Banjul, Gambia
10 May 2011
Today we hired a boat to show us the most dominant feature in the country- the Gambia River. First we rocketed out into the open sea to troll for barracuda in the dual engined speed boat, bouncing over waves so high that the propellers were out of the water. Then we motored up the river for 45 mins to Juffare, a village on the river where Alex Haley traced his Roots. There isn't much to the village, besides a small museum that talks about slavery and the ruins of a couple old buildings (chapel and storehouse). There is also the Kinte family house with some relatives but they weren't around the day we visited.
After the village we followed the route of the captured slaves to James Island, a former British fort where slaves were held for transport to Goree Island in Dakar, and then on to the new world. The island is slowly eroding into the river and all that remains are a few crumbling walls and large baobab trees.
On our way back to Banjul we stopped and tried our luck fishing first off Dog Island, then a couple other places but only caught 1 small (10 inch) silvery fish. At the end our boat captain took us on a shortcut slaloming through the mangroves to another spot where we caught a red snapper and a trout.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Gambia's other tourism
Banjul, Gambia
9 May 2011
Gambia is a major European tourist destination and has incredible hotels and restaurants besides the usual tourist markets. Banjul distinguishes itself, however, by specializing in the sex tourism trade for older European women. Older white women are frequently seen in the company of young local Gambian men who ensure that their needs are taken care of and serve as their guides. Now is the low tourist season so there aren't that many people around, but during the high season bus loads of tourist who fly direct from Europe are deposited on the tourist strip by the Senegambia hotel. This is also where most of the pickpockets work, but fortunately violent crime is extremely rare here.
9 May 2011
Gambia is a major European tourist destination and has incredible hotels and restaurants besides the usual tourist markets. Banjul distinguishes itself, however, by specializing in the sex tourism trade for older European women. Older white women are frequently seen in the company of young local Gambian men who ensure that their needs are taken care of and serve as their guides. Now is the low tourist season so there aren't that many people around, but during the high season bus loads of tourist who fly direct from Europe are deposited on the tourist strip by the Senegambia hotel. This is also where most of the pickpockets work, but fortunately violent crime is extremely rare here.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Driving to the Gambia
Banjul, Gambia
8 May 2011
This morning a couple friends and I piled into my Landcruiser and headed south to the Gambia. Sunday morning is the best time to leave Dakar as there was no traffic and we made it to Mbour within an hour. As we got further away from Dakar the roads steadily got worse, and after Kaolack we were swerving all over the road to avoid the road craters that could swallow whole one of the decrepit yellow taxis we passed on the road. After a while we gave up on the semi-paved road and traveled on the dirt track beside the road with everyone else.
The border crossing was nothing spectacular- we stopped at the police station where they wrote our info into an old ledger, stamped our passports, then we drove around the barrier in the Gambia. In Gambia the immigration officials seemed surprised to see us and used their cell phone to call for advice from their boss. 30 minutes later we were on our way again.
At least the Gambians didn't pretend to pave their roads and their wide dirt highway was much easier on the bones. Within 20 mins we were at the river ferry crossing (after being held up by an armed Gambian Soldier asking for money to buy a cold soda). The booth to buy tickets to cross the river on the boat was at the edge of town, which we had missed and discovered once we were in line. Thankfully, as the boat was about to load, they sold us a $4 ticket and we drove right onto the ferry. We were joined by a number of car rapides, taxis, sept-places, and pedestrians for the quick 15 min ride across the river. As usual in Africa anywhere there are people and cars we were swarmed by vendors selling cold drinks, cookies, underwear, and anything else you could think of.
Once on the southern bank of the river we got back on a dirt road and raced west across the countryside to Banjul. It seemed that every 15 mins or so we encountered a police or military checkpoint where would be questioned about who we were, where we were from, where we were going, and why. Eventually a supervisor would wave us through and we would be off again. About 50km east of Banjul the road evolved into pavement- the dirt road was covered with more dirt a couple inches thick, then rolled over with a steam roller to smooth it out, then oiled, and eventually a couple inches of asphalt would cap the surface. The resulting road was smooth and shiny, but I wonder how long it will last.
