Gambia and beyond

Having spent a week on the so-called ‘smiling coast’ (more like a fixed grin), we realised it was more of an African Majorca than the tropical paradise we had hoped for. The only saving grace (for us anyway!) were the supermarkets. When Carruthers and I entered one, we were like children at Hamleys at Christmas, confronted as we were with bacon, Branston pickle, HP sauce and Ainsley Harriot cuppa soups, just like Waitrose but plus 50%.

Appalled by the drunken lobster red English tourists, we headed east. Following the course of the Gambia River we overnighted at Tendaba and engaged a local boatman to take us on a tour of the mangroves the following morning. Idyllic!

Continuing east we crossed back into Senegal, our easiest border crossing so far. Being this remote,  no one can be bothered to be corrupt and pestering, which was a joy… very unlike all the other border crossings in this region.

We arrived in Campment Wassadou further long the Gambia River. A stunning location over run with baboons, monkeys and on another river trip... hippos! Our next destination was the incredible forest waterfalls of Bassari Country, hard by the Guinea Conakry border (which, whilst slightly lost, we almost crossed by accident). After, by far our most extreme off-roading on the trip, we set up camp in the middle of a forest with the last wild chimpanzees in the area. The next morning, after our camp being riffled by mystery visitors in the night (baboons we think), we followed the course of the river on foot and arrived at a beautiful 35m waterfall.  A perfect opportunity to indulge in some adrenalin sports! After scaling a slagheap of a rock face, we made it to the top of the waterfall. Wet suited, helmeted and roped up we launched ourselves off for a thrilling abseil, finished with a plunge into the freezing pool below.

Everything great comes to an end (or so we thought) and we started the drive back to St Louis (over 1000km away!). The road back wound through the middle of Parc National Niokola Koba, a 9000 sq km parc in S.E Senegal. We had the fortune to pass through at sunset and were just settling in to the drive when a car on the other side began flashing its lights franticly… 3 lionesses walked along the road and into the bush. As we stopped in shock, one of the lionesses turned around just 5 meters from the car and gave us a long hard stare. Beni for once was extremely quiet.  Apparently there are only 40 lions in the whole park and therefore West Africa. We were extremely privileged to have seen them.

We were back to St Louis for Christmas and will be here for New Years eve in town tomorrow, which promises to have the streets filled with African beats and a grand fete atmosphere! 

 

Beach Batakunku, South of Banjul, Gambia.

Dinner one night and the Barra/ Banjul ferry in Gambia

Campment Wassadou

Carruthers relations?

The locals

Eggs au Savannah, near Segou

Carrithers moustache making a bid for freedom en route to the waterfall

 

Wetsuit by Channel! Carruthers attire by who knows!

At home in the forest

Lost near the Guinea Conkery border

St Louis in November

Having survived the bloodletting festival that is Tabaski where the streets run with gore... we've spent a delightful month exploring St Louis. We've both been busy at various tasks... Carruthers building a friends campsite at Mbutu on the shores of the Senegal River... tremendously beautiful and not a mosque for miles! I have been filming with an interesting local chap who doesn't speak a word of English, but we muddle through with my French. 

The night before last was Islamic New Year... very different to the debauched proceedings in Europe... here it felt a little like Halloween. Groups of cross-dressing children call at the house and with drumming and well-rehearsed dance routines they ask for small change and sweets. 

As we write, Carruthers is packing the Rolls for a journey south to Gambia, where draft beer, pig products and the English language await. We’re meeting with the Mad Professor to discuss his upcoming festival of reggae music on the beach (www.backtoafricafestival.com/). Looking forward to a clean beach minus the dead goats, turtles and sundry junk that one finds here. Delightful!

Tabaski

Our friends campment at Mbutu on the Senegal River

All the rest of these photos are Islamic New Years Eve.... (except for the Renault below!)

Asagiri Jam 2011

last remements of Japan seeping through..... have just finished this video for the festival....

Time-Lapse of the bridge in St Louis.

Beautiful! 

 

An ode to Bessie

Bessie was a much loved friend of Asagiri Jam and Fuji Rock in Japan... she was there when it counted!
This year's Asagiri Jam was her last. She will now live out her years next to Nakagima's cow shed with a view of Fuji San.

The Bats of St Louis

This was filmed from the balcony of our house... every evening the bats go to work....

St Louis Du Senegal

Tuesday 1^st November 2011

Next week is Tabaski., the Muslim world’s most important religious festival. It’s also called

"Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God...before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

On Monday morning after morning prayers approximately 50 million sheep will have their throats cut across the Muslim world and a great feast will begin. We have two such sheep in our garden. They are being well looked after by our land-lady and washed daily in preparation of their death. Beni likes them dearly and unfortunately for the sheep, he is not making their last week in this world be a stress free one....

We have been invited by a Senegalese friend to join him and his family for the important event. I am looking forward to it immensely. 

Meanwhile, we have been marooned at home while new brake disks and pads are sent via DHL from Blighty. We thought all was going swimmingly until we received a text saying the package was clearing customs in Cincinnati, USA. Even though we had written St Louis Du Senegal many times.....Dastardly news as we really do have places to toddle off to in the Rolls. The disk brakes have since been to Leipzig, Brussels and Paris where they almost, went to Cincinnati again!!! Do these people not have a map! Thankfully it is now en route to Dakar... now just the local customs to clear! 

Chez Nous.... bottom photo is the view from the balcon

Carruthers showing his many talents.....

Tabaski preparation.... top right is a billboard in Dakar

Rave lives in Senegal