In the 13th century, on the Gambian territory of our days were living the tribes Wolof, Fulani and Malinke. In 1455, Portuguese explorers discovered the Gambia River, and later, in the 17th century, British traders settled in these territories. Currently, Gambia is a mixture of tribes, each speaking its own language: the majority tribe is Mandinka (38% – this tribe founded the empire of Mali as well), Fula (21%), Wolof (18%), Jola (4, 5%) – the current president (who just lost the elections from December 2016) belongs to this tribe and other smaller tribes.
The official language is English, although sometimes you need a few minutes before you understand what they really want. I asked for salt and the waiter’s answer was: “I’ll bring it immediately from the chicken.” I had to see with my own eyes the man moving toward the kitchen to realize the chicken was actually the kitchen! This is just an example.
Day 1 Kololi – Banjul – Barra – No Kunda – Farafeni – Wassu – Kutaur – Lamin Koto (Sensending Lodge)
On the fourth day, we did a two-day trip, starting from Banjul to the north-east, along the River Gambia and returning from the south. We traveled about 600 km, by ferry, by car and by boat. Awoken at 5 am, we got into the car that took us to the ferry in Banjul. The beautiful sunrise woke me up completely after all the loading process bewildered me (not in a negative way, only it was so busy, moving cars, people, carriers, donkeys, goats …)
We crossed the river Gambia, at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean, in about 30 minutes. If you are lucky, in this area you can see dolphins. Unfortunately, we did not see any dolphins. Arrived in Barra, the city opposite Banjul, we stopped to buy bread for breakfast (still soluble coffee, standing on the side of the road, still bread with butter and jam offered by our guide).
The first stop was a visit to Kamdraa family, in the village No Kunda, near the city Kerewan. From far, you could already see a few small typical African houses, with roofs made of reed, a compound, as locals name it (compound = a yard with several small houses surrounded by a fence, where one or more families live). From the main road, the car turned left and went on a bumpy path, leaving behind a thick trail of dust glowing in the sun. The children, with dusty clothes, ripped here and there, came running to the car shouting toubab, toubab. In the middle of the compound (the only compound in a radius of one kilometer) dominates a majestic tree with a big trunk. In the past, every village had a large tree in its center, where, in its shadow, all the village elders were gathering. The tree represented a sort of local council where was decided everything important about the village. Under the tree of this compound were some women and a few children, too small to be able to run to us.
We were welcomed by mister Kamdraa, the head of this family, walking to us slowly holding his hands behind. The 64-year-old man has four wives, twenty-one children and I forgot the number of grandchildren. They all live happily in the same compound. I’m thinking shivering: F O U R wives … God, how it must be to complain about four women at once? How you sleep with them? Monday – wife number one, Tuesday – wife number two and so one? Don’t you confuse the children’s names? Would you still know which kids are from wife number three or would you mix them with the kids of wife number four? Do you kiss them all in the morning or only the one you slept with the previous night ?? My synapses were getting on fire.
Mister Kamdraa, besides wives and many children, has two donkeys, a horse, chicken, some baobab and banana trees, he is growing millet and couscous. He told us everything in detail, very proud, and he didn’t forget to mention he is not poor, he has enough food for his family, only he has a lack of building materials because the city is too far. He doesn’t speak English and he has never been to school. His world is totally different from the world we know. He has a radio, but he never had a television. His life is divided between the family compound, the five prayers of the day (the 5 o’clock prayer woke me up every single morning!) and the radio talks. He laughs happily! I asked him what if his wives make him angry. He replied prankish that his wives never make him angry because he taught them to obey. After visiting his houses (the kitchen house left me with eyes wide open), we were saying goodbye, not before giving the children some gifts and sweets and started driving again.
The road meandered through villages forgotten by time, with their adobe houses, with children running with bike tires trough the dust, heated by the sun. Their lives seemed devoid of the hustle and bustle of modern times. We left behind the city Farafeni, and drove towards Wassu and its megalithic monuments. The stone circles from Wassu are called the African Stonehenge, the megalithic monument being compared with the Stonehenge from Great Britain. There are more than 1 000 circles in the shape of an ellipse. 93 circles from the total of 1000 are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Each circle contains about 10-24 standing stones. All stones form a circle that has the same height and size, ranging between 60 cm and 245 cm in height and weighing up to 10 tons. All the stones are from laterite (laterite is a soil rich in aluminum and iron). Researchers are not sure when these monuments were built, but the generally accepted range is between the 3rd century BC and the 16th century AD. The circles were built gradually, over a long period of time.
These monuments were burial sites. The circle represents harmony and absolute perfection, but also heaven and eternity. The site was originally used as a cemetery for kings and chiefs, and later for burial Muslim religious leaders. Wassu stone circles appear on the 50 Dalasi banknotes.
Shortly after the visit of Wassu, we embarked on a boat where we had a late lunch and we floated on the River Gambia among hippos, crocodiles and chimpanzees jumping on the branches of the mangroves (mangrove trees are very important in Gambian culture). The trip on the River Gambia has made me missing our beautiful Romanian delta!
Last evening of 2016 we spent it at the Sensending Lodge, where we danced African dances, played André Hazes and Metallica on African drums and slept in cottages, having as light candles in beer bottles (the cottages were not connected to electricity). I didn’t have a backless dress, but I had sneakers and mosquitoes repellent, I didn’t have champagne, but I had a horrible palm wine (disgusting taste) and we had no fireworks, but we had a sky full of stars as I have never seen it in my life! It was the best New Year ever! On the first day of 2017, I was awoken at 7 am by the monkeys hanging from the window. Dozing, I jumped out of the bed, looked for my camera and run out of the cottage, in my pajamas, to feed the monkeys. A peanut for me, a peanut for them. Like sister and monkey! 🙂
Day 2 Sensending Lodge (Kutaur) – Lamin Koto – Janjanbureh (Georgetown) – Birkama – Kololi
The first day of the year continued with a visit to McCarthy Island, where, in the 18th century, slaves were sorted and sent to America. Janjanbureh (Georgetown during British colonization) is a small village with only 4 000 inhabitants. We visited the building where slaves were kept and sold, which was full of bats clinging to the ceiling. If you want to know more about slavery read the book Roots by Alex Hailey or watch the movie Roots. The main character is Kunta Kinte, a Gambian slave, and the story is based on real facts.
On the way back, this time taking the south of the river Gambia, we saw baboons and we made friends with a chameleon. Weary after two full days, we stopped at Birkama market where you can find all kinds of statues, masks and musical instruments, typical African. Birkama Craft Market is a famous handicraft market for handmade art products. If you want to buy souvenirs, there are craft markets also in Banjul and Serekunda. Do not forget to bargain!
It will follow a brief tour of cities Banjul, Serekunda and Bakau (all the time I said Bacău, as the town from my Romania) and a safari in Fathala, a Senegalese wild reserve. I’ll be back with details in a new post, the last one about Gambia! Abaraka and Suto Diya! (thank you and a good night in Mandinka) 🙂