In Banjul we were stopped by a very rare and surprising sight in Africa: a working stoplight that was respected by traffic! I sat in shock behind other cars halted by a red light with no crossing traffic and no police in sight. It was a nice welcome to Banjul and soon we arrived at our fancy hotel on the beach. The entire trip took 9 hours from Dakar to Banjul including the ferry ride, border crossing, and multiple checkpoints in the Gambia.
8 May 2011
This morning a couple friends and I piled into my Landcruiser and headed south to the Gambia. Sunday morning is the best time to leave Dakar as there was no traffic and we made it to Mbour within an hour. As we got further away from Dakar the roads steadily got worse, and after Kaolack we were swerving all over the road to avoid the road craters that could swallow whole one of the decrepit yellow taxis we passed on the road. After a while we gave up on the semi-paved road and traveled on the dirt track beside the road with everyone else.
The border crossing was nothing spectacular- we stopped at the police station where they wrote our info into an old ledger, stamped our passports, then we drove around the barrier in the Gambia. In Gambia the immigration officials seemed surprised to see us and used their cell phone to call for advice from their boss. 30 minutes later we were on our way again.
At least the Gambians didn't pretend to pave their roads and their wide dirt highway was much easier on the bones. Within 20 mins we were at the river ferry crossing (after being held up by an armed Gambian Soldier asking for money to buy a cold soda). The booth to buy tickets to cross the river on the boat was at the edge of town, which we had missed and discovered once we were in line. Thankfully, as the boat was about to load, they sold us a $4 ticket and we drove right onto the ferry. We were joined by a number of car rapides, taxis, sept-places, and pedestrians for the quick 15 min ride across the river. As usual in Africa anywhere there are people and cars we were swarmed by vendors selling cold drinks, cookies, underwear, and anything else you could think of.
Once on the southern bank of the river we got back on a dirt road and raced west across the countryside to Banjul. It seemed that every 15 mins or so we encountered a police or military checkpoint where would be questioned about who we were, where we were from, where we were going, and why. Eventually a supervisor would wave us through and we would be off again. About 50km east of Banjul the road evolved into pavement- the dirt road was covered with more dirt a couple inches thick, then rolled over with a steam roller to smooth it out, then oiled, and eventually a couple inches of asphalt would cap the surface. The resulting road was smooth and shiny, but I wonder how long it will last.
In Banjul we were stopped by a very rare and surprising sight in Africa: a working stoplight that was respected by traffic! I sat in shock behind other cars halted by a red light with no crossing traffic and no police in sight. It was a nice welcome to Banjul and soon we arrived at our fancy hotel on the beach. The entire trip took 9 hours from Dakar to Banjul including the ferry ride, border crossing, and multiple checkpoints in the Gambia.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dunes at Lompoul
Senegal lies on the edge of the Sahel desert and in Lompoul one can have the true desert experience by trekking through the dunes on camels, getting your Landcruiser stuck in the deep sand, and sleeping in tents.
We met our guide at Lompoul village who directed me along sandy paths out into the open desert. 3km from the village the sand gets deep and you are surrounded by dunes and i had to shift into 4-Low, but eventually we were almost hub deep in the sand. Luckily the guide figured out what i did wrong and after letting almost all the air out of the tires I was able to float/crawl the rest of the way to the camp.
There are a couple companies offering the camping in the dunes experience and we stayed with Lodge Senegal upon the recommendation of friends and it was an enjoyable experience (besides no bed nets to keep the mosquitoes away). We lounged in the central tent before taking a couple camels across the dunes at sunset.
At dinner we found ourselves surrounded by Italians, French, and Spaniards and enjoyed a local meal of Senegalese couscous, a red stew with vegetables, and fried chicken. This place was totally off the grid and the only light was by lantern. However each tent had a private bathroom with a shower, flushing toilet, and sink with running water. We got the resident rate at 35,000 CFA each and the camel rides were only 3,500 CFA each!
The next morning we headed to Saint Louis and I got the thrill of bombing down the dunes and through the deep sand back to the village and road. At the "service station" next to the mosque in town a local refilled my tires and blew out my air filter for a moderate charge and we were back on the road. If you follow the road to the ocean you can visit Lompoul by the Sea, which is a small fishing village with a large fish drying area on the beach.
