my homeland:) Bakau is a small city (a bit bigger than Banjul), located on the Atlantic Ocean. The people living there say that the town was built around a small lake with crocodiles, today Kacihkali Crocodile Pool, where you can walk between crocodiles fed with fish and if you are brave enough, you can pet the crocodile Charlie.
In Bakau are the most beautiful beaches (Cape Point), the only national stadium, The Independence Stadium and Mile 7 Studios from where Radio Gambia broadcasts. Radio Gambia’s program includes traditional music, but also modern music. The traditional music is played especially during ceremonies. People from Wolof tribe are known as the best musicians. Part of the music in Gambia is sabar (traditional drums, used in the past to send messages far away, the sounds of this percussion instrument can be heard up to 25 kilometres far) and mbalax (a mix of jazz, latino, soul and rock). Mbalax means rhythm in tribe Wolof’s language. The music of Gambia is related to the one in Senegal. Do you remember Youssou N’Dour and his song Seven seconds ?? Mister Youssou is originally from Senegal, just across Gambia 🙂 The most appreciated artist from Gambia is Jaliba Kuyateh, according to Ibrahim, the boy patrolling every evening around the bungalows, with whom I talked almost every night about wedding traditions, Gambian music, perspectives of Gambian future and so much more.
Day 7 Safari in Senegal
Last trip. Last waking up at 5 a.m. A new loading on the Banjul – Barra ferry. Checkpoints to every kilometre. I hope to see rhinos. And zebras. Fathala Wild Reserve is 33 kilometres north from Banjul. We stop to the Senegal border for passports check. It looks like I am back in time to the old bus station from Galați, my hometown, the difference is that here are passing goats. We are soon invaded by a group of children and women trying to sell us fruits, peanuts, muffins … I buy some oranges and two small bags of raw peanuts. The oranges are so tasty! So are bananas. I have eaten in Gambia the tastiest bananas.
We get stamps in our passports and we are free to pass. The safari car is shaking us continuously. Fathala Reserve has also bungalows where you can sleep into the wild. The entrance 30 euro for an adult and 16 euro for a child (it doesn’t include accommodation into the reserve). In the past here were lions as well, but they decided to move them because the lions were eating the antelopes. It is a pity that neither the Gambia nor Senegal have no longer elephants, although you can still see them in the West Africa.
More information about the reserve and accommodation can be found on www.fathala.com. The reserve covers an area of 6 000 hectares. What we have seen: zebras, rhinos, wild boars, antelopes, giraffes, chameleons, various birds. The other wild animals were hidden. Delighted to have seen my rhinos and zebras, we returned to our bungalow, happy that we still can have an hour of sun and swimming pool!
It was a busy holiday, we have seen a new world, so much different than the one I live in! I would dearly return one day to Gambia and plan to visit more of Africa (even if I had to take three vaccines – yellow fever, hepatitis A, DTP and two weeks of Malarone, anti-malaria medicines)
Gambia is the smallest country in Africa, but so full of beautiful experiences!
