DFR Travels: The Gambia...

Wednesday, March 29.In Port in The Gambia

Why it is called ‘The Gambia’ I will find out today!

I am composing this Blog at 5:55 in the morning! It is going to be a very, very, long and hot and tiring day, I can feel it in my bones! I am hopeful to be able to go down for dinner tonight because it is far easier to get food in your body at a dinner table than upstairs in the Lido buffet where every single item has to be served to you. It is a bother to me.

We were up, just after 5:00 am, got dressed, had some tea and coffee, checked the email. We were delighted to see that we had two; one from our travel agent that I am working with and one from Wally with another enquiry. Next we spoke to daughter Jeanette who planted onions and carrots today and some other family news.A good start to the day.

We ate our breakfast of oatmeal porridge, to have something that will stay with us during the day. After breakfast we came back to our room: around 7:30 am. I am optimistically saying this could be a good day. A few encouraging signs I picked up that this may be a different sort of West African Port!

4:00 pm. Well, here we are back in our room ready to finish the blog and go down and eat. Jim and Gail were not going to the dining room. Gail is not feeling 100% as it turns out. The Girls, our table companions, also bailed out and made reservations at the Italian Restaurant. So, Fellette and I are having room service and watch the sail-away from Gambia up to Dakar, in Senegal, a few hours voyage.

Gambia and our Shore Excursion both exceeded my expectations. However, remember, I had Zero Expectations for both. I would Rate Gambia somewhat cleaner, friendlier and wealthier than Angola, Ghana and The Ivory Coast! How about that for sticking your neck out!

Our Lady Truck Guide, [yes we were in ex-army trucks all day long] was black as coal, quite a large lady and had a strong presence, but I understood less than a third of what she said.

The day was: Very, very long, hot, windy and bumpier than any Safari Vehicle we have ever been in, [excellent driver though]. The subject matter we saw was less than memorable but the best they had to offer us. I understand that.

One of Africa’s smallest Nations, Gambia, has had issues with its name for some time. Various presidents have fiddled with it on and off. The guide called it Gambia but I think once she may have said The Gambia. No resolution to the question. Who cares?

An OK Day...

They may not be ex-army, but they looked like it, felt like it and had no shock absorbers. Not sure from whose Army either!

The full gamut of vehicles on the dock as the locals set up another fantastic frontage of shops and were taking them down when we sailed.

Down we go, from our room, to the shore excursions this morning.

Jim and Gail seated, ready to venture out.

Boats, ready for fishing.

Sera, our guide for the day.

Lots of donkeys today, a handy animal to have around here.

Seemingly endless roadside shops.

Yes, that is our kids mother!

At a Museum stop, [a bit sad], with homes that Gambians lived in a hundred years ago.

In the kitchen.

This young fellow is showing how they collect palm oil. You can see the bottles collecting the oil. They gave us a taste of both the oil and the fermented ‘wine’, both tasted a bit foul to me.

Yup, that is how a cashew nut looks when picked. Simple.

We donated some Holland America Chocolates, that we get each night, to a school we went to today. As did the Cutlers.

Village well at the school, ugh. We donated to get a new bore hole for the school.

A desert-like approach to our BBQ lunch. Hearts were sinking!

La Beach! Far from most peoples expectations, I thought it was cool, Fellette went in, Jim waded, Gail and I declined.

Jim and I walked up to where some fishermen were trying to straighten out their very long nets that had gotten tangled out in the sea, so the piled them in the boat and pulled it off close to shore. Jim helped.