We met our guide at Lompoul village who directed me along sandy paths out into the open desert. 3km from the village the sand gets deep and you are surrounded by dunes and i had to shift into 4-Low, but eventually we were almost hub deep in the sand. Luckily the guide figured out what i did wrong and after letting almost all the air out of the tires I was able to float/crawl the rest of the way to the camp.
There are a couple companies offering the camping in the dunes experience and we stayed with Lodge Senegal upon the recommendation of friends and it was an enjoyable experience (besides no bed nets to keep the mosquitoes away). We lounged in the central tent before taking a couple camels across the dunes at sunset.
At dinner we found ourselves surrounded by Italians, French, and Spaniards and enjoyed a local meal of Senegalese couscous, a red stew with vegetables, and fried chicken. This place was totally off the grid and the only light was by lantern. However each tent had a private bathroom with a shower, flushing toilet, and sink with running water. We got the resident rate at 35,000 CFA each and the camel rides were only 3,500 CFA each!
The next morning we headed to Saint Louis and I got the thrill of bombing down the dunes and through the deep sand back to the village and road. At the "service station" next to the mosque in town a local refilled my tires and blew out my air filter for a moderate charge and we were back on the road. If you follow the road to the ocean you can visit Lompoul by the Sea, which is a small fishing village with a large fish drying area on the beach.
Réserve de Bandia
The Réserve de Bandia is only 18km north of Saly so the next morning we headed north in my LandCruiser for a mini-Safari. At the park we paid 10,000 CFA each, 10,000 CFA for my truck, and 4,000 CFA for a guide to show us around the park. Surprisingly this was my first “Safari” in Africa even though I have visited 17 African countries and traveled thousands of miles back and forth across the continent. This was a low budget and quick Safari, but not bad.
The only carnivores in the Park are a couple hyenas kept in a zoo-like enclosure and the well-fed crocs in the pond next to the Reception area and restaurant. Driving around for our two hour safari we saw about a dozen giraffes of all sizes, scores of monkeys, at least a hundred antelope-cheval, 15-20 warthogs, 10 or so zebras, herds of water buffalos, flocks of ostriches, and two white rhinos. We stayed in the car for the most part except when the guide told us to get out 20ft from the female rhino to take a picture. She told us to be very quiet and not make any sudden movements, but remained in the car to take the picture.
The other place where we dismounted the trusty Landcruiser was at a giant Baobab tree in the middle of the park. Legend has it that the bodies of deceased Griots were interred in the openings of the giant Baobab trees until forbidden by President Senghor in the 1960s. The ban on the traditional practice that had taken place for as long as the people could remember caused a great drought that lasted six years and was only appeased when the massive tree was fed again. The Baobab tree in the park still has human skulls and bones visible in its dark hollows.
We ate lunch on an old McDonalds picnic table and watched the monkeys steal bread from children. Sneaky crocodiles would try to get close to the monkeys as they pretended to bask in the sun and giant iguanas or komodo dragons roamed the pathways near the bathrooms.
For the price and proximity to Dakar I would recommend the Bandia for those on a quick visit to Senegal. Niokolo Koba National Park, located another five hours east of Bandia, offers a much larger park and features a couple lions. However there isn’t much in the way of large animals left in Senegal or West Africa as the locals ate them. Most of the animals at Bandia and Niokolo Koba are imports from other parks on the continent.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Senghor's house
Sali Portugal, Senegal
24 April 2011
One of my favorite things about Senegal is that we get both Muslim and Christian holidays. My Christian friend from Joal invited us over for a family celebration with dozens of kids and great food. I enjoyed talking to the elders and learning about his dads career in the Senegalese Navy and visiting europe. Afterwards we walked over to Leopoldo Senghor's (the first President of Senegal) house and got a tour of the place where he was raised. The guide had lots of interesting stories like how his dad prophesied his rise to international fame when he first saw his mom (he told his buddy that even though she was ugly she would bear him a son who would take his name to all the world).
Later that evening we toured the seashell island of Fadiouth and my friend dispelled all the untruths that my previous guide had told me. For example, the large baobab in the center of the island was not used as a human sacrificial alter. Be careful of your guides, many are just telling stories they think tourists want to hear. As we climbed the dirty-white seashell cemetery the sun set over the mangroves and the golden light reflected in the puddles as the tide went out. Loud music played in the background as the crowds on the shore swayed to the beat of the tambour. We drove back to our hotel in Saly in the dark, dodging cows and people on the pitch-black road.
24 April 2011
One of my favorite things about Senegal is that we get both Muslim and Christian holidays. My Christian friend from Joal invited us over for a family celebration with dozens of kids and great food. I enjoyed talking to the elders and learning about his dads career in the Senegalese Navy and visiting europe. Afterwards we walked over to Leopoldo Senghor's (the first President of Senegal) house and got a tour of the place where he was raised. The guide had lots of interesting stories like how his dad prophesied his rise to international fame when he first saw his mom (he told his buddy that even though she was ugly she would bear him a son who would take his name to all the world).
Later that evening we toured the seashell island of Fadiouth and my friend dispelled all the untruths that my previous guide had told me. For example, the large baobab in the center of the island was not used as a human sacrificial alter. Be careful of your guides, many are just telling stories they think tourists want to hear. As we climbed the dirty-white seashell cemetery the sun set over the mangroves and the golden light reflected in the puddles as the tide went out. Loud music played in the background as the crowds on the shore swayed to the beat of the tambour. We drove back to our hotel in Saly in the dark, dodging cows and people on the pitch-black road.
Leaving Kinshasa
17-19 April 2011
Nairobi-Johannesburg-Dakar
Getting home to Dakar took me on a tour of Africa. Getting out of the Kinshasa airport wasn't that bad- our checked bags were hand searched at two different points, I got wanded a couple times, and we spent a couple hours sweating waiting for the plane. Luckily I got to Nairobi without any problem and the shuttle from the Tribe hotel was waiting for me. I agree with the website "Stuff Expat Aid Workers like" it's great to see someone holding a sign with your name on it when you fly into an airport (http://stuffexpataidworkerslike.com/2010/12/13/4-drivers/).
The Tribe hotel was great- nice people, beautiful hotel, great food. The room was great- it even had an electric hot water kettle. Of the three hotels I have used in Nairobi (also stayed at the Hilton and Windsor), in my opinion the Tribe is the best. Just take a cab for $20 instead of the $40 airport shuttle.
The next morning when I got to the airport in Nairobi to catch my flight to Dakar I was surprised to get a confused look from the check-in agent. He said my flight was cancelled last week (I should have checked the flight status so it was my fault, according to him) and the next flight was in two days. Luckily the sales office was able to get me on a flight back to Dakar thru Johannesburg on South African. So I flew Kenyan to Jo'burg, waited for five hours, then caught an eight hour flight on SAA to Dakar, arriving around 1am. At least I got lots of airline miles- I should be able to get a free flight to Hawaii after all this travel in Africa.
Nairobi-Johannesburg-Dakar
Getting home to Dakar took me on a tour of Africa. Getting out of the Kinshasa airport wasn't that bad- our checked bags were hand searched at two different points, I got wanded a couple times, and we spent a couple hours sweating waiting for the plane. Luckily I got to Nairobi without any problem and the shuttle from the Tribe hotel was waiting for me. I agree with the website "Stuff Expat Aid Workers like" it's great to see someone holding a sign with your name on it when you fly into an airport (http://stuffexpataidworkerslike.com/2010/12/13/4-drivers/).
The Tribe hotel was great- nice people, beautiful hotel, great food. The room was great- it even had an electric hot water kettle. Of the three hotels I have used in Nairobi (also stayed at the Hilton and Windsor), in my opinion the Tribe is the best. Just take a cab for $20 instead of the $40 airport shuttle.
The next morning when I got to the airport in Nairobi to catch my flight to Dakar I was surprised to get a confused look from the check-in agent. He said my flight was cancelled last week (I should have checked the flight status so it was my fault, according to him) and the next flight was in two days. Luckily the sales office was able to get me on a flight back to Dakar thru Johannesburg on South African. So I flew Kenyan to Jo'burg, waited for five hours, then caught an eight hour flight on SAA to Dakar, arriving around 1am. At least I got lots of airline miles- I should be able to get a free flight to Hawaii after all this travel in Africa.